This paper explores methods by which the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development process can be improved through the use of systems-based thinking, specifically through the use of Gittell's (2016) Relational Coordination Model. IEP development meetings have been described as meaningless rituals where parents often leave feeling ostracized…

Arts Education Partnership (AEP) partner organizations work to promote high-quality arts learning opportunities that align with college, career and citizenship readiness goals. AEP Success Stories provide detailed information on programs with the potential to be replicated in communities across the country. This Success Story discusses Everyday…

In 1974, the Education for all Handicapped Protection Act was signed into law by President Gerald Ford. This law which was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, established a federal entitlement to special education for eligible students with disabilities. In 1982 and again in 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court…

In some instances, a local school district may determine that it cannot provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) for a student with a disability within their district. In partnership with the student's family and teachers, the district may decide that the student would be best served in a private school or facility better suited to meet…

Parents, teachers, and administrators report concerns and challenges related to the transition from early intervention (EI) to preschool for children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing. The goal of the current article is to assist teachers, administrators, and specialists involved in the transition of a young child who is deaf/hard-of-hearing from EI…

Leading an individualized education program (IEP) meeting can be a daunting task for special education teachers, particularly if they want to make changes to the status quo when it comes to inclusive opportunities for students with higher support needs. This article explores how special educators can begin to advocate for that change within their…

Since its inception, special education has historically been an underfunded federal mandate leaving states and school districts unable to offer more than a basic level of support for individuals with disabilities. The amount and frequency of time allotted for special services including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy is…

Due to the major advances in technology and the sciences, advances in the medical treatment options for children with chronic conditions are being made at an astonishing rate. In the health care field, "children with chronic conditions" is a generic phrase that typically refers to children with physical, developmental, behavioral, or…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse), in collaboration with the student, family and healthcare providers, shall meet nursing regulatory requirements and professional standards by developing an Individualized Healthcare Plan…

Annual individualized education program (IEP) meetings are a time for a student's IEP team to review data, discuss student progress, and set goals for the year. For those students who attend their meetings, simply being in the room is not enough. Why don't students take an active role in their IEP meeting? Davis and Cumming (2019) posited that…

Why are IEP meetings often uncomfortable, awkward, and stiff? Educators and families all have a common goal--to support the growth of a child. Yet educators often feel confused that families act like reluctant participants who are just fulfilling a requirement. And families often feel that they're viewed as intruders, whose insights and dreams for…

The prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown dramatically, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires educators to use evidence-based practices to improve academic and/or behavior outcomes for children with ASD. There is definitive scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of applied behavior…

This article describes the results of a disabled children's childhood studies analysis of Section 1414 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), which outlines definitions and procedures related to evaluations, eligibility determinations, individualized education programs (IEP), and educational placements for disabled children in…

As schools seek to bridge the cultural and linguistic gap between special educators and students at the intersections of learning and language, the case described in this article illustrates how educators can continue to apply one of the key tenets of special education, the strengths-based approach. The hegemony of English has become so pervasive…

This resource focuses on recent changes in the data sources and measurements of Part B Indicators 1 and 2. It offers a side-by-side comparison of the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Part B Indicator measurement tables for FFY 2019 and FFY 2020-2025 to highlight relevant differences in SPP/APR reporting of graduation rate…