Parental involvement in developing learners’ education development perspective plans

About:

Parents’ voices are vital to the development of learners’ individualised education development perspective plans (OPPs). The Netherlands introduced the concept of the development plan as an improvement upon the previous individual education plan (IEP).

Parents must be part of the process of developing these plans for all learners in (secondary) special education and those who need extra support in mainstream education. Councils for primary and secondary education, the inspectorate and parents’ organisations are also involved in the process.

Outcomes:

As a result of the new process, parents have an understanding of and say in the kinds of educational support their children receive in mainstream and special education, starting at an early age. Teachers have shared that the new development plans provide greater structure to their work and a better view of learners’ potential educational outcomes.

Key element(s) of the VIA Framework:

This is an effective example of providing families with direct INFLUENCE on decisions affecting their children’s educational outcomes. The Netherlands recognised a need to improve upon existing processes related to developing IEPs, and acted concretely to make necessary changes.