Documenting the Experiences of Special Education Advocates

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan M. Burke ◽  
Samantha E. Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
The Family

Many parents struggle to advocate for their children with disabilities to obtain services at school. Subsequently, parents may turn to special education advocates to help ensure that their children receive appropriate services. However, it is unclear how special education advocates support families and secure services for children with disabilities. Before determining whether special education advocacy is effective, the advocacy process used by special education advocates needs to be understood. In this study, 33 special education advocates participated in individual interviews about advocacy. Participants reported that they used an advocacy process with five main stages: developing rapport with the parent, establishing clear expectations, learning about the child and the family, educating and empowering the parent, and participating in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Details about the advocacy process are provided, and implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Gershwin Mueller ◽  
Aimee Massafra ◽  
Jason Robinson ◽  
Lori Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Iep Meeting ◽  
The Social ◽  
Iep Team

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.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Facilitated Individualized Education Program Meeting Practice: Promising Procedures That Foster Family–Professional Collaboration

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Gershwin Mueller ◽  
Anna Moriarity Vick
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Professional Collaboration ◽  
Foster Family ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Iep Meeting ◽  
Team Planning ◽  
Parking Lot

There is limited research about effective Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting practices that promote family–professional collaboration. One emerging practice, the Facilitated IEP (FIEP) meeting, has recently gained national attention for its team-based approach. In this study, the authors interview 32 FIEP participants about their experiences with the process. Findings reveal five meeting procedures that encourage active team planning, collaboration, and problem solving between families and professionals, including premeeting with families, establishing and following a meeting agenda, using meeting norms, utilizing a parking lot for off-topic issues, and visual charting for graphic support during team discussion and problem solving. In this article, the authors present the implications of these procedural practices as a promising structure for IEP meetings that can be used by professionals to collaborate and involve families throughout the IEP meeting process. Implications for future research are also discussed.

scholarly journals Individualized Education Program Team Members’ Perceptions of Music Therapy: An Interpretivist Investigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca West ◽  
Amy Furman ◽  
Michael J Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Educational Settings ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Iep Team

Abstract Although music therapists are often members of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team in educational settings, there is a lack of research exploring IEP members’ perceptions of music therapy. The purpose of this interpretivist study was to understand the perceptions IEP team members have of music therapy in educational settings; 8 professionals from a single school district who had experience working with music therapists as part of the IEP team participated in an individual semi-structured interview. We used in-vivo coding, an inductive approach to thematic analysis, and member and peer checking. We identified 3 themes: (1) Music Therapy Is Beneficial and Unique, (2) Communication With the Music Therapist is Essential, and (3) Additional Access, Education, and Advocacy Are Needed. These themes were supported by 8 subthemes. Participants identified the relevance and integral role of music therapy in addition to the unique contributions music therapists had as part of the IEP team. Moreover, participants highlighted the importance of communication, continued education for IEP team members, and the need for additional access to music therapy services. Implications for clinical practice, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Are Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities Receiving a FAPE?: Insights from a Descriptive Review of Individualized Education Program Plans

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany L. Hott ◽  
Joshua M Pulos ◽  
Tiffany K. Peltier ◽  
Corey Peltier
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Behavioral Skills ◽  
Independent School Districts

Students with mathematics learning disability (MLD) are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) and related services as outlined by their Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP provides a roadmap for educators to follow to enhance in-school and post-school outcomes. This study explored the IEPs of secondary students with MLD, enrolled in grades 6-12, attending 15 rural independent school districts in the southeast part of the United States. Results suggest secondary students with MLD have needs in (a) calculation; (b) fractions, decimals, and percentages; (c) functional mathematics; (d) reading, and (e) social and behavioral skills; yet, 70% of IEPs reviewed only included instruction in the general education setting, without specialized services. IEPs included a variety of accommodations but few goals facilitating access to grade level content or special education services to support specialized instruction to meet goals. Implications for practice, limitations, and implications for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Exploring How the Functioning of IEP Teams Online Meets the Needs of Students with Disabilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L. Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Iep Team

Students with disabilities (SWD) are participating in supplemental online programs (SOP) and through the provisions of special education must receive specialized instruction to meet their academic potential. These students have a group of individuals, including educators, specialists, school leaders, and their own parents, collaborating to implement learning accommodations for them to support their academic success. This group is known as the Individualized Education Program Team (IEP Team). Without accommodations to the learning environment and to their learning activities, the academic achievement of SWD may be adversely impacted. The IEP Team must collaborate to create an effective Individualized Education Program (IEP) that is specially designed for their target student in the student’s current educational placement. Special Education Directors (SED) are central to the functioning of IEP Teams as they support SWD in SOP. This relationship, and the resulting provision of special education services, has not been thoroughly researched. The purposes of this mixed methods study were to identify the needs of SWD in SOP, to identify the processes used by IEP Teams to support SWD in SOP, and to determine how those processes meet the needs and support SWD in SOP. The first phase of research was a quantitative online survey of SED followed by a second phase of qualitative semi-structured interviews of selected participants which more fully elucidated current student needs and IEP Team processes that address those needs and support these students. Findings include a confidence in the established IEP Team process and in special education staff, concerns over the ability of special education staff to support or accommodate SWD in online courses, the perception that the needs of SWD in online educations settings are different than those in face-to-face settings, the perception that the SED give significant guidance to IEP Teams while allowing them independent function, and the use of the Covid-19 related increase in online learning to identify ways to better serve SWD online. This research suggests IEP Teams return to the IEP Team meeting and to the familiar process through which to do the requisite work to support SWD in online educational settings.

Lessons Learned From a Descriptive Review of Rural Individualized Education Programs

2020 ◽  
pp. 002246692097267
Author(s):  
Brittany L. Hott ◽  
Beth Ashby Jones ◽  
Kathleen M. Randolph ◽  
Emily Kuntz ◽  
John W. McKenna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Free Appropriate Public Education ◽  
Regulatory Standards

Students who are eligible for special education and related services are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), which is delineated by the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine 133 IEPs from seven rural districts that were interested in evaluating their compliance with state and federal special education regulations. The researchers evaluated (a) the present level of academic and functional performance (PLAAFP), (b) IEP goals, (c) PLAAFP and goal alignment, and (d) progress monitoring. Fewer than 7% of the IEPs examined included PLAAFP statements, goals, and contingencies for progress monitoring that met regulatory standards. The majority of IEPs (74%) evaluated did not provide complete statements of how a student’s disability affected school performance. Methods for quantitative progress monitoring were also frequently absent from the documents (23%). Furthermore, the PLAAFP, goals, and progress monitoring were often unaligned. Implications for school practice and areas for future research are reported.

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