Summary: In October 1997, the Department of Education issued proposed regulations to implement the 1997 amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. The 1997 amendments made several changes to the individualized education programs (IEP)--a written statement that describes the child's educational performance, the goals for the child in the coming year, and the special education and support services that the child will receive to help meet those goals. The 1997 amendments required the participation of regular education teachers in developing the IEPs, beginning to plan for transition services when students reach age 14, and considering specific services, such as assistive technology. To ensure that all disabled students reaped the benefits of this new process as soon as possible, the Department of Education's proposed regulations would require school districts to update all students' IEPs to comply with the new requirements by July 1, 1998. In interviews with GAO, school district officials cited three major concerns about the July 1 deadline: (1) confusion because school districts had begun to implement the new IEP requirement without final federal and state regulations; (2) logistical challenges arising from the need to revise many IEPs within a short time period; and (3) concerns about the quality of the IEP process if it was done too quickly. GAO concludes that implementing these requirements within the proposed time frame may make it challenging for school districts to develop IEPs that are truly tailored to each student's needs with the resources available.
