A Preliminary Investigation of IEP Quality and Content Associated with Placement in General Education versus Special Education Classes

Abstract

An analysis was conducted of the quality and curriculum content of the individualized education programs (IEPs) written by 11 teachers for 22 students with severe disabilities who attended a special class program (two students per teacher). Differences were then analyzed between this first set of IEPs and subsequent IEPs written by the same teachers for the same 22 students following a change of placement from special classes to full-time membership in general education classrooms. IEP quality was evaluated on the basis of the degree to which educational objectives included seven components identified as indicators of best practices. Curriculum content areas included communication, social, motor, vocational, domestic, community, recreation/leisure, and academic. No difference was found in the curriculum content of the IEPs written for the students when they attended a special versus a general education class; however, there was a difference found in the quality of the IEP objectives, with higher scores for IEPs written for the students when they were full-time members of general education classes.