The Inadequacy of Individual Educational Program (IEP) Goals for High School Students with Word-level Reading Difficulties

This study analyzed the goals from the IEP of 54 high school students diagnosed with reading disabilities in basic reading skills (e.g. letter/word identification and/or decoding) to determine whether IEP appropriately acknowledged and addressed these issues. When available, the authors also examined the students' IEPs from elementary school (ES) and/or middle school (MS) and compared these to the high school IEP. It was found that most of the HS IEPS failed to address student deficits in basic reading skills. Comparisons with ES and MS IEPs found that the rate in which these skills were address declined as the student progressed through school. There was an increase in comprehension goals from ES to MS and HS. This study also investigated whether there was a systematic relationship between the severity of student skills deficit and their IEP objectives. No significant relationships were found. The authors conclude that the limited or lack of attention to basic skill deficits in IEPs as students progress in their schooling may explain why these problems remain when they reach middle school or high school.

Source
External Publication
Publisher(s)
Annals of Dyslexia
Publication Year
2005
Keyword: Population