The Fidelity of IEP Implementation in the Secondary Choral Classroom

Despite efforts to support teachers in successfully implementing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in the secondary music classroom, music educators still face challenges in differentiating instruction for each student with an IEP during secondary choral rehearsals. Legally, teachers must follow all accommodations outlined in a student’s IEP, and every student served by an IEP deserves equity in the classroom. This study examines the opinions of secondary choral educators in the State of Georgia regarding IEP implementation. This qualitative phenomenological transcendental study investigates the difficulties associated with implementing IEP goals and explores secondary choral educators’ perceptions of their implementation. Themes such as management and training emerge from the examination of a limited body of literature, a broad questionnaire to choral directors (n=6), and two voluntary interviews selected from the questionnaire participants. Various challenges that music educators encounter while implementing IEPs are identified through the collection of questionnaire responses and interviews. Given that IEP implementation is legally mandated for all public-school teachers, these findings could enhance the success rate of IEP implementation in the secondary choral classroom, further supporting student equity and learning. Investigating the specific integration of special education and music education can address the lack of support identified by secondary choral teachers and ensure equity for all music education students. Based on the results of this study, further research can be conducted on topics related to teacher preparation and tracking the progress of specific IEP goals.