Student voice in the individualized education plan

Kara Grace Melton

Giving students voices in their individualized education plans and in the eligibility process helps students take ownership for their education. When students are active in the individualized education process, there is evidence that they gain self-advocacy skills needed to succeed in post-secondary life. By having an active voice and role, students develop their capacity to negotiate and determine their learning. For students with disabilities post-secondary success hinges on whether or not the student had good self-determination skills, and if there was an implemented formalized plan. Students who lead their individualized education plan meetings know more about their disability rights, accommodations, increased self-confidence, and assume more responsibility. The purpose of this study was two-fold: a) to analyze students' abilities to self-advocate while served in special education, by writing and presenting their self-written individualized education plan goals at their individualized education plan meetings, and b) to determine if teaching self-determination skills to students who have mild to moderate disabilities has an effect on progress towards meeting their self-made individualized education plan goals. After conducting a single-subject research study the results showed participants increased their academic skills and self-determinations skills through self-written individualized education plan goals. Social validity results illustrated a contradiction of views. While participating parents and cooperating special education teachers felt they did a good job of teaching self-advocacy and self-determination skills to their students, the students did not always feel that they were teaching those skills at all in the home and in the classroom. Implications for practice and future research focus on the importance of teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities selfdetermination skills in a purposeful and intentional manner as well as provide them with the opportunity to make decisions regarding their academic goals through self-written individualized education plan goals and student-led individualized education plan meetings.

Student voice in the individualized education plan

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