Presentation by: Sophie Cooper and Laurie Ford
Session: C | Time: 10:05AM – 10:45AM | Location: Room 204A
Over 10% of students who attend public schools in British Columbia (BC) are identified as having a special need requiring an Individual Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are created or revised in yearly meetings in which parents, teachers, administrators, and others related service professionals decide on individualized goals, adaptations, modifications, services provided, and ways to monitor progress, all related to the student’s educational planning. Although students are encouraged to participate, little is known about how many students attend their meetings and what their participation looks like. Student engagement in the IEP process has demonstrated positive outcomes including increasing academic motivation and academic self-efficacy. When students are given the training and opportunity to take on roles that go beyond passive participation during the IEP process, benefits including increased academic performance, motivation for learning, and the development of self-determination skills can result. At present, research surrounding IEP participation has only been conducted in the US and very little research has directly studied student perceptions of their IEP participation. As part of our work on engaging students and families in their learning, we are exploring the engagement of secondary students in the process of developing and implementing their IEP. Getting a better sense of how many students and in what ways students are involved with their IEP has been a challenge. In this roundtable discussion our goal is to present a rationale for and engage in dialogue around the ways in which BC schools facility student involvement with their IEP development and implementation.
Abstract: 595