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Abstract: Services for students with disabilities are mandated under United States' federal law as delineated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The plan for providing these services is referred to as the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Since the IEP document outlines to both general and special education teachers how to specifically work and accommodate for instruction, it serves as a vital guide. Teachers in a suburban high school participated in utilizing a rubric to assess the compliance of the IEP document. Researchers made use of inservice training to guide a group of teachers in the use of a rubric designed to assess IEP compliance with recent changes in IDEA. Results of the study indicated that IEP documents did not consistently include all requirements under IDEA 2004. The study concludes that educators need further training on IEP development to assure compliance with IDEA mandates.
Introduction
Since 1975, the United States federal legislation (PL. 94-142) has required that all public schools provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and related services to children with special needs. This legislation has been reauthorized in subsequent years with the latest in 2004. The plan for providing these services is referred to as the Individualized Education Program (IEP). This document is the foundation of the student's appropriate education (Gartin & Murdick, 2005). The IEP that serves as an educational roadmap is the result of a team decision-making process which includes the child's parents, the student if appropriate, a representative from the district, an individual who can interpret the testing results, anyone who is knowledgeable about the child including their related services the child might need, and both general and special educators (IDEA, 2004). While IEPs are to act as a product and process in guiding the instruction of children with disabilities, often they are treated as artifacts rather than vital guiding documents that direct instruction (Lee-Tarver, 2006; Yell & Stecker, 2003). The IEP serves as a linchpin of a child's academic program; therefore, teachers are mandated to adhere to the law. Inclusion of children with disabilities in the general curriculum requires active involvement of all members of the child's educational team. All members play a critical and active role in the development and implementation of the IEP....