Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Writing IEPs for the Audience of Teachers, Parents, and Students: The Case for the Communicative Individual Education Program

  • Richard J. Lucido, Ph.D. (Author) East Detroit Public Schools
    Richard Lucido is a practicing school psychologist and special education department leader for East Detroit Public Schools in Eastpointe Michigan. In 2011, he earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Wayne State University. His research interests include the social cognition of achievement motivation, applied behavioral analysis, and special education policy and practice.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.201
Abstract
Our current paradigm of Individualized Education Program (IEP) construction, the creation of a legal document or contract between parents and schools, needs rethinking. This paradigm’s unintended consequences have resulted in vast inefficiencies in special education and have detracted from the core purpose of the IEP document, the communication of the individualized educational plan. An alternative approach, the communicative IEP, will be presented. In this framework the written IEP is primarily conceived as a communication tool rather than a legal document. It will be argued that this approach will result in a shorter and more understandable IEP document, as well as a substantial savings in limited educator resources, which could then be better prioritized towards service delivery.
Keywords
Educational Legislation, Equal Education, Federal Legislation, Special Education, Individualized Education Programs, Information Dissemination
References

Alabama Department of Education. (2012). Individualized Education Program. Retrieved from: http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/doc_download.asp?section=65&id=15571&sort=4A

New Era: Revitalizing Special Education for Children and their Families. (2002). Report of the Presidents Commission on Excellence in Special Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Author.

Borreca, C. P., (2011). Supporting documentation in favor of senate bill 1778. Retrieved from http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/commit/c530/handouts11/04-05-ChrisBorreca-SB-1788.pdf

Caranikas-Walker, F., Shapley, K. S., & Cordeau, M. (2006). Texas Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education. Executive Summary. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Educational Research.

Delaware Department of Education. (2010). Blank IEP Form. Retrieved from: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/students_family/specialed/IEP_Forms.shtml

Illinois State Board of Education. (2007). Individualized Educational Program (IEP) Forms. Retrieved from: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/html/forms.htm

Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), Pub. L. No 108–446, 118 stat. 2647 (2004). [Amending 20 U.S. C. §§ 1400 et seq.].

Michigan Department of Education. (2010). IEP Model Form. Retrieved from: http://michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_6598-236252--,00.html

Ohio Department of Education. (2010). IEP PR-07 form. Retrieved from: http://www.edresourcesohio.org/index.php?slug=ohio-required-forms

Senate Report on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Congress, 1st Session, November 3, 2003. Senate Report No. 108–185, at 44 (2003).

U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. (2006). Individualize Education Program (model form). Retrieved from: http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/modelform-iep.doc

U. S. Office of Special Education Programs. (2001). SPeNSE. Retrieved from http://www.spense.org/

Vannest, K. J., Hagan-Burke, S., Parker, R. I., Soares, D. A. (2011). Special Education Teacher Time Use in Four Types of Programs, The Journal of Educational Research, 104:4, 219-230 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671003709898

There are 13 references in total.
How to Cite
Lucido, R. J. (2013). Writing IEPs for the Audience of Teachers, Parents, and Students: The Case for the Communicative Individual Education Program. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 8(1), 86-99. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.201

Winter 2013

Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted January 20, 2013
  • Published February 15, 2013
  • Issue Winter 2013
  • Section Articles
  • File Downloads 0
  • Abstract Views 2
  • Altmetrics
  • Share
Download data is not yet available.