IEP development in Hong Kong: Implications for the future

One very important contribution that schools can make towards preparing students with special needs for later transition to post-school opportunities is the use of Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs). The aims of the study reported here were: (i) to examine the content of Individualized Educational Plan documentation in Hong Kong schools by reviewing available school IEP samples; (ii) to investigate the experience of IEP as a practice via qualitative interviews with teachers and school administrators; and (iii) to evaluate IEP as a process via quantitative analysis of IEP questionnaire data with teachers and school administrators. Eleven school settings were used; 11 teachers and 11 school principals were interviewed from the participating schools, and 11 school IEP samples were collected. 82 questionnaires were collected from three cohorts of in-service teachers on their perception of IEP documentation, process and practice. The findings suggest the need to improve the alignment, consistency, accountability and efficiency of IEP implementation in Hong Kong. The following focii can promote further IEP development in Hong Kong: (a) increased measurability of IEP objectives, including clear descriptions of conditions under which behaviour is to occur and specified criteria of goal attainment described; (b) better specified individualization of IEP strategies; (c) inclusion of curriculum-based assessment measures; (d) availability of communication channels for parents to share their feedback and expectations; (e) employment of digitalized data management systems and communication platforms, and (f) establishment of a case-manager system for every student-specific IEP. Copyright © 2014 Centre for Advancement in Inclusive and Special Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong.