Opening Oz's curtain: who’s really running the annual IEP meeting to discuss secondary transition issues?

We conducted a qualitative analysis of written transcripts from nine teacher‐led middle and high school IEP meetings for students with learning disabilities to determine common themes regarding student roles during these meetings and the meeting process itself. We found two overall meta‐themes (e.g., instant vision and out of focus), seven themes (e.g., whose meeting is this, clear as mud, ignoring stated needs) and five subthemes (e.g., better left unsaid, form‐driven meetings, one size fits all). Even though students attended the meetings we analysed, the discussions and decision making took place as if they were not present. We discuss implications for educational practices and suggest future research needs.