Best Practices in IEP writing

1. Best Practices in IEP writing September 26, 2012

2. Overview • Future district Wednesday trainings will be held on IEPs • Work with liaisons to identify additional PD needs • As you are writing IEP’s please try to avoid education jargon and acronyms • Please avoid identification of specific curricula

3. Agenda for today • Timeline • Present levels • Goals and objectives

4. Timeline • 60 calendar days to complete initial evaluation begins when informed written consent is received from parents * • If student is found eligible for services you have an additional thirty days to develop the IEP. • Best practice for triennials- An attempt of three documented ways to obtain informed written consent from parents. If no response is received you can conduct an evaluation and hold the meeting without parental consent. If we do not receive parental consent we need to send a “Prior Written Notice of Special Education Action” outlining our proposal to evaluate to determine ongoing eligibility. Consent for a triennial can be obtained anytime in the current academic year. *

5. Timeline • Notice of Meeting must be received by parents no less than 10 days prior to the scheduled meeting. The notice must include all participants in the meeting. Draft IEPs should be sent with Notice of Meeting. (Both parents unless parental rights have been terminated are entitled to participate and receive all documents) * • For extenuating circumstances (such as parent request) a meeting can be held with less than 10 days notice as long as parent gives written consent. You can write a statement at the bottom of the Notice of Meeting paperwork and have the parents sign the statement. • If parents bring additional people we must have a signed release allowing that participant access to the child’s educational records (FERPA). The form is in infinite campus titled “Release of Confidential Information”. *

6. Present levels • Student Strengths, Preferences, Interests: What are the student’s educational/developmental strengths, interest areas, significant personal attributes and personal accomplishments? • What does the teacher/staff see as a strength? • What does the student think they can do? What motivates the student? • What do the parents report as strengths and interests? • Present levels of educational performance Summary: Includes recent evaluation information from all areas ie: academic, communication, health ,motor, social emotional behavior • Transition assessment process used to develop post school goals • Second Semester of 8th grade if they have an IEP during semester otherwise first semester of 9th grade

7. Present levels cont… • Student Needs and Impact of Disability How does the student’s disability affect his/her involvement and progress in the general curriculum and participation in appropriate activities? • Concerns of parents • Academic, developmental and functional needs • Access skills • Anytime a need is identified it must be addressed by a goal in the IEP or through accommodations and modifications

8. Goals • Goals must be attainable within a year. If progress monitoring data indicates progress towards goal is not being met, you are legally obligated to adjust the goal or objectives. This must happen through an amendment or an IEP meeting. • It is the expectation that every student has goals and objectives • Objectives should not be kept the same year to year. • Amendments must always be sent home to parents and anyone who has a copy of the IEP, the original needs to be sent to Sue. * • All goals should have baseline data and state clearly the unit of measurement. • Do not leave baseline data blank or write in “new goal” • If a goal is discontinued or changed this must be reflected in the meeting notes. *

9. Next time….. • Development of SMART goals • Development of Standards-Based goals • Service Delivery - tied to LRE options