To provide a missing piece to the legal foundation of professional development and practice for the individualized education program (IEP) process, the authors report the results of a comprehensive systematic analysis of court decisions specific to IEP-related procedural violations after the 2004 amendments of the Individuals With Disabilities…

The purpose of this article is to discuss major substantive errors that school personnel may make when developing students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). School IEP team members need to understand the importance of the procedural and substantive requirements of the IEP, have an awareness of the five serious substantive errors that IEP…

Despite legal mandates and evidence of predictors of success in transition, there continue to be poor outcomes for students with disabilities as compared to students without disabilities. This article describes the first steps of a quality improvement project, including a needs assessment and description of the current constraints of transition…

Special education professionals are charged to develop relevant, compliant, and legally defensible IEPs for transition-age students with disabilities. This charge is intensified as educators strive to provide plans that will genuinely prepare students for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. This manuscript demonstrates how…

The individual education program (IEP) is of critical importance to educators, parents, and students. Through the IEP process school-based teams (a) assess the educational needs of a student, (b) develop meaningful and measurable goals that direct the student's program, (c) develop and implement a program of special education and related services,…

This state plan describes how the state of New York intends to comply with legislative mandates concerning education of children with disabilities, specifically the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Part 300 of the Code of Federal Regulations. It also describes the planning and program initiatives that will be undertaken at…

This manual is designed to assist Minnesota school districts in implementing surrogate parent programs under federal law (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and federal and state regulations. An introduction notes that Minnesota special education rules expand on the federal law by clarifying what school districts must do, including…

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifies that a behavioral intervention plan (BIP) must be developed for students with disabilities under certain disciplinary exclusions. IDEA, however, does not provide details as to what should be included in BIPs, and this lack of specific guidance often results in…

This article extrapolates principles from litigation concerning students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to establish guidelines for individualized education program teams developing appropriate special education programs for students with ASD. Principles address free, appropriate public…

This monograph is intended to provide guidance to state, school district, and building-level personnel, and family organizations as they strive to comply with the transition requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The monograph includes: (1) a description of the importance and intent of transition services for youth…

Following a 5-year planning and development cycle, Illinois has completed its first year of full implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated system of early intervention services for eligible infants and toddlers and their families under provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Among accomplishments noted…

This state plan discusses programs and policies to be implemented from fiscal years 1993 through 1995 by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction in implementing Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The plan document begins with federally required submissions, assurances, certifications, and other administrative…

This guide provides suggestions for planning and implementing inclusion programs to enhance education for all children. Recent laws supporting the rights of children with disabilities are considered, along with the confusion regarding how to meet the needs of all children in the schools. Variations in inclusion practices among states and districts…

This manual provides a sequential procedure for conducting functional vocational evaluations for secondary school students as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This evaluation procedure considers the interactions of the student with instructors, peers, and employers; training needs; work demands; environmental factors;…

A new and updated edition of a guide to development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), first published in 1981, is presented. The guide provides a step-by-step approach to the assessment process, the IEP meeting, writing the IEP, and implementing the IEP. Special emphasis is placed on changes mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities…