Since 1975 active parent participation in all aspects of educational programming for students receiving special education services has been legally mandated, initially with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142), then in 1990 with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (PL 102-119), and most recently with the 1997 and 2004 versions of IDEA (PL 105-17, PL 108-446). Through each reauthorization of IDEA, the individualized education program (IEP) component has continued to direct student educational goals and objectives, placement, and evaluation criteria, as well as standards for educational performance and duration of programming modifications for special education services (Drasgow, Yell, & Robinson, 2001). The IEP meeting between educators and parents is the focal point for collaboration in the development of an educational plan. The quality of this collaboration is a significant determinant of the effectiveness of special education programs. Successful implementation of the IEP depends on all stakeholders' viewing themselves as valued contributors. Given the central and determinative role of the parent-school relationship, it is imperative that professionals in the field of special education reflect upon and learn from the experiences of all IEP meeting participants. By shedding light on the perspectives of parents and schools, individuals further an understanding of how each views the special education process and from this they gain insight that is vital to developing best-practice guidelines for conducting IEP meetings. The authors review literature to explore findings from 10 studies published after 2004 that focus on the experiences and perceptions of parents or other caregivers related to the IEP process. Their objective is to highlight recommendations from this body of literature for improving the experiences of parents and encouraging their participation in IEP meetings.