Individualized Education Program Meetings Research Articles

An Intersectional Examination of Economic Hardship and Individualized Education Program Meeting Participation

In this preregistered study, we confirmed a transition-planning construct and determined its relationship with an established economic-hardship construct using parent- and youth-reported data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 and following established quality indicators of preregistered secondary data analyses studies. Transition planning was made up of seven items relevant to individualized education program (IEP) meeting participation. We examined measurement invariance on the basis of disability category and race/ethnicity as well as the intersection of these student characteristics in order to make unbiased group comparisons on key latent parameters. Contrary to our hypotheses, there was no meaningful correlation between transition planning and economic hardship. Moreover, we were unable to establish measurement invariance of transition planning because the item “youth's role in IEP meeting” functioned differently on the basis of disability category. Implications for practice are discussed regarding how decisions about IEP meeting participation are made, by whom and why, and whether evidence-based practices are effectively disseminated. Future research should ensure adequate sampling plans for national survey attempts in order to conduct an in-depth examination based on intersectional student characteristics.

Parent and student participation in IEP meetings: Transition-aged students still overlooked

BACKGROUND: Although parents and transition-aged students are critical stakeholders in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, little is known about the extent to which both groups contribute during such meetings. OBJECTIVE: We examined the nature and extent of parent and student IEP meeting participation, similarities and differences in participation, and associated predictors for each group. METHODS: Responding to a national, web-based survey, 240 parents of transition-aged students (14– 21 years) completed a questionnaire related to their experiences at their child’s most recent IEP meeting. RESULTS: For both parents and students, participation items grouped into school- and transition-related input. Overall, parents participated more than students and both parties contributed more toward school-related versus transition-related topics. Predictors of parent involvement included sharing input about the student before the IEP meeting and reviewing data on the student’s past performance during the IEP meeting. Student involvement was predicted by students actively leading their meeting. CONCLUSION: We offer recommendations for research and practice for facilitating parents and transition-aged students to actively participate in IEP meetings.

Engaging Families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds in Virtual Individualized Education Program Meetings

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education in a multitude of ways. During this time, school districts struggled to provide students with disabilities access to services and supports under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). School personnel were required to continue holding meetings to review students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) yet did not always have the resources and skills to do so. The increased digital divide between culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families and their White counterparts posed additional challenges for them, such as access to technology and lack of experience with various technology tools. Although this expedited the need for culturally responsive virtual IEP meetings, this option should continue to be provided outside of pandemic contexts. Therefore, it is critical for teachers to facilitate virtual IEP meetings creating spaces where CLD families can participate as equal partners. Utilizing the tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) can help this endeavor. This article explains several recommendations for teachers and school personnel to create identity-honoring, culturally responsive IEP meetings in virtual spaces.

“Be Prepared to Fight Like Hell”: Parent Advice for IEP Meetings

ABSTRACT The individualized education program (IEP) process can be difficult for many parents of children with disabilities to navigate. Analyzing qualitative data from a national, web-based survey, this study examined parent experiences during IEP meetings, as well as advice parents have for other families participating in the IEP process. Participants included 803 parents of school-aged students with disabilities who had a current IEP from across the U.S. Results indicated that parent experiences during IEP meetings varied; however, over half of respondents described negative experiences. Further, parents offered advice for others participating in IEP meetings regarding preparedness, support, advocacy, the potential for negative meetings, being a team member, and strategies and tips for successful parent involvement in educational planning. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

The Importance of following Legal Requirements: Factors that Lead to Parent Satisfaction with the Individualized Education Program Meeting Process

ABSTRACT The individualized education program (IEP) is often referred to as the most important plan designed to provide students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education that requires families and professionals to collaborate for student success. Using qualitative methodology, we examined four focus groups of 43 parents of students with disabilities about their experiences with the IEP meeting process, including suggestions for improvement. Findings revealed parental satisfaction was mostly associated with practices that fell within the legal requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Key practices that lead to parent satisfaction included: (a) conveying a strengths-based perspective about the student, (b) utilizing meeting strategies, (c) working together as a team, (d) bringing outside support to the meeting, (e) learning about the IEP process ahead of time, and (f) having a supportive educator available to advocate for the student. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Parents of children who are deafblind face challenges in fostering collaboration within individualized education program teams

Although active parent involvement is mandated as part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents continue to report dissatisfaction with Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Despite increases in parent participation policy since the adoption of IDEA, the parent–professional partnership originally envisioned by lawmakers is arguably not consistent with practice. This is evident for all families with children who represent the 13 disability categories covered under the auspice of IDEA; however, because deafblindness is a low-incidence disability with a heterogeneous population, this study focuses on families with children who are deafblind. Parents of children who are deafblind have unique challenges before, during, and after IEP meetings. Professional knowledge about deafblindness is often lacking, thereby requiring families to gain and share knowledge on their own. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to gain an understanding of what leads parents to develop advocacy strategies, and how parents view collaboration. Fourteen mothers of children who are deafblind were interviewed about the unique and essential perspectives that they have concerning IEP team meetings and collaboration. The following questions were posed: RQ: What experiences lead parents of children who are deafblind to develop and use collaborative skills with their child’s IEP team? The challenges parents experience falls into two distinct themes: (a) challenges associated with the deafblind population in schools and (b) challenges with the IEP process. Parent views on collaboration are also discussed. Educators who read this study will better understand the unique experiences of parents of children who are deafblind in IEP meetings.

School Personnel Perceptions of Video Conference Individualized Education Program Meetings

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools in the U.S. pivoted to provide services to students using technology to mitigate the need for face-to-face interactions. In addition to providing instruction using distance technology, it was necessary for schools to conduct much of their other business in a way that limited face-to-face interactions, including Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings for students who receive special education services. This study sought to better understand the extent to which school personnel believe they will continue to use a video conference format for IEP meetings, even without the existence of school policy restricting face-to-face events. Additionally, barriers and facilitators related to video conference IEP meetings were explored. A survey was completed by school professionals ( n = 292) that included responses to Likert-scale items related to video conference IEP meetings as well as open-ended qualitative items to better understand respondent perceptions. Results suggest school personnel generally believe that video conference IEP meetings can be beneficial and should be offered as an option to IEP teams. In addition, qualitative data related to barriers and facilitators have been provided. Implications for school personnel and future research have also been described.

Barriers and Recommendations From Parents in Rural Areas: Experiences With Individualized Education Programs

This study explored the experiences of Head Start parents who were becoming involved in their pre-school–age children’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Seven participants from the rural Midwest engaged in focus group ( n = 2) or interview ( n = 1) format discussions regarding barriers to involvement in the IEP process and recommendations to alleviate these barriers. Qualitative analysis with thematic coding was used to interpret the data. Results indicated that parents believed they lacked necessary information that could increase their advocacy for their children and reported the wording of the IEP was too difficult to understand. In addition, parents felt that their negative emotions barred them from being active members at IEP meetings. Parents noted that Head Start’s encouragement and positive parent–teacher communication helped alleviate some barriers but believed that a yearly class on IEPs and more frequent one-on-one meetings would help them become better advocates for their young children.

Role Play: Actualizing the IEP Meeting for Pre-Service Teachers

Teacher preparation programs provide numerous teaching and learning opportunities for pre-service teachers; however, participating in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting is not an experience that can be guaranteed. Leading and participating in IEP meetings are a responsibility that all special education teachers will be held accountable for, but many pre-service teachers will never be able to observe a real IEP meeting before entering the field. In this qualitative case study, the researcher utilizes a simulated IEP meeting to provide pre-service teachers with experience in participating in an IEP meeting prior to entering the profession. The case study method is utilized to examine the perceptions and experiences of pre-service teachers following the simulated IEP meeting experience. Findings in this study support the use of role-play in developing a greater understanding of the IEP process, from program development to the IEP meeting itself.

A Review and Analysis of Single-Case Research Examining Adolescent Participation in IEP Meetings

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify and synthesize single-case research examining interventions used to increase the quantity and/or quality of participation by adolescents with disabilities during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. For studies meeting quality indicators, we used visual analysis, Tau-U, and standardized mean difference to synthesize outcomes, including maintenance and generalization of effects. We identified seven studies examining quality of participation and eight studies examining quantity of participation that met our inclusion criteria; however, only three studies from each group met quality standards. Overall, interventions positively influenced student contributions at IEP meetings. When measured, increased quantity and quality of participation maintained over time and generalized to real IEP meetings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Role of Multiliteracies in Changing Learning Spaces and Promoting Self-Advocacy for Students with Complex Support Needs

Traditional literacy practices using print-based texts exclude students with complex support needs from the full range of literacy activities provided to peers without disabilities, which may limit them to low-level literacy skills or functional skills. By contrast, by including various forms of representation and text, multiliteracies are uniquely positioned to address the literacy development of students with complex support needs. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in student engagement, teacher–student interaction, staff and parent perceptions, and self-advocacy opportunities created during the implementation of multiliteracies with students with complex support needs. In a public high school classroom in northern California with a teacher and six paraeducators, two students with complex support needs created a multimodal book to present as student input at their individualized education program meetings. The book included the students’ favorite images of family and school, videos and images of their favorite activities at home and school, an identity chart with adjectives that best described them, a description of their strengths, and a transition plan describing what they wanted to do after school. Grounded theory was used to analyze the data collected through interviews, observations, and video and audio recordings. Data suggested that multiliteracies’ pedagogy created new learning spaces, empowering teacher–student interactions, and student self-advocacy.

Understanding the Characteristics and Predictors of Student Involvement in IEP Meetings

Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings are an important component of special education; however, few students actually attend and meaningfully participate in their meetings. Using a large-scale national survey, this study examined student attendance and participation at IEP meetings and the predictors of these outcomes. Respondents were 1,183 parents of students with disabilities across all grade levels. Results indicated that only a third of students attended their most recent IEP meeting. Most students who did attend their meeting were not actively participating. Results from a factor analysis of participatory behaviors challenge previous conceptualizations of student participation. Predictors of student involvement included strength of the parent–teacher partnership, as well as certain student characteristics related to grade and disability type. Implications are discussed.

Trauma-Informed Strategies for Culturally Diverse Students Diagnosed With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) requires that school counselors engage with and advocate for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), in addition to requiring competency in counseling culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. However, few publications have called for increased attention to the intersectional needs of this population. This column provides a brief rationale for focusing on students with EBD who are also CLD and recommends a trauma-informed approach to supporting them through fostering a safe school-wide environment, building faculty and staff cultural competence, increasing collaborative communication with students and families, and recommending counseling services in individualized education program meetings.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Interventions Used to Increase Adolescent IEP Meeting Participation

This study examined the effectiveness of interventions used to increase the participation of adolescents with disabilities during individualized education program (IEP) meetings. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were conducted to identify and synthesize the group-design experimental literature on this topic, as well as evaluate intervention effects. Six studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the analyses. Adolescents who participated in self-advocacy curriculum interventions made significantly more contributions during IEP meetings compared with students in control groups. Given this information, school districts should consider implementing such curricula and making student attendance and participation at IEP meetings a top priority. However, additional high-quality research is needed to expand the evidence base for this practice for students with more severe disabilities.

Special education experiences and stress among Latina mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Parent involvement is an essential component of the special education process for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, many parents face barriers to participation in the special education process. Latino parents especially face systemic barriers. Additionally, Latino (versus White) parents of children with ASD experience worse well-being. If special education experiences contribute to poor well-being among Latino parents of children with ASD, there could be widespread public health and education implications. Yet, little research has explored the intersection between special education experiences and well-being among Latina mothers of children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to explore maternal perceptions of stress in relation to individualized education program (IEP) meetings, special education knowledge, and family-professional partnerships. Individual interviews were conducted with 16 Latina mothers of children with ASD. Participants reported stress before, during, and after IEP meetings. There was a pattern between high stress and limited special education knowledge; however, there was no pattern with respect to the quality of the family-professional partnership and stress. Implications are discussed.

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.

Self-determination at a Career and Technical School: Observations of IEP Meetings

The purpose of this study was to conduct observations of Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings at a Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school to determine who spoke during the IEP meetings, how IEP team members rate their IEP meeting behaviors and perceptions, and if there any differences in how behaviors and perceptions of the IEP meetings are rated. A 10-s momentary time sampling procedure was used to determine which IEP team members spoke the most and least during 10 IEP meetings. A post-IEP meeting survey was used to determine how IEP team members rated their IEP meeting behaviors and perceptions. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were computed. IEP team members who spoke the most were the special education coordinator, special education teacher, and student. Students rated their meeting behaviors the highest. Students, parents, and educators had positive perceptions of the IEP meetings. A statistically significant difference (F(3, 86) = 3.43, p = 0.012; Wilks’ lambda = 0.74; partial eta squared = 0.13) was found indicating educators had a lower mean rating on composite meeting behavior. Educators seem to be seeking input from students and parents during IEP meetings, yet there remains a need for increased student leadership during IEP meetings. Educators, parents, and students seem to lack knowledge about the availability of post-high school adult services, resulting in an increased need to provide information about agencies to students, teachers, and parents.

Bilingual and Monolingual Parents’ Counterstories of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Meeting

The Individual With Disabilities Education Act mandates that parents should be active participants in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. This qualitative study looked at the IEP process from a critical lens that focused on diverse participants’ experiences at their child’s IEP meeting. What distinguishes counterstories from a majoritarian story is that a counterstory incorporates the five elements of critical race theory (CRT). The authors used the composite narrative to tell the story of four Latinx parents’ experiences in two urban schools during IEP meetings. Findings highlight how the participants could have used Yosso’s notion of community cultural wealth to better navigate the IEP meeting and create more understanding and responsiveness among school personnel. Counterstories are recommended as a culturally relevant instructional tool that has the potential to help parents increase their involvement and create a more open dialogue with professionals at IEP meetings.

Simulated Individualized Education Program Meetings: Valuable Pedagogy Within a Preservice Special Educator Program

Research about Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting outcomes indicates special educators are unprepared and uncertain about practices designed to encourage meaningful IEP team participation. In response to these challenges, we crafted a simulated IEP (SIEP) project for preservice special education teachers as part of their licensure program. Using research-based simulation guidelines, preservice special education teachers were required to prepare, participate, and debrief with IEP team member volunteers and professors about the process. To evaluate the social validity of the SIEP project, we conducted qualitative interviews with 60 graduates of the program. Findings revealed five major themes that highlight value in the experience, including (a) valuable preparation for the future, (b) practical application of educational theory, (c) a safe space to learn and make mistakes, (d) real-world practice collaborating as a team, and (e) an opportunity to gain meaningful feedback. Following the presentation of themes, we discuss implications for practice and future research.

Rebuilding the Family–Professional Partnership Through Facilitated Individualized Education Program Meetings: A Conflict Prevention and Resolution Practice

ABSTRACTDecades of research identify the need to improve the individualized education program (IEP) meeting process. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of parents, advocates, educators, and facilitators who have utilized an emerging alternative IEP procedure known as a facilitated IEP (FIEP) meeting. This new process is used as an alternative dispute resolution practice in special education. FIEP meetings use a collaborative approach to encourage family and professionals to develop a meaningful educational program designed to best address student needs. Using qualitative interview methodology, 32 participants described their experiences with IEP and FIEP meetings. Data analysis identified the FIEP as a promising collaborative practice that can be used to restructure IEP meetings with the intent to prevent and resolve conflict through encouraging active parent participation through consensus building and maintaining focus on the student. Implications for practice and future research are presented and discussed.