Facilitated Individualized Education Program Process (FIEP)

1. Karen Allan Office of Special Education, Director, Compliance Cheryl Thompson Office of Special Education, Supervisor, Compliance Facilitated Individualized Education Program Process (FIEP) Missouri Department of Elementaryand Secondary Education September 19, 2016

2. Purpose of the Session • Familiarize Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams with the Facilitated Individualized Education Program (FIEP) meeting process including: • Benefits of facilitation • Situations in which facilitation could be useful • Requesting a Facilitated IEP meeting • Roles and Responsibilities of Participants • Cost of Facilitated IEP meeting • Data collected before and after the facilitation

3. Outcomes • Know the benefits of an IEP Facilitation • Recognize situations in which an IEP facilitation would be appropriate • Access resources and locate information related to IEP Facilitation for students with disabilities • List the steps to request an IEP Facilitation and where to access forms

4. What is a Facilitated IEP Meeting? IEP facilitation is a process in which a neutral third party facilitates communication and the successful drafting of the student's IEP. In this voluntary process, student and district representatives must agree to the usage of the neutral facilitator.

5. Purpose of IEP Facilitation – Prevent and Reduce Conflict Facilitation supports IEP team to: Build and improve strong relationships among team members; Reach true consensus; Focus the IEP content and process on needs of the student; Exercise an efficient, guided process where effective communication and reflective listening are practices.

6. What does a Facilitated IEP Meeting Look Like?

7. The Benefits of IEP Facilitation are: Costs less than more formal proceedings such as due process hearings. Insures the IEP meeting is focused on the student. Models effective communication and listening. Clarifies points of agreement and disagreement. Provides opportunities for team members to reach consensus if disagreements arise. Encourages participants to identify new options to address unresolved problems. Is typically less stressful than formal proceedings. Supports follow through and follow-up as responsibilities are discussed and planned. Supports all parties in participating fully. Builds and improves relationships between parents and schools.

8. Prevention Strategies used in IEP Facilitation Process Agreements Process Suggestions Group Education Judgment Reservation Communication Skills

9. Visual Tools used in IEP Facilitation Agendas Group Norms Outcomes Group Memory Action Plan Parking Lot

10. Roles and Responsibilities of IEP Meeting Participants Student Parent Special Education Teacher General Education Teacher LEA Representative Neutral Facilitator To bring information about themselves To be the child’s voice and bring information about the child’s strengths and challenges To provide data in relation to the student’s educational plan To provide information related to the general education curriculum and state standards To answer district wide questions and allocate resources To assist the team in moving the group through the IEP process

11. The Role of the Neutral IEP Meeting Facilitator An IEP facilitator focuses on guiding the meeting process and supporting all parties’ full participation. The neutral facilitator is not a member of the IEP team or an advocate for any person on the team. The neutral facilitator does not make decisions for the group. The neutral facilitator keeps the IEP team on task, clarifies points of agreement and disagreement, encourages team members to consider alternative solutions and keeps the meeting focused on the needs of the student.

12. FIEP on the DESE Website

18. The FIEP Meeting Request Process IEP Meeting Facilitation is a service offered at no cost to districts and parents of student with disabilities. A parent or a district representative may initiate the request, with both agreeing to participate in the process. The request form and additional information can be found at http://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/facilitated-individualized-education-program-fiep For more information or to request an IEP Meeting Facilitation, please contact Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Special Education Phone: 573 751 0602 Fax: 573 526 4404 Mail: MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education, PO Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480

20. Facilitated IEP Meeting Regions Region 1 - 3 facilitators Region 2 - 3 facilitators Region 3 - 4 facilitators Region 4 - 3 facilitators Region 5 - 2 facilitators Region 6 - 3 facilitators Region 7 - 3 facilitators Region 8 - 4 facilitators Region 9 - 2 facilitators

21. Measuring Successes and Identifying Areas for Improvement Facilitator, Participant, Parents, Teachers, Reporting Forms use a Likert scale, entered in database Comments recorded in Word

22. Missouri FIEP Pilot Data

23. Anecdotal Comments “I didn’t know the student because he won’t be in my building until next year, but I feel like your involvement in the meeting allowed it to move forward much more successfully than it would have had you not been there.” “Facilitator was extremely knowledgeable and established a "best practice model" for how we should conduct IEP meetings from now on. We were able to debrief at the end of the meeting and create a plan for how we could go forward from here.”  “We received really good feedback from the parent, who was impressed with the meeting and commented that she wished all of her previous IEP meetings could've been like this.”    “As a principal trying to improve our processes,  the FIEP model helped me know how to prepare/plan for the future IEPs. Our students will benefit the process. I'm excited about where we're headed now, we will be so much better for the knowledge we've gained from all of you!!”

24. Frequently Asked Questions? How much does it cost? How many facilitators are there? How much notice is needed? Can parents or districts refuse the request? Are dispute resolution options eliminated? Who leads the meeting?

25. Questions

26. Thank you for joining us! Karen Allan, Director Special Education Compliance karen.allan@dese.mo.gov Cheryl Thompson, Supervisor Special Education Compliance cheryl.thompson@dese.mo.gov Facilitated IEP Information 573 751 0602 or http://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/facilitated-individualized-education-program-fiep