Massachusetts Caregiver Experiences with Special Education Related Request Refusals and IEP Removals

Special education in Massachusetts had the unique disposition of receiving the highest federal rating for compliance while simultaneously being investigated for systemic civil rights violations by the same federal organization (e.g., Office of Special Education Programs; OSEP). This study reports the special education related request refusal and IEP removal experiences of 29 Massachusetts caregivers. Participants had various forms of privilege including having higher levels of education, home income, and being white and English speaking. Videoconference interviews were performed during the winter of 2024, while the OSEP investigation and a special education focused audit by the Office of the State Auditor was being performed. Despite caregiver privilege, power imbalances between caregivers and schools impacted all aspects of caregiver advocacy and special education service delivery. Despite their persistence, caregivers infrequently reported positive advocacy outcomes, resulting in many seeking outside support such as obtaining the services of an advocate and/or an attorney. Caregivers within our participant sample reported experiencing continued school use of delay and deny tactics and various forms of push back if not retaliation in response to their persistence and utilization of outside supports. Study limitations, areas for future research, and implications for policy and practice are discussed.