“Gahua Auloa ke Lalaga” Parents’ perspectives of a successful Individual Education Plan (IEP) for priority learners

Abstract

Studies have shown that when schools work with parents in partnership focussed on learning, the impact on student achievement and well-being is far greater than when schools work alone. This is even more prevalent for students with varied and complex Special Education Needs (SEN) who require specific and additional support to ensure their holistic needs are met in an inclusive mainstream classroom. The IEP as the context for this study has been the subject of extensive research for close to half a century but its success and ability to empower parents in championing their children’s education have been varied. Taking a retrospective lens, this study used a mixed-methods design to examine the nature of the IEP process; the parents’ perspectives and particularly Pasifika parents’ perspectives of a successful IEP process. Using Talanoa as a Pasifika methodology for the qualitative semi structured interviews, the study draws on participants’ experiences of the IEP process over a three year timeframe. In addition, the student achievement data was gathered to add to the qualitative evidence particularly whether the IEP process had impacted on achievement. Qualitative findings showed that: the nature of the IEP process is one that is focused solely on the child; that parents viewed a successful IEP process as one of relationships which is formed by making time to know the child and the family within the home-school partnership; and according to Pasifika parents, the IEP process although also of relationships their preference is one of explicit and honest consultation. Quantitative findings showed increases in student achievement with some degree of variability. However, without conducting correlations to examine relationships the study cannot confirm if the increases were due to the qualitative findings or not. The study concluded that; while there were some success, the IEP process is complex and is mostly influenced by the interface of parents and their lived realities and the ambiguity of the school system which sometimes seem to support and other times, appear to constrain it. Consequently, the collaboration in relationships, while seems foundational to the success of the process, may not always equate to responsive consultation, the latter more explicit in the Pasifika case. These are discussed with recommendations and future directions.