Poster Paper:
State Assessment of Parent Participation in the IEP Process
Friday, March 29, 2019
Mary Graydon Center - Room 2-5 (American University)
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Complementary perspectives and expertise of parents and school professionals on Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams are meant to culminate in the most appropriate special education and related services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Parents are regarded by law as equal partners on the IEP team, and Indicator 8: Parent Involvement of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires states to report about parent involvement in the IEP process. Parents of children receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement in the IEP process as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities is reported by state departments of education as a single data point. This requirement was put in place to hold states accountable for involving parents in the IEP process, however, in practice the single indicator tells us very little about how schools are succeeding at this task. This study investigates trends related to reported results for Indicator 8 across the U.S. since 2004 and examines what the results tell us and where they are deficient.
