Transcript Document
Building a better
iep
Purpose
Provide
meaningful educational benefit (Rowley)
Access
to the general curriculum
Prepare
the student for college/career
Main Components
Present Levels
Comprehensive, meaningful assessment
Establish
needs
Goals
Articulation
Based
of educational benefit
on present levels
Measurable
Based
on the general curriculum
Services
The
means, or roadmap, to achievement of the
goals
Direct
and related services
Supports
to access the general curriculum
Forms
SELPA forms,
SEIS
The
adapted from State SELPA
has State SELPA forms
forms aren’t perfect
Courts’ attitude
towards forms
Enforcement of an IEP
CDE
DINCs
SESR
Verification
Complaints
Review
Enforcement
Legal
Due
Process hearing
OAH
judges
Appealable through Fed.
District Court
Challenges
FAPE
vs maximizing potential
Understanding and
applying laws and regulations
Understanding newest
The
law
research and practices
Jurisdiction
OAH
District
Court
Federal
Circuit Court of Appeals
US
Supreme Court
Rowley Decision
US
Supreme Court 458 US 176 (192)
Facts
Holding
Rule:
FAPE
does not require maximizing student
potential
Open
the door of public education
Rowley law
IEP must
Meet
Be
procedural requirements of IDEA
reasonably calculated to enable a child with a
disability to “achieve passing marks and advance
from grade to grade”
Reasonably calculated
Assessment
Goals
– Present levels
– meaningful growth
Services
and supports – means to the goal
Educational benefit indicators
Grades
Moving
from grade to grade
Progress
towards goals and objectives
Statewide/district/school formal assessment
Educational benefit indicators
Classroom
assessment
Diploma
Observation
Non
trivial
Core entitlements for children with
disabilities
A right
to a Free Appropriate Public Education
(FAPE)
In
the least restrictive environment (LRE)
That
provides meaningful educational benefit
Least Restrictive Environment
Rachel H. case - 4 prong test
Educational
benefit
Non-academic benefit
Effect
Cost
on general education classroom
What is an IEP?
Offer
of FAPE by the district
Parent
may:
Accept
Reject
Accept
part
Small group
Think
of an iep that you thought was well
constructed and provided educational benefit
What
made the IEP well-constructed?
What
made the team effective?
How
did you know that the IEP would provide
educational benefit?
What
could have been better?
Running effective IEP meetings
Plan ahead
with
the team
with
parent/guardian
Disseminate
Invite
Set
information before the meeting
all relevant people
appropriate time frame for meeting
Meaningful Parental Participation
Timely
relevant notices to parents
Ensure
the meeting is conducive to parental
participation
Consider
parents’ private assessment reports
Parental Participation Requirements
Must
be invited to attend or otherwise participate
Meaningful participation in
Must
meetings
receive all necessary notices and documents
within timelines
Prior Written
Notice
Ensuring Parental Participation
Offer
to continue meeting to review parent
concerns
Document parents’ concerns
and LEA response in
notes
Document all
attempts to provide parents an
opportunity to attend or otherwise participate in
meeting
Setting Procedures for a Smooth IEP
Meeting
Write
Set
an Agenda
time limits
Premeeting communication
Setting Norms for the Meeting
Listen
Keep
Treat
All
to time limits
each other with respect
questions/topics are welcome
Discuss
when process/meeting is not working
Assume
positive intentions
During meeting
Agree
Post
to purpose, outcomes, agenda
agenda and check off items
Discuss
ground rules/norms
Parking
lot
Clarify
roles/responsibilities
During meeting
Announce
what is happening
Take
breaks as needed
Stop
and summarize
Visuals
During Meeting
Encourage brainstorming
Follow
agenda
Friendly
seating
Minimize
disruptions
End of Meeting
Summarize what
Identify next
Ask
steps – what, when, and who
for any last questions/concerns
Review
Plan
happened and what was agreed
notes
for next meeting, if needed
Celebrate
good work
IEP as TEAM effort
Focus
Use
on outcomes for student
and respect parents’ opinions and concerns
Parents
are equal partners
Disagreement
Position
Explain
is ok, if there is respect
vs. interest
how district’s position relates to improved
outcomes for student
Preparing for the IEP meeting
Notice
meeting well before due date
Educational benefit review
Contact
parents
Determine
Child
of current IEP
if additional assessment is needed
find obligations
Educational Benefit Review
Progress
Will
Why
the child’s environment significantly change?
did the student make progress or not make
progress?
If IEP did not provide Ed Benefit,
consider:
Were
needs clearly identified?
Measurable
Progress
goals based on student needs?
monitored and reported?
Goals/services/supports
modified if progress not
made?
ID
potential changes/PWN if needed
Parts of the IEP
Information/Eligibility
May be more than one disability
ID
primary and secondary
Disability
SLD
does not determine placement/services *
If team determines student is not eligible
for Special Education services:
Document reason
Consider
issues
for decision
other options for addressing student
Eligibility: 3 Prong Test
Disability
Adversely
Requires
affects educational performance
specialized insstruction
Information
Is
all the information correct?
If
necessary, inform MIS tech
Did
team identify how disability affects
involvement and progress in general curriculum?
Present Levels
Ed. Code 56341.1.
(a) When developing each pupil's individualized education
program, the individualized education program team shall
consider the following:
(1) The strengths of the pupil.
(2) The concerns of the parents or guardians for enhancing
the education of the pupil.
(3) The results of the initial assessment or most recent
assessment of the pupil.
(4) The academic, developmental, and functional needs of
the child.
5 CCR § 3040 Individualized Education
Program Implementation.
(b) The
IEP shall show a direct relationship
between the present levels of performance, the
goals and objectives, and the specific educational
services to be provided
What assessment is relevant to the present
levels?
Grades
(and report card comments)
Teacher
Parent
input
input
Student input
Health
records
What records needed?
Attendance records
Discipline
State
records
testing
District
testing
Classroom
assessments
What assessment needed?
Vision/hearing screening
Vocational assessment
Formal
assessment
Independent formal
SLT,
OT, etc.
assessment
Present Levels
Meaningful to
A good
Most
All
parent, student, and staff
snapshot of the student
important section on the IEP
sections addressed?
Transition Services
For
students who will turn 16 before next IEP
meeting
Transition
plan influences rest of the IEP
Requirements
Goals
based upon age appropriate transition
assessments
Training
Education
Employment
Independent
Transition
living skills (if appropriate)
services
Transition plan
Student participation
Student’s
in process
post-secondary preferences and goals
CAHSEE
Transition Assessment
Age
appropriate E.g. interest inventory
Other
vocational assessment that may be necessary
Transition plan
Progress
Passed
towards graduation
algebra?
CAHSEE
Credits
earned and needed
Transition Goals and Services
– academic
Training – tied to future career goal
Employment – career exploration, competitive or
supportive employment
Independent living – usually for more mod/sever
Services needed and responsible person/agency to
reach goals
Don’t need to repeat things addressed in other parts of
IEP
Education
Educational Benefit Check
ITP developed in
accordance with student’s
preferences?
Areas
of transition need specified and addressed
through goals and persons/agencies responsible?
Designed
to prepare student for postsecondary
education, employment, training, and (if needed)
independent living?
Secondary Indicators (reviewed by state)
Measurable
Updated
Based
post-secondary goals?
annually?
on assessments?
Services
reasonably calculated for student to meet
post-secondary goals?
Indicators
Student invited
Relevant
Input
to meetings
agencies, if appropriate, invited?
from student and student invited?
Special Factors
Assistive Technology
Low
incidence needs
Considerations
impaired
if student is blind or visually
Special Factors
Considerations
English
learner
Behavior
if student is deaf or hard of hearing
Statewide assessments
CAASP
ELA/Math
SBAC
(with or without Designated Supports and
Accommodations)
Alternate
Grades
assessment
3-8, 11
Statewide assessments
Science
CST/CMA/CAPA
Grades
5, 8, 10
CAHSEE
If
taking CAPA and/or alternate assessment, must
document the rationale
Educational Benefit Check
Addressed
All
all special considerations?
areas of need documented?
Appropriate accommodations,
on assessments?
designated supports
Goals and present levels
For
every area of need, there should be a goal
and/or a supplementary aid or service
A large
number of goals aren’t necessary
Tight fit
Areas
between present levels, goals and services
that are concerns but do not significantly
impact educational performance do not require a
goal
Goal writing
Indicated Area
of Need, as documented in present
levels
Baseline
– current level of mastery
Alignment to
CCSS
Writing CCSS aligned goals
Use
present levels
Choose an appropriate grade level standard that fits the
area of need
Unpack the standard
Look at subskills – goal need only be based on the
standard
Develop the goal – measurable
Objectives or benchmarks if needed
Tips for writing goals - Ask
How
will the student show mastery?
Given
what?
Under
what conditions?
With
which adaptations or supports?
Objectives/Benchmarks
Only
required for students who take alternate
assessments
Optional
Use
for other students
for students participating in a functional
curriculum
Educational Benefit Check
Goals
(objectives) for each area of need (and vice
versa)?
Goals
Goals
(objectives) measurable?
(objectives) enable student to be
involved/progress in general curriculum?
Educational Benefit Check
Other
educational needs arising from disability
addressed?
If
student is an English Learner, are there
linguistically appropriate goals?
Person(s)
responsible for implementing goals
(objectives) identified?
Services/Supports
Discuss
and indicate service delivery options
Always
consider gen ed with supports (LRE)
Harmful effects
must be considered
Identify all special ed and related services
required for:
Advancement
Make
Be
towards the goals
progress in general curriculum
educated and participate with peers (disabled
and non-disabled)
Services
Frequency, location,
duration of services, related services,
supports (including accommodations, assistive tech, etc.)
“as
needed”
Identify the
extent to which student will not participate with
nondisabled students and rationale
Transportation
Services
May
include instruction in core academics,
functional skills, related services required for
educational benefit
May
*
be listed more than once if multiple providers
Specialized Academic Instruction
RSP and/or
SDC teacher
Individual, group, or
both
Provider
Start/end
dates, duration, frequency
Extended school year
Regression
with limited recoupment capacity
Educational Setting
PE
District
of service
School of
attendance
School type
Federal
setting
Setting
Rationale
for services not provided at school of
residence
% of time a student is outside of gen ed
environment
% of time in gen ed (includes lunch/passing
periods)
Specify all times when student not included with
gen ed students and why
Setting
Other
agency services - CCS, Regional Center,
Probation, Dept of Rehabilitation or other public
agency
Progress
reporting
Activities
to support transitions
Graduation plan
(date and diploma or certificate)
Progress Report
Summarize student’s
progress
Comments on,
e.g., work completion, successes,
areas for emphasis
May
At
suggest adjustment of goals/services
least as often as gen ed report cards
Big
deal for courts!
Educational Benefit Check
Are
appropriate services, supplementary aids and
services, and program modifications identified to
support progress toward all goals, including
progress in the general curriculum and
participation in extracurricular and non-academic
activities?
Notes
What is the function of the Notes page?
nb
in many areas on the IEP, you can provide
comments
Allow
explanation of any items that might be
unclear or are not covered well by the forms
Best
evidence of meaningful participation
Indicating
what was discussed
Function of notes page
No
predetermined IEP
Should
Notes
Can
not contradict a section of the IEP
pages have saved many an IEP
review the notes with the parent
Educational Benefit Check
Is
this information a summary of the meeting?
Do
all agree that the notes accurately reflect what
was discussed and agreements that were made?
Parent
participation documented?
Signature and Parent Consent
Participants
Parent
If
sign, date and indicate title
should check areas of agreement
not eligible, have parents initial
Consent
Parents
must sign and date the consent before IEP
can be implemented
Parents
can agree to part of IEP
Parts
can be implemented while resolution is
sought for areas of disagreement
Next
steps for reaching resolution should be
indicated in notes
Private school
Parents
can decline offer of FAPE
Unilaterally
Individual
place student in private school
Service Plan might be appropriate (what
is offered is determined by county
Amendments
For
making relatively minor changes to IEP
Examples
Adjusting
goals
Correcting
In
information
some cases, ending a service
Attach
form to IEP after getting signature from parents
Inform
relevant people
Educational Benefit Check
Amendment clear?
Parents
All
and staff agree?
affected staff informed of the amendment?
IEP Requirements Reviewed
Proposed
program must be designed to address
student’s unique needs
Reasonably
calculated to provide educational
benefit
Comport with
Least
IEP
restrictive environment
Procedurally compliant
Courts
will focus on procedures that:
Involve
meaningful participation of parent
Timelines
Substantive compliance
If
district meets the above 4 requirements, then it is
legally compliant
Parents’ preference
for another program will not
make it non-compliant