North Dakota has one of the most open systems of government  in the United States. Because of our small population, it is possible to get to know system administrators on a first name basis. There are many ways for families to become involved in the system and to engage in system change activities. Here are a few:

Families impact the system through participation on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team. Schools often use parent input in this process to help a family meet its needs, or to modify programs to meet the needs of individual students. While not always realizing it, families can have a strong impact on the system through participation in the IEP process.

Another way for parents to become involved in system change activities is to participate in a FEET team. FEET stands for Family Educator Enhancement Teams. FEET teams operate in many local special education units across North Dakota.  The purpose of a FEET team is to bring parents and educators together to build family/educator capacity for serving students with special needs. Not all units have FEET teams. Activities that may be undertaken by a local FEET team vary, but in North Dakota the activities have included:

• Publishing a newsletter for families and teachers
• Providing an orientation for new families
• Maintaining a resource library
• Providing stipends for families or teachers to attend training
• Developing resource tools for specific topics, such as transition.