ERIC Number: EJ1189614
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Nov
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-775X
EISSN: N/A
A Practical and Research-Based Guide for Improving IEP Team Meetings
Weaver, Adam D.; Ouye, Jenna Chin
Communique, v44 n3 p1, 21-25 Nov 2015
While many team meetings in schools are ad hoc and vary from school to school and practitioner to practitioner, Individualized Education Program (IEP) team membership and meetings are a requirement for most school psychologists. As mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), the IEP team must consist of a parent, a special education provider, a general education provider, an individual capable of interpreting evaluation results (typically the school psychologist), and a local education agency (LEA) representative who is knowledgeable regarding the general curriculum and is authorized to commit school resources (typically the school principal or assistant principal). The purpose of this article is to summarize common challenges and areas of need as described in research on IEP team meetings and provide a research-informed framework for improving IEP team meetings. Recommendations that draw from (1) the research on parent perceptions of IEP team meetings and (2) research on meeting effectiveness from the field of industrial/organizational psychology are provided in order to improve IEP team meetings. Although the research on meeting effectiveness has focused largely on meetings within the corporate world, there are a number of findings that can be applied to school meetings to increase collaboration, productivity, and efficiency. After discussion of both literature bases, a model designed to make the IEP team meeting a more positive, effective, and collaborative experience is presented.
Descriptors: Individualized Education Programs, Meetings, Teamwork, Disabilities, Barriers, Regular and Special Education Relationship
National Association of School Psychologists. 4340 East West Highway Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel: 301-657-0270; Fax: 301-657-0275; e-mail: publications@naspweb.org; Web site: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Counselors
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A