Individual Education Plans 101

1. Individual Education Plans 101 Development of a Compliant and instructionally relevant iep Courtney ward November 2010

2. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) • Guides the administration of special education • Components: • Least Restrictive Environment • Free Appropriate Public Education • Child Find • Individualized education (IEP) • Nondiscriminatory evaluation • Due process

3. Child Find • Schools are responsible for: • Identifying individuals with disabilities • Providing a quality education to individuals with disabilities • Our process: • Referral to Child Study Intervention Team • Intervention implementation (appropriate timing) • Review of response to intervention • Referral to Child Study Team • Assessments of cognitive, processing, and language skills • Review of eligibility for special education services • Development of an IEP

4. Present Level of Performance • Statement of the child’s present level of academic and functional abilities • Description of the impact the child’s disability has on performance in the general education classroom • Clear explanation of administered tests and results • Includes: • strengths • the unique needs of the child • parental concerns

5. What is S.M.A.R.T.? S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym to describe appropriately written goals and objectives This applies to IEPs, as well as daily objectives taught by regular education teachers

6. Writing IEP Goals Vague Goals S.M.A.R.T.Goals Increase study skills for academic success Highlight 80% of key words in test questions 4 out of 5 opportunities Circle 100% of numbers and number words in math problems 4 out of 5 opportunities

7. Goals • Academic and functional goals • Designed to meet the child’s specific needs • Address the skills that keep the child from full involvement and progress in the general education classroom • Written annually • S.M.A.R.T. goals • specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely

8. Objectives • Benchmarks for achieving annual goals • Smaller, intermittent steps to achieving broader stated goals • Measurable • Written annually • S.M.A.R.T. objectives • Specific, measurable, achievable, reliable, timely

9. Related Services • Additional services that would enable the child to be successful on annual goals and objectives • Generally appears as: • Speech/language services • Accommodations • Modifications

10. Accommodations • Accommodations • Services that allow students to make goals • Same academic level as non-disabled peers • Same SOLs and objectives • Same ending, different route • Generally appears as: • Read aloud • Math aids (calculator, 100s chart, number line) • Extended time • Multiple test session • Graphic organizers • Preferential seating • Color-coding • Tracking sheets

11. Modifications • Modifications • Services that allow students to make goals • Different academic level as non-disabled peers • Amended SOLs and objectives • Different ending, different route • Generally appears as: • Changes to curriculum • Reduced depth or breadth of what students are learning in the general education classroom

12. Least Restrictive Environment • Explains why students are not in the general education classroom • Explains when students will be in the general education classroom and to what extent • Keep in mind: • We want students to be educated to the fullest extent possible with their non-disabled peers. • Inclusion and collaborative instruction are a mindset. We must believe them to be successful in order for these theories to work. • Self-containment and pull-out must be justifiably in the best interest of the child’s progress on stated goals and objectives.

13. Assessments • Participation of state and district-wide assessments • County assessments: • PALS – Phonological (Grades K-3) • DRA – Developmental Reading Assessment (Grade K-5) • State assessments: • SOLs – Standards of Learning Assessments (Grades 3-5) • VGLA – Virginia (Grades 3-5) • VAP – Virginia (Grades 3-5)

14. Dates • Statement of beginning and ending dates of services covered in the IEP • A new IEP must bedeveloped before the ending date of the current IEP • Out of date IEP = Out of compliance • Frequency, duration, and location of services provided • Dates of progress reports • generated to outline child’s progress on goals and objectives within one year period

15. Closing Who: All instructional staff What: Must uphold provisions of IDEIA and IEP goals of all students with disabilities When: Each year Where: All instructional and functional areas of the school (including breakfast, resource, lunch, recess, transportation) Why: To provide the best-fit instructional program for the progress of students with disabilities

16. Discussion The presentation gives a concise but informative review of an effective IEP, especially key areas that regular education teachers must be aware of, including PLOP, goals, and objectives. Understanding effective, S.M.A.R.T. goals will help all teachers be aware of what they should expect from students with and without disabilities. A message of compliance resonates throughout the presentation. Teachers are made to understand what is expected under the laws as well as for the best of student performance. Upholding the provisions of IDEIA is the responsibility of all instructional staff. This collective responsibility is necessary to ensure students with disabilities are appropriately served.