Individual Education Programme (IEP) Guidelines
These guidelines are for schools, parents and specialists who support students with special education needs. They are intended to assist with planning for any special education students, whatever their need.
Lessons from Research
Since their introduction in the United States more than 20 years ago, a substantial body of research on IEPs has gathered. There has been a limited amount of research in New Zealand but what has been done has largely confirmed the findings from the US.
While the research indicates many positive outcomes from the IEP process it also highlights a number of negative aspects. To ensure the implementation of IEPs is successful in New Zealand we should examine the research to build on the positive elements, and devise strategies for minimising or overcoming the difficult and problematic elements of the process.
|
Barriers
|
Strategies
|
|
Process
|
|
IEPs are too time-consuming for teachers.
Lack of consultation with key people (parents and teachers).
Cultural insensitivity.
Threatening to parents.
|
Planning should be incorporated as much as possible into the normal planning for the class.
There needs to be increased awareness on the part of teachers, principals and other professionals of the needs and the perspective of parents, particularly parents from different ethnic groups.
Effort must be made to ensure that the process is user-friendly and jargon is minimised.
The process should be set up as a partnership between parents and professionals. The onus is on the professionals to ensure this happens and to take care not to dominate the meetings.
The number of professionals at the meeting should be kept to a minimum.
Parents should be encouraged to take a support person.
The meeting should be held at a location where the parents feel comfortable.
Parents should receive as much information about the process as possible.
|
|
Content of Plan
|
|
Critical information is missing.
Poorly written goals and objectives.
Inadequate assessment data.
Unclear links between the component parts.
Very few evaluation statements.
|
The written plan should be simplified as much as possible.
The team should check the plan against a checklist.
The language of the plan should be linked to the language of curriculum documents. Terms should be the same eg, achievement objectives and learning outcomes.
Professional development and training.
|
|
Programming
|
|
The link between the written plan and the classroom programme is often tenuous.
|
The details of the programme should be developed by the teacher after the IEP meeting and in the context of the classroom programme.
The programme should be evaluated by the team.
|
A consistent and extremely important research finding is that both parents and professionals appreciate the opportunity to meet together to share their concerns and discuss the needs of the student and ways of meeting them. The process improves communication, enables them to focus on the needs of the student, gain support from each other, and share responsibility.
This is a clear indication that the IEP process, which brings together all those people who know and care about a student, is a valid one which has been proven to be useful and of value to those involved in it.