District leaders should partner with families of students with IEPs and provide clear, accessible information so families can understand and compare how their child would be served¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article's policy and practice takeaways direct district leaders and policymakers to act on the barriers families faced. Leaders "could better partner with families to ensure that students with IEPs can be educated in schools that better match families’ conceptions of ideal learning environments," and policymakers could "provide clear and accessible information" so families understand how their child would be served and compare options. This responds directly to the study's findings on limited viable options and missing IEP-implementation information.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• District and policymaker capacity to communicate clearly with families about how a child's IEP would be implemented in specific schools

Constraints¶

• Grounded in a forced-choice context following the 2013 Chicago school closures with 29 families, not elective choice

Target Learners¶

• Students with IEPs and their families navigating school choice

Target Learning Goals¶

• Access to schools matching families' conceptions of ideal learning environments and implementing needed supports and services

Related Strategies¶

• Translate Report Cards Into Multiple Languages

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Cowhy, J.R., Gordon, M.F., & de la Torre, M. (2023). Forced to choose: Lessons learned from families of students within special education. Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048231198814