ERIC Number: EJ1457165
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0936-2835
EISSN: EISSN-1532-7035
Quality of IEPs for Students with Complex Support Needs: Is There Alignment across IEP Components?
Jennifer A. Kurth; Elissa Lockman Turner; Daria Gerasimova; Tyler A. Hicks; Alison Zagona; Kirsten Lansey; Mary Curran Mansouri; J. Matt Jameson; Roxanne Loyless
Exceptionality, v33 n1 p1-16 2025
Educators and families develop individualized education programs (IEPs) to address unique needs of individual students with disabilities. Addressing all student needs is critical to ensuring students receive a free and appropriate public education. To understand how IEP teams address the needs of students with complex support needs, we examined the alignment of IEP goals and supplementary aids and services with the stated needs of 112 elementary students with complex support needs as reported in their present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. We found there was a large amount of variation in alignment, but that 32.76% of stated student needs were not addressed by goals or supplementary aids and services. Neither educational placement nor type of student need was statistically significant in terms of whether a student need was addressed in the IEP. These findings suggest a serious threat to a student's right to a free and appropriate public education. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Descriptors: Individualized Education Programs, Students with Disabilities, Student Needs, Teamwork, Cooperative Planning, Elementary School Students, Alignment (Education), Student Placement, Related Services (Special Education), Student Characteristics, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Teacher Characteristics, Academic Achievement, Educational Objectives
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R324A180024