Individualized Education Programs: Legal Requirements and Research Findings

The individual education program (IEP) is of critical importance to educators, parents, and students. Through the IEP process school-based teams (a) assess the educational needs of a student, (b) develop meaningful and measurable goals that direct the student's program, (c) develop and implement a program of special education and related services, and (d) monitor the student's progress toward his or her goals. Our purpose in this article is to review the legal requirements in developing, implementing, and evaluating the IEP; examine the research that has been conducted on IEPs; and discuss the implications of the law and research for school-based teams in developing IEPs.