Individualized Education Programs (IEPS) and Special Education Programming for Students with Disabilities in Urban Schools

Abstract This Article examines the individualized education program (IEP) requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and presents a method for improving the education of students with disabilities in urban settings by appropriately developing IEPs. Part I considers the unique problems facing special education in urban school districts. Part II presents an overview of the IDEA and its requirement that school districts provide students with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Part III examines the components of an IEP and the process for developing students' IEPs--the key vehicle for providing a FAPE. Part IV outlines a process for developing educationally meaningful and legally sound IEPs for students with disabilities. Finally, Part V discusses the important issues in professional development for ensuring that urban school district personnel understand their responsibilities in crafting IEPs. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction I. Special Education in Urban Settings II. The IDEA and FAPE III. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) A. IEP Requirements 1. Parental Involvement 2. Participants in IEP Development 3. IEP Content a. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance b. Measurable Annual Goals c. Special Education Services, Related Services, and Supplementary Aids and Services d. Extent to Which a Student Will Not Participate in General Education e. State- and District-Wide Assessments f. Behavior Interventions g. Transition Plans B. Implementing and Revising IEPs IV. Placement and Students with Disabilities V. Developing Educational, Meaningful, and Legally Sound IEPs A. Question One: What Are the Student's Unique Educational Needs that Must Be Considered in Developing the Student's Instructional Program? B. Question Two: What Measurable Goals Will Enable the Student to Achieve Meaningful Educational Benefit? C. Question Three: What Services Will Be Provided to the Student to Address Each of His or Her Needs? D. Question Four: How Will the Team Monitor the Student's Progress to Determine if the Instructional Program is Effective? E. Professional Development Activities 1. Provide Professional Development Activities Based on Evidence-Based Procedures 2. Ensure that Principals and Assistant Principals Understand Their Roles and Responsibilities Under the IDEA 3. Ensure that Administrators, Teachers, and Parents Understand the Importance of Parental Involvement in the Special Education Process and Use Methods to Ensure that Meaningful School- Home Collaboration Occurs in the IEP Process 4. Ensure that General Education and Special Education Teachers Understand Their Responsibilities Under the IDEA Conclusion INTRODUCTION Individualized education programs (IEPs) are at the heart of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the purpose of which is to make a free appropriate public education (FAPE) available to every student in special education. (1) An IEP is: (a) the written document that records the essential components of an eligible student's special education program, and (b) a collaborative process between a child's parents and school personnel to design this program. (2) During the IEP planning process, the student's needs, annual goals, special education and related services, evaluation and measurement criteria, and his or her educational placement are determined and implemented. (3) The purpose of this Article is to examine the IEP requirement of the IDEA and to present a method for improving the education of students with disabilities in urban settings by developing IEPs that are educationally appropriate and legally sound. …