Individual Education Plans Revisited: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Considerable attention and debate has surrounded the implementation of individual education plans (IEPs) for students with special needs during the past two decades. It is, therefore, timely to revisit the IEP process and examine the nature of the debate. In this paper, literature is reviewed to identify what has been learned from implementation of the IEP process and to highlight remaining questions about IEP efficacy and utility. The phases of evolution of the IEP process described by Smith (1990b) provide a framework for reviewing the literature. Issues requiring attention are highlighted and directions for further research are identified.