Individualized Education Programs in Resource and Inclusive Settings

Abstract

In this study, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students in resource and inclusive settings were compared. Participants were 108 students with mild disabilities (50 in resource settings and 58 in inclusive settings) in Grades 1 through 6 with IEPs in reading. IEPs for students in resource programs had more service minutes, more long-range goals, and used more sources of information than IEPs for students in inclusive programs Furthermore, there was a better concordance between IEP components and student ability level in resource programs, and differences in IEPs by disability category were more pronounced in resource programs than in inclusive programs. Finally, the relation between the IEP level of service intensity and the number of minutes allocated to reading each day was greater for students in inclusive programs than for students in resource programs. Results are discussed in terms of the extent to which educational programs are “individualized” for students in resource and inclusive settings.