Are Rural Students Receiving FAPE? A Descriptive Review of IEPs for Students With Social, Emotional, or Behavioral Needs.
Rural IEPs often look complete yet hide misaligned goals and services.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team read 126 rural IEPs. They looked at two things. First, did the plans meet basic rules? Second, did the parts fit together?
They checked if the present level, goals, and services matched. They wanted to see if the plans truly gave a free, appropriate education.
What they found
The plans passed the rule check. Boxes were ticked.
But the parts did not line up. Goals did not grow from the present level. Services did not match the goals. The plans looked complete yet felt hollow.
How this fits with other research
Pitchford et al. (2019) saw the same crack. Parents shared needs at meetings, but only two-thirds showed up as goals.
Fyke et al. (2021) found another crack. Rural kids with emotional needs got weak reading lessons. Poor plans lead to poor teaching.
Pettingell et al. (2022) looked wider. Autism programs had strong files but weak daily teaching. Again, paper looked good, practice did not.
Pulos et al. (2024) seems upbeat. Teachers said they like evidence-based tools. Yet they also said they lack training. The upbeat note is hope, not fact. All four studies agree: plans and practice drift apart.
Why it matters
You may sit in rural IEP meetings. Bring a simple map. Write the present level in the middle. Draw lines to each goal and service. If a line feels forced, speak up. Ask the team to rewrite until the story makes sense. One clear map beats a thick file.
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Join Free →Print the present level page. Highlight each need. Match it to a goal and a service. Flag any gap for the next meeting.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Students who are eligible to receive special education and related services are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) including the necessary emotional, behavioral, and social supports to access the general curriculum. This study explores Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans of students with disabilities who have social, emotional, or behavioral needs served in five rural independent school districts. Specifically, the study sought to investigate (a) whether the present level of academic and functional performance (PLAAFP) and annual goals demonstrated congruence and (b) whether the degree to which the IEP documents conform to both procedural and substantive requirements for development. A review of 126 IEPs suggests that although IEPs are somewhat compliant, they fail to comprehensively address student needs or align across areas, violating the spirit of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Recommendations and future areas of inquiry are provided.
Behavior modification, 2021 · doi:10.1177/0145445518825107