The need for school-based collaboration has increased over the past decade, and with mandates from the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, this need will continue. The IDEIA requires that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum and be educated in the least-restrictive environment. The IDEIA also requires general education teachers to attend individualized education program meetings and provide input. In addition to IDEIA, NCLB requires that students with disabilities be included in state and district assessments and be held to the same standards as their typically developing peers. Moreover, many students with disabilities are included in the general education classroom. The "26th Annual Report to Congress" indicated that 33% of students with disabilities in Grades 1 through 3 received their primary language arts instruction in the general education setting. For Grades 4 and 5, 35% of students with disabilities received their language arts instruction in the general education classroom. The percentage for Grades 6 through 8 was approximately 39%. On the basis of these data and mandates from current laws, it is extremely important for general educators and special educators to collaborate to ensure that students will be successful in elementary and secondary general education classrooms. This column will strive to provide effective ideas for successful collaborations that focus on both academic and behavioral situations.