Both State and Federal laws guarantee parents the right to participate in the educational planning for their handicapped children. Fairness in the procedures used and an opportunity to be heard, known legally as due process, are central features of these laws. The due process procedures are intended to ensure appropriate classification and placement of handicapped children in educational programs and to safeguard their parents' right to participate in the educational planning process. This handbook describes these procedures and what parents can and are entitled to do at each step within the special education system of the New York City Board of Education. After an overview of the Federal Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the organization of the New York City Board of Education is described, and flow charts of the process for evaluating children are presented. The nature of school records and the right of access to these records are discussed, followed by a discussion of procedures for selecting and interacting with an advocate. Means for ensuring valid testing and independent evaluations of children are presented, and descriptions are given of the school-based support team and the Committee on the Handicapped. Guidance is then provided for a parent in appraising the recommended placement of a child. Attention is also given to the child's individualized education plan, methods for obtaining of an impartial hearing, appeals to the commissioner of education, and special circumstances. The glossary contains definitions of words frequently used in the special education system, and the appendix familiarizes parents and advocates with community resources, the various forms used by the Board of Education, and the divisions or departments to which problems can be referred.