Special Education Meetings: The Role of the Facilitator in Districts Serving Rural Communities

Special education professionals serve as facilitators of Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings. This study explores how facilitators see their IEP meeting roles and probes further into how IEP facilitators envision an ideal IEP meeting in school districts with rural schools. Findings indicate that facilitators see their roles in three parts: procedural due process, informal problem solving, and parental support. Their view of the ideal IEP meeting involved a strong presence by members, parental involvement, and achieving true collaboration. Implications for teachers and school leaders include agenda distribution, external meeting communication, and role clarification.