The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the heart of providing special education services to students with disabilities. It is a complex document that is supposed to include several required components. IEP teams are required to be composed of certain individuals, including "a representative of the district who is qualified to provide…

This report presents the findings of a study aimed to address the gap between policy and practice for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who serve students identified with a speech-language impairment, including other co-existing disabilities. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What factors influence how SLPs make accessibility…

In 2015, the United States Department of Education awarded an Enhanced Assessment Initiative grant to the Data Informed Accessibility--Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project to create professional development resources for educators who have to make decisions about accessibility features and accommodations. This study presents…

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…

The purpose of this study was to gather in-depth information about teachers' experiences with accessibility features and accommodations in the classroom and on assessments. Expanded options for accessibility, beyond accommodations, has accompanied the increased implementation of technology-based assessments. Asynchronous online focus groups were…

The study presented here examines the efforts of one principal and the team she relied upon to create a more inclusive and high-performing school in a large urban school district. The goals, actions, and responsibilities of the team are described, as well as the daily challenges associated with school administration and special education. In doing…

Given the centrality of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to services for students with disabilities, the decision-making process during the IEP meeting deserves attention in research and implementation. In this case study, IEP team decision-making is examined as a socially situated practice. Transcripts of an initial evaluation and IEP…

The Council of Chief State School Officers' "Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate the Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities" was first developed to establish guidelines for states to use for the selection, administration, and evaluation of accommodations for…

An inservice program entitled The Team Approach to Educational Decision-Making: Inservice for Multidisciplinary Teams is described. It provides instruction in team theory, communication skills, and problem-solving techniques to create more active and effective team participation in the Individual Education Program decision-making processes to meet…

This article argues that the multidisciplinary team (MDT) can provide more effective and satisfying psycho-educational services by adopting a family systems model. A brief overview of the model is provided, followed by a discussion of specific MDT functions that serve to facilitate a school-family alliance. (Author/PN)

Three areas related to decision making are discussed: (1) a research survey summary of multidisciplinary team decision making (MTD); (2) four approaches for structuring MTD decision making; and (3) styles of leadership as a factor that impacts on the decision-making teams. (Author/PN)

Successful transition planning is a lifelong process in which the student, family members, friends, and professionals come together to develop and act upon a plan that will lead to a successful adult life. For this reason, transition planning has become a part of several federal laws. The most encompassing of these laws, the Individuals with…

This microethnographic study examined the perspectives of paraprofessionals assisting students with disabilities in inclusive educational settings. Extensive open-ended individual interviews were conducted with 10 educational technicians from 10 different schools in Maine. Demographic data on paraprofessionals in Maine were also analyzed. The…

This training manual for a 2-day workshop was developed from the perspective that a fully inclusive society will evolve only if there are schools which embrace all children, including those with disabilities. Each participating team first considers their school's current goals and progress made towards full inclusion, and then establishes goals…

This trainer's packet, designed to be used in conjunction with the participant's manual, was prepared for a 2-day workshop to restructure schools to embrace all children, including those with disabilities. The trainer's materials include: program objectives; masters for overhead transparencies; and descriptions of learning activities, including…