Investigating the Development, Implementation, and Adjustment of Individualized Education Programs for Students with Special Educational Needs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajds.v4i1.5812Keywords:
General and Special Education Teachers, Inclusion, Individualized Education Plan, Students with Special Educational Needs, Phenomenological InquiryAbstract
This research explored the development, implementation, and adjustment of IEPs for students with SEN by the Special and General education teachers at Prince George’s County Public Schools, Prince George’s County, Maryland, United States of America (USA) during the school year 2023-2024. This is a phenomenological inquiry into the experiences of 15 purposively selected participants who completed a researcher-designed semi-structured questionnaire containing five open-ended questions. Data gathered were subjected to thematic analysis, interpretation and in-depth discussion. Findings showed participants’ experiences in developing Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) in collaboration with the parents and other stakeholders were: 1) Collaborative Engagement and Communication Challenges; 2) Value of Multidisciplinary Input; and 3) Need for Relationship Building and Trust. Their experiences in the implementation of IEPs were: 1) Resource Constraints and Adaptability; 2) Positive Impact on Student Learning; and 3) Differentiated Instruction and Flexibility. Their adjustments while implementing the IEPs were: 1) Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Modifications; 2) Use of Assistive Technology; and 3) Individualized Support and Scaffolding. The participants’ encountered challenges in implementing and adjusting IEPs for students with SEN were: 1) Lack of Resources and Administrative Support; 2) Managing Diverse Student Needs; and 3) Inconsistent Stakeholder Engagement. The interventions that participants formulated to resolve those challenges encountered in implementing and adjusting IEPs were: 1) Enhanced Collaboration and Communication Strategies; 2) Professional Development and Training; and 3) Leveraging Community and Peer Support. It is deduced that schools must prioritize teacher training, resource provision, stakeholder participation, and teamwork
Downloads
References
Adams, K. (2022). Effects of actively involving students with IEPs in the progress monitoring process. Northwestern College.
Akinyi, L., & Ezekiel, J. O. (2015). Challenges facing implementation of inclusive education in public secondary schools in Rongo Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya.
Al-Kahtani, M. A. (2015). The individual education plan (IEP) process for students with intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and solutions (Doctoral dissertation). University of Lincoln.
Allam, F. C., & Martin, M. M. (2021). Issues and challenges in special education: A qualitative analysis from teacher’s perspective. Southeast Asia Early Childhood Journal, 10(1), 37–49.
Ametefe, R. K. (2019). Teachers’ experiences in teaching learners with special educational needs in public schools: A case of selected schools in Afadzato South District, Ghana (Doctoral dissertation). University of Education, Winneba.
Athanatou, M. (2023). A data driven decision making plan based on DigCompOrg areas for improvement in a primary school in Greece.
Badriyah, N., Sulaeman, M. M., Wibowo, S. N., & Anggapratama, R. (2024). The role of constructive conflict management in fostering team collaboration and innovation: A perspective of transformational leadership. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 2(1), 402–408.
Bates, J., Finlay, J., & O’Connor Bones, U. (2023). “Education cannot cease”: The experiences of parents of primary age children (age 4–11) in Northern Ireland during school closures due to COVID-19. Educational Review, 75(4), 657–679.
Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Schmid, R. F., Waddington, D. I., & Pickup, D. I. (2019). Twenty-first century adaptive teaching and individualized learning operationalized as specific blends of student-centered instructional events: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(1–2), e1056.
Bethea, V. T. (2021). Teachers’ descriptions of collaboration in designing and evaluating individualized education program services (Doctoral dissertation). Grand Canyon University.
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Hayfield, N. (2022). ‘A starting point for your journey, not a map’: Nikki Hayfield in conversation with Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke about thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 19(2), 424–445.
Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Smith, D. D. (2019). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Sage Publications.
Byrd, D. R., & Alexander, M. (2020). Investigating special education teachers’ knowledge and skills: Preparing general teacher preparation for professional development. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 4(2), 72–82.
Choi, J. H., McCart, A. B., & Sailor, W. (2020). Achievement of students with IEPs and associated relationships with an inclusive MTSS framework. The Journal of Special Education, 54(3), 157–168.
Elser, C. (2017). The power of team in IEP meetings.
Garbolino, J. (2024). Centering students in the IEP process: Perspectives of students and parents (Doctoral dissertation). Georgian Court University.
Gordon, E. (2025). Rising tides lift all boats: Significant disproportionate identification of Latine students in the eligibility category of specific learning disability.
Gorski, P. C. (2017). Reaching and teaching students in poverty: Strategies for erasing the opportunity gap. Teachers College Press.
Hammond, L., & Moore, W. M. (2018). Teachers taking up explicit instruction: The impact of a professional development and directive instructional coaching model. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(7), 110–133. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n7.7
Hollingworth, L., Olsen, D., Asikin-Garmager, A., & Winn, K. M. (2018). Initiating conversations and opening doors: How principals establish a positive building culture to sustain school improvement efforts. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(6), 1014–1034. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217717278
Howe, K. R., Boelé, A. L., & Miramontes, O. B. (2018). The ethics of special education. Teachers College Press.
Ismajli, H., & Imami-Morina, I. (2018). Differentiated instruction: Understanding and applying interactive strategies to meet the needs of all the students. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 207–218.
Johnson, J. L. (2024). Lack of parental involvement in special education: Knocking down the barriers.
Judd, D. M. (2024). A school environment meeting the needs of the complex neurodiverse student (Doctoral dissertation). Dallas Baptist University.
Khan, A. (2024). Assessing the impact of interdisciplinary education on student engagement and achievement. Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Educational Methodology, 1(2), 44–50.
LaFrance, D. L., Weiss, M. J., Kazemi, E., Gerenser, J., & Dobres, J. (2019). Multidisciplinary teaming: Enhancing collaboration through increased understanding. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(3), 709–726.
Landsman, J., & Lewis, C. W. (Eds.). (2023). White teachers/diverse classrooms: Creating inclusive schools, building on students’ diversity, and providing true educational equity. Taylor & Francis.
Lanning, J. W. (2022). Encouraging trust, collaboration, and best practices for co-teachers through a professional learning community. Trident University International.
Layng, E. (2023). Digital journeys: A narrative inquiry into the experiences of third-grade through fifth-grade general education teachers implementing instructional technology in Northern California.
Lieberman, L. J., Houston-Wilson, C., & Grenier, M. (2024). Strategies for inclusion: Physical education for everyone. Human Kinetics.
Lin, K. L. (2017). Exploring children’s lived experience of resilience in public preschools in Taiwan: The lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Griffith University.
Liu, X., & Wachira, P. (Eds.). (2022). Technology-supported interventions for students with special needs in the 21st century. IGI Global.
Love, A. M., Findley, J. A., Ruble, L. A., & McGrew, J. H. (2020). Teacher self-efficacy for teaching students with autism spectrum disorder: Associations with stress, teacher engagement, and student IEP outcomes following COMPASS consultation. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 35(1), 47–54.
Love, H. R., & Horn, E. (2021). Definition, context, quality: Current issues in research examining high-quality inclusive education. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 40(4), 204–216.
Lundgren, A. (2023). The zone of proximal development and content area instruction for middle school English language learner students: A phenomenological study.
Lynch, D. (2024). Exploring a tailored approach for coordinated early intervening services (Ceis) designed to address struggling general education students targeted for special education.
Maggin, D. M., Hughes, M. T., Passmore, A., Kumm, S., & Scaletta, M. (2020). School administrators’ perspectives on special education teacher leadership. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 33(2), 82–94.
Mahmood, A., Huang, X., & Rehman, N. (2025). The role of teachers and administrators in supporting the adaptation of students with special needs in mainstream high schools. Quality Education for All, 2(1), 35–54.
Mason-Williams, L., Bettini, E., Peyton, D., Harvey, A., Rosenberg, M., & Sindelar, P. T. (2020). Rethinking shortages in special education: Making good on the promise of an equal opportunity for students with disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 43(1), 45–62.
McCoy, S., Shevlin, M., & Rose, R. (2020). Secondary school transition for students with special educational needs in Ireland. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 35(2), 154–170.
McLoughlin, C., Patel, K. D., O’Callaghan, T., & Reeves, S. (2018). The use of virtual communities of practice to improve interprofessional collaboration and education: Findings from an integrated review. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 32(2), 136–142.
McNicholl, A., Casey, H., Desmond, D., & Gallagher, P. (2021). The impact of assistive technology use for students with disabilities in higher education: A systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 16(2), 130–143.
Mohammed, A. S., & Agyemang, S. (2025). Inclusive pedagogies in environmental education and life-long learning: Teachers’ sense-making perspectives. American Journal of Education and Technology, 4(2), 65–75.
Olewe-Nyunya, A. (2018). Evaluation of development and implementation of individualized educational program by teachers of learners with intellectual disabilities in Kisumu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya. Kenyatta University.
Olugu, F. (2020). Availability and utilization of assistive technology devices for improved teaching and learning among students with learning disabilities in Ohafia, Abia State. African Journal of Education and Technology, 10(2), 55–64.
Omar, S. R. (2018). Implementation of inclusive education programme for special education need students with learning disabilities in Malaysia. BITARA International Journal of Civilizational Studies and Human Sciences, 1(4), 85–95.
Park, R. (2021). The A-to-Zs of IEPs: A brief glossary of special education for paraprofessionals.
Parlatore, V. L. (2022). Inclusive or exclusive? Students’ perceptions on how teachers and peers treat special educational needs students in general education classrooms. University of Toronto.
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2022, October 26). Functional difficulty in the Philippines: Household population five years old and over (2020 census of population and housing).
Rahim, R. (2025). Building cohesive teams: Strategies for collaboration and trust. Journal of Social Science and Management Studies, 1(1), 1–9.
Rashid, S. M. M., & Wong, M. T. (2023). Challenges of implementing the individualized education plan (IEP) for special needs children with learning disabilities: Systematic literature review (SLR). International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(1), 15–34.
Robinson, P. (2025). Addressing assistive technology training needs for special education paraprofessionals in school districts in a south-central state. Walden University.
Salanguit, M. B., Santillan, M. D. C., Gregorio Jr., E. R., Estrada, C. A. M., Shibuya, F., Nishio, A., & Kobayashi, J. (2024). School health policies and their implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Tropical Medicine and Health, 52(1), 98.
Şenay İlik, Ş., & Sarı, H. (2017). The training program for individualized education programs (IEPs): Its effect on how inclusive education teachers perceive their competencies in devising IEPs. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17(5), 1507–1532.
Shore, D. W. (2025). Understanding the barriers to effective collaboration in special education programming.
Siegel, L. M. (2020). The complete IEP guide: How to advocate for your special ed child. Nolo.
Simon, B. D. (2017). Successful collaboration between general education and special education teachers: A case study. Northcentral University.
Siyam, N. (2018). Special education teachers’ perceptions on using technology for communication practices.
Snell-Rood, C., Ruble, L., Kleinert, H., McGrew, J. H., Adams, M., Rodgers, A., ... & Yu, Y. (2020). Stakeholder perspectives on transition planning, implementation, and outcomes for students with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 24(5), 1164–1176.
Thomas, B. (2024). Fostering general education teachers’ awareness on inclusive education for students with special educational needs: A review study. New Era International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Researches, 9(24), 54–61.
Tzuriel, D. (2021). The socio-cultural theory of Vygotsky: Mediated learning and cognitive modifiability. Learning and Development, 53, 53–66.
ud Din, M. N. (2025). Individualized education programs (IEPs): Policy, practice, and progress. ASSAJ, 3(2), 242–259.
Ulfa, M. (2020). Examining teachers’ role in motivating students’ learning (Doctoral dissertation). UIN Ar-Raniry.
Valliere, J. M. (2023). Integrating technological pedagogical content knowledge in special education preparation: A case study of teacher candidates. Florida Gulf Coast University.
Xu, Y., & Kuti, L. (2024). Accommodating students with exceptional needs by aligning classroom assessment with IEP goals. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(8), 1474–1487.
Yales, J. (2016). Creating and maintaining collaborative working relationships: Understanding parent perspectives of collaboration during individualized education program (IEP) meetings.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sherif Gerguis, Cecilia Elena De Los Reyes, Niña Rozanne De Los Reyes, Raymond Espina, Marjorie Añero
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
