Major issues concerning the Individualized Education Program (IEP) are reviewed and modifications are proposed. The history of the IEP and current legal requirements for developing IEPs are considered. Current issues with the IEP include the cost of development, the lack of parent involvement in IEP development, and the use of the IEP for accountability. The perceptions of three local special education administrators concerning the IEP and their recommendations for change are summarized. The administrators provided views on the following: problems with IEPs as they have been developed and used, ways to better use IEPs for accountability, ways to achieve accountability for results, the content and format of IEPs, aligning IEPs with general education, and increasing parental involvement. The administrators suggest that IEPs be restructured to become more functional for instruction and to reduce the emphasis on technical legal compliance. The IEP should also promote collaboration among teachers across the total school and better outcomes for students with disabilities. Appended is a list of 11 informational items that Public Law 94-142 requires in IEPs, a sample IEP form from Vermont, and a brief commentary on schoolwide IEPs by Edward Lee Vargas. (Contains 16 references.) (SW)