Putting the I in IEP: Student Involvement in IEP Meetings

Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings are an important component of the special education process. Indeed, a variety of benefits have been associated with active participation in these meetings, including the development of self-determination. Although students can participate in their IEP meetings at any age, few students actually attend and meaningfully participate. Using a large-scale national survey, this study examined student attendance and participation at IEP meetings, and the predictors of these outcomes. Respondents included 1,183 parents of students with disabilities across all grade-levels (kindergarten through adult transition). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including a multiple regression and a logistic regression, were used to analyze data. Results indicated that only a third of students attended their most recent IEP meeting. However, most students who did attend their meeting were not actively participating. Results from a factor analysis of participatory behaviors challenge previous conceptualizations of student participation during IEP meetings. Predictors of student attendance and participation included the strength of the parent-teacher partnership, as well as certain student characteristics related to grade and disability type. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.