A Description of Parent Input in IEP Development Through Analysis IEP Documents

Parent input in individualized education program (IEP) development is the clear expectation in U.S. education law. Every IEP team must include parents, and their input must be equally considered when developing IEPs. The present study used content analysis of 88 IEPs of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to explore team membership, concerns parents raised during IEP meetings, and evidence that parent concerns and priorities are reflected in IEP goals and supplementary aids and services. Findings reveal that although parents express a range of concerns and priorities, these are translated into goals or services only two thirds of the time. We provide implications of these findings for research and practice.

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEVELOPING INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND CHALLENGES IN THIS PROCESS

Individualized education programs (IEP) are special education programs which is prepared for achieving targetted goals for individuals with special needs based on their developmental characteristics, educational performances and needs and includes support educational services for them. It is really important to prepare IEP’s based on the current performance level and needs of the individuals with special needs. Accordingly, it is considered that attitudes of special education teachers towards IEP development process and challenges that they experience in this process are important in terms of the effectiveness of IEP’s within the scope of this research. Therefore, aim of the present study is to determine the attitudes of teachers working at special education centers in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and challenges that teachers experience during this process. A total number of 65 teachers working at special education centers in TRNC participated in this study. “Attitudes towards the IEP Development Process Scale” and “Challenges faced during IEP Development Process Scale” were used to collect the data of the study. Results have been discussed with the relevant findings from literature and conclusions and recommendations have been provided for further research and special education legislation and practices implemented in TRNC. Keywords: individualized education programs (IEP), IEP development process, attitudes, challenges, special education teachers

Parent Perspectives of Their Involvement in IEP Development for Children With Autism

The present study investigated parents’ experiences in making educational decisions for their children with autism and their satisfaction with said outcomes. Parents completed a survey describing (a) their input in educational decisions, (b) satisfaction with school personnel, and (c) satisfaction with their child’s school experience. Sequential regressions revealed parents’ satisfaction was generally predicted by their own knowledge of autism, school staff knowledge of autism, parent satisfaction with teachers, and parent relationships with school personnel. In addition, parent input was a significant predictor of satisfaction with their child’s school experience. Finally, open-ended responses indicated that parents experienced many barriers when working with schools and often felt compelled to go outside of the school system to ensure their children received an appropriate education. Implications for teacher preparation and school–parent partnerships are described.

Toward Authentic IEPs and Transition Plans: Student, Parent, and Teacher Perspectives

This mixed-methods study examined perspectives on factors that influence meaningful student and parent involvement in Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition planning. Survey data and open-ended qualitative interviews with urban high school students with a learning disability (LD; n = 16), their parents ( n = 9), and their teachers ( n = 17) were analyzed. A group comparison of student and teacher ratings on the Student Involvement Survey revealed no difference between students and teachers on level of school efforts to facilitate student and parent involvement. However, qualitative analysis of interview data resulted in the emergence of four primary themes related to challenges to meaningful involvement: (a) facilitation of student involvement in IEP development, (b) challenges to parent involvement in IEP development, (c) challenges and effective supports for graduation, and (d) supports needed for career and college preparation. Recommendations for school practices to support student and parent involvement in the development of authentic IEPs is provided.

Which Procedural Parts of the IEP Process Are the Most Judicially Vulnerable?

To provide a missing piece to the legal foundation of professional development and practice for the individualized education program (IEP) process, the authors report the results of a comprehensive systematic analysis of court decisions specific to IEP-related procedural violations after the 2004 amendments of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Research questions focused on the frequency and outcomes of alleged procedural violations in the following categories: (a) IEP components, (b) IEP team, (c) parent participation, and (d) IEP development. Procedural violations in the parent participation category were the most frequently adjudicated; the outcomes ratio in court averaged approximately 3:1 in favor of school districts for cases across all four categories. Implications for practice include reconsideration of current policies and practices to whatever extent that they were based on case law rather than proactive priorities, per the lack of differentiation in prevailing publications and presentations in special education.