The role of regular elementary class teachers in implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for mainstreamed special education students was examined in a three phase study (student records review, teacher survey, and followup interview). The approach, based on role theory, examined the statistical independence of ratings according to six mutually exclusive categories (program type, geography/population, grade level, skill level, experience, and training). Results indicated that regular class teachers were implementing a variety of modifications of their regular programs to accommodate the special needs but a minority of the modifications were actually written into the records, suggesting the existence of serious policy issues. The regular class teachers were clearly struggling to cope with increased demands related to serving special education students, had substantial discretion as to how they actually worked with students and specialists, and relied heavily on informal rather than formal processes to achieve progress. (Author/CL)