Because of the critical function of the IEP in the planning and implementation of effective instruction for students with disabilities, educators need a reference to determine the standards of a quality IEP and a process by which to compare an IEP to those standards. A rubric can support educators in examining the quality of IEPs. This study used…

Criteria that may be used to assess the quality of individualized education programs (IEPs) for handicapped students are presented, along with nine examples of procedures for recording/displaying pupil performance data, and seven guidelines for modifying instructional programs. After discussing the rationale for IEPs, the following three indices…

This paper examines issues in gathering data for purposes of making accountability decisions for students with disabilities. The first section describes five alternative methods being used: (1) administration of norm-referenced tests; (2) focus on results or outcomes; (3) Individualized Education Program aggregation; (4) secondary analysis of…

This article reviews use of individual education plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities and giftedness in Great Britain. The review emphasizes that IEP effectiveness depends on the contexts in which they are generated and the range and quality of the data on which they are based. The need for an effective, comprehensive review and evaluation…

The authors describe the development and use of a structured, data base approach to developing individual education programs for special education students. The components of the "Data-Based Program Modification" (DBPM) approach are described to include five decision areas: problem selection; program selection (least restrictive yet most…

The document is the third in a series of reports on progress in implementing P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Six chapters each address a particular question regarding implementation. Chapter 1 investigates the numbers and types of handicapped children being provided special education and related services, and examines…

A special education record-keeping system using bar code symbols and optical scanners is described. Bar code symbols were created for each Individualized Educational Plan objective, and symbols are scanned when students emit targeted behaviors. A weekly printed report of student performance is produced. Advantages, disadvantages, and costs are…

Using a system that monitors just the process of education does not guarantee positive student outcomes. What education needs is a consistent set of accountability procedures for all students. As educators take steps toward a new and inclusive accountability system, they need to look at: (1) possible alternative approaches to accountability; (2)…

This document contains the final report and selected materials and products from Project Learner Goals, a project undertaken to assist the Pennsylvania Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) in describing the form and content of project learner activities (activities serving short-term learner goals) within an ABLE-funded program and,…

When Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997, it authorized an evaluation to track progress at the state and local levels on the legislative goals of IDEA. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) commissioned a national longitudinal study, the Study of State and Local…

Two purposes are served by this guide: to allow school districts to examine their special education programs and related pupil personnel services, and to aid state departments of education in evaluating the nature, scope, and quality of school district offerings to handicapped students. The guide is divided into two parts: one provides forms for…