Knowing What to Expect: Introducing Preservice Teachers to IEP Meetings

Abstract

M than five million IEP conferences are conducted each year. Despite the number of meetings, many IEPs are not educationally useful or legally correct (Bateman & Linden, 1998). A common concern for principals and special education directors hiring new special education teachers is their lack of information concerning IEP development and experience establishing parent relationships that are required to produce valid, family-centered, and legally compliant IEPs (Gelzheiser, McLane, Meyers, & Pruzek, 1998; Huefner, 2000). For decades prior to the enactment of P.L. 94-142, now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents and family members were totally alone in their burden of educating and caring for their children with disabilities. IDEA not only guaranteed a free and appropriate education for all children, it also mandated parent involvement (Simpson, 1996). Parental participation as a right enforceable by law was possibly the most radical provision of the law. This provision is based on the assumption that parental participation is beneficial to both parents and professionals and is a vehicle to hold schools accountable to parents and students (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wheat, 1982 as cited in Rock, 2000). Congress upheld these assumptions in two reauthorizations of P.L. 94-142; IDEA 1997 strengthens and expands the role of parents (Bateman & Linden, 1998). IEPs have been identified as the most significant component of IDEA. Two major elements characterize IEPs. First, the IEP meeting is a process of joint decision-making for parents and professionals. Second, the IEP document describes and documents decisions made by parents and professionals (Simpson, 1996). While the IEP provides a tool that is intended to be used to initiate and implement a parent-professional partnership facilitating an effective and appropriate education for children with disabilities, the legal rights of children and parents and the mandate for parent involvement do not always result in a positive parent teacher partnership (Simpson, 1996). Despite the emphasis on active family involvement and the ongoing rhetoric regarding collaboration, there are many reports indicating that family involvement continues to be passive or submissive participation (Ferguson, Ferguson, & Jones, 1988; Gallivan-Fenlon, 1994; HanleyMaxwell, Whitney-Thomas, & Pogoloff, 1995; Harry, 1992). Passive participation cannot be the ideal or most productive role in light of the fact that family members are generally the one constant in the lives of individuals with disabilities. Family members often remain actively involved, providing or obtaining supports and services throughout the life span (Ferguson, Ferguson, Jeanchild, Olson, & Lucyshyn, 1993). Contradictions often exist between professional espoused values related to family involvement and the reality of daily practices when interacting with families (Pogoloff, 1997).