[Abstract]
"Parents of special education students may take a passive role at individual education planning (IEP) meetings. This passivity often results in poor planning and reduced student performance at school. Understanding parent experiences during IEP meetings for children could help administrator and faculty gain insights integral for improving team processes and decision making. Informed by the Hoover-Dempsey and Sadler Model, the purpose of this sequential mixed methods descriptive explanatory study was to understand parent perceptions of IEP meetings. Using convenience and purposive sampling, 55 parents first completed a non-standardized questionnaire; subsequently, 15 parents participated in structured interviews. Data analyses consisted of determining central tendencies along parent participation themes, and propositional and thematic analysis of the interviews. Resulting emergent themes included lack of parent voice and value at IEP meetings, although parents reported generally high regard for participation and decision making. The aspects of this study design relating to truth-value, reliability, and neutrality supported the overall validity of the research approach. The research resulted in generation of a professional development series for staff and teachers that will increase awareness of parental importance in the IEP process. Assessing and subsequently acting on parent perceptions of participation at IEP meetings has significant implications for special education planning and student success. The increased participation and comfort of parents in the IEP process will result in positive social change by increasing parent activity in student educational programming."
The researcher suggests that IEP meetings should be designed to deepen a sense of partnership among participants, to promote "democratic collaboration" (empowering all parties to have both voice and a role in decision-making), and to overcome barriers to parental involvement and engagement. (pp.97+)