Abstract:

This research investigated the use of IEP in Kuwait's inclusive education schools, described IEP's development, implementation, and evaluation, then reported a partial results derived from the main research findings. Conclusions highlighted the main results on how students with special needs receive needed educational services in Kuwait's inclusive education schools, and provides some recommendations to inclusive education schools and teacher education programs for improving the quality of inclusive education in Kuwait.

Inclusive Education is a contemporary educational approach recognized globally (Subotić & Anđić, 2014, Al-Shammari, 2016). Also, UNESCO has influentially consolidated the inclusive education (UNESCO, 1994). Inclusive Education determines the appropriate educational practices used in the education of students with special needs in regular schools by offering a variety of educational services to help all students with special needs best learning according to their abilities and educational needs (McLeskey, Hoppey, Williamson, & Rentz, 2004; Rivera & Smith, 1997; Neary & Halvorsen, 1995). Currently, most of the inclusive education schools, worldwide, use the Individualized Education Program (IEP), as one of the main services provided in the education of students with special needs in regular classrooms. The IEP is defined clearly as a "communication, management, and administrative tool" (Rivera & Smith, 1997, p. 64). Specifically, IEP is an essential educational document designed to deliver a free education and services to students with special needs according to goals and strategies prepared by a professional multidisciplinary team in schools (Gargiulo, 2010; Gartin & Murdick, 2005). However, IEP is still not existed yet in Kuwait's public education schools.

The purposes of this research are two-fold:
(1) to describe IEP's development, implementation, and evaluation;
(2) to report a partial results in the research investigating the IEP in Kuwait's public inclusive education schools; and
(3) to provide recommendations for school leaders and teachers to best and effective practices of IEP in Kuwait's public inclusive education schools.