A Teacher Inquiry Group on Student-Led IEPs: Starting Small to Make a Difference

Abstract

A collaborative team of a teacher-consultant, state education agency associate, and university faculty member facilitated a workshop and monthly inquiry group meetings to support teachers' implementation of student-led Individual Education Programs (IEPs). Through participant-observation and grounded theory analytic methods, we examined issues raised by teachers and the function of the meetings as a change agent. We found that inquiry groups prompted action by encouraging teachers to self-select manageable problems and solutions within a context of friendly support and new ideas. Teachers reported that even small implementation efforts had benefits for students and other IEP team members.