From Compliance to Engagement: Staff Perceptions of Working with Spanish-Speaking Families in the IEP Process

Abstract

Earlier studies have suggested that Latine families are often not authentically engaged in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process; interactions tend to be fraught with miscommunication, misunderstanding, and lack of genuine consent. To date, only a handful of studies considering teacher perceptions of parent involvement have examined how school personnel view Latine family involvement. This qualitative study utilized interaction theory to explore how school personnel prepare and perceive Spanish-speaking families within the IEP process in a midsize district East of Los Angeles. These findings suggest that team members had a distinct perception of family participation, which was rooted in their level of involvement with the IEP process.