Curricular Philosophies Reflected in Individualized Education Program Goals for Students With Complex Support Needs.

Area of Science:

• Special Education
• Curriculum Development
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals are mandated to be personalized for students with disabilities.
• IEP goals should reflect both unique student needs and grade-aligned general education curricula.
• The alignment of IEP goals with various curricular philosophies is crucial for effective instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the alignment of IEP goals with different curricular philosophies for students with severe disabilities.
• To compare the prevalence of traditional versus modern curricular philosophies in IEP goals.
• To examine age-related differences in IEP goal alignment.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 88 Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with severe disabilities (complex support needs) in Grades K-12.
• Categorization of IEP goals based on historical (1970s-1990s: developmental, functional, social inclusion) and modern (grade-aligned academic content) curricular philosophies.
• Statistical comparison of goal alignment across age groups (elementary vs. secondary).

Main Results:

• A majority of IEP goals (57%) reflected older curricular philosophies (developmental, functional, social inclusion).
• Only 26% of IEP goals represented modern, grade-aligned academic content.
• Secondary-aged students were significantly less likely than elementary-aged students to have grade-aligned academic goals.

Conclusions:

• Current IEP goals for students with severe disabilities often lag behind contemporary educational standards.
• There is a need to update IEP goal development to incorporate 21st-century skills and grade-aligned academic content.
• Interventions are needed to ensure IEPs effectively support students' inclusion in the general education curriculum across all grade levels.