1. Creating and managing a school-based plan for a child with disabilities requires preparation, planning, and focus to set the child up for lifelong learning. 2. SMART IEP goals that are specific, measurable, use action words, and have timelines help monitor a child's progress. 3. The basics of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, such as the purpose of providing a free and appropriate public education, requirements for highly qualified teachers, and least restrictive environments, are important to understand when developing a school-based plan.

1. Live & Learn: Creating and Managing a
School Based Plan that Creates Life Long
Learning
Prepared for DSAWM
February 29, 2012

2. Why do I need to do this?
 Ithelps you focus and
be efficient
 Anticipate problems
 Plan for the future
**Every year, millions of children with disabilities spend
hundreds and millions of hours in special education
classes without a master plan**

3. “Someone’s sitting in the
shade today because
someone planted a tree
longtime ago”
-Warren Buffet

4. What do you dream for your child's future?
- Living arrangements ( independent or companion living)
- Employment
- Level of function for independent living( travel, shopping skills,
financial skills, ect.)
What steps do you need to take to help your child
meet these goals?
- What does your child have to know /do when he/she leaves
public school?
- What are your child’s strength and weaknesses?
- What do you want your child to achieve this year?

5. 1. Vision Statement
2. Goals
3. Strategies
4. Timelines
**Writing the Master plan – have all the
Information in front of you. All assessments
and clinicians reports.**

6. Vision Statement – Your vision that describes your child in the
future. In one year, at the end of elementary, middle, or high
school? Do you see your child working? Living independently?
Goals- Gives you direction and should make you stretch. Master plan
should include academic and non-academic (outside of school) goals
for your child.
Strategies- Think of strategies as your road map to getting the
goals met. Short term objectives that are measurable or steps to
getting to your destination. Strategies solve problems.
Timelines- Actions that need to be completed
and when. VERY important
part of the master plan.

7.  Know the Chain of Command and the Players
 Understand Special Education Rules- read the IDEA (
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004)handbook, at
least become familiar with it.
 Learn the Climate( Bureaucracy) of the School and
Develop Relationships
-It will help you overcome obstacles and feel less frustrated (
difficult people, resolve conflicts)
 Understand the Pitfalls and Strength of the District
-play to their strength to solve problems

8.  Understand your Child Disability: What it is and how it
effects him/her.
 Understand the Evaluations: base your master plan on a
comprehensive evaluation by an expert who is independent from the
school. Needs drive service and data is
how you determine needs.
 Organize your Information: create
a master file and put it in a 3 ring binder

9.  “SMART” IEP ( Individualized Education Plan)
** annual goals**
S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Use Action Words
R-Realistic and Relevant
T- Time-limited

10. Specific- goals and objectives must be specific. Targeting
areas of academic achievement and functional
performance. They must include a clear description of
knowledge and skills that will be taught and how they
are to be measured.
Example:
a) Joe will follow morning routine when entering the building.
b) Joe will, independently, demonstrate the following when entering
the building; morning greeting, hanging up coat and backpack in
cubby, putting homework in homework bin, and sitting at desk in 4
out of 5 trials .
Measurable- means you can count or observe the goals
and objectives so that you can determine progress.
Example:
a) Susie will improve her reading skills
b) Given a passage at her instructional level, Susie will increase her
wpm by 25 with no more then 2 errors in 4 out of 5 trials.

11. Action Words- words that are stated in measurable
terms. Like: “The child will be able…”
a) Direction of behavior( increase, decrease, maintain, ect.)
b)Area of need( reading, writing, communication, transition, ect.)
c)Level of attainment ( instructional level, independent, fewer then
1 prompt, ect.)
Example:
a) Billy will decrease his anger and outburst.
b) Provided with anger management training and adult supervision, Billy will
be able to remove himself from the environments that cause him to lose
control of his behavior in 3 out of 5 times with no more then 1 prompt.
Realistic and Relevant- goals and objectives need
to address the child’s unique needs that are a result of
his/her disability. Goals are not based on classroom
program, state testing, or other standards.

12. Example:
a) Mary will improve her writing skills
b) Mary will improve her writing so that she can write a clear,
cohesive paragraph consisting of at least 3 sentences,
including compound and complex sentences that are related.
With 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 times.
Time- limited- What does your child need to know and
be able to do after one year of special education? What
is the starting point for each of my child’s needs? Time –
limited goals and objectives enable you to monitor
progress at regular intervals.
Example: Present Level: Johnny can not sit still in circle time to
listen to instruction for more then 1 minute and with 3 or more
prompts .
Annual Goal: Johnny will demonstrate proper posture, with
legs crossed ,while sitting quietly and attending to instruction
during circle time for at least 5 minutes with no more then 1
prompts

13. Objectives;
1. After the 1st quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time ,
with legs crossed , and attend to instruction for at least 2 min.
with no more then 2 prompts.
2. After the 2nd quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time,
with legs crossed , and attend to instruction for at least 3 min.
with no more then 2 prompts.
3. After the 3rd quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time,
with legs crossed, and attend to instruction for at least 4 min.
with no more then 1 prompt.
4. After the 4th quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time,
with legs crossed, and attend to instruction for at least 5 min.
with no more then 1 prompt.

14. Section 1400: Purpose and Findings-( most important) to ensure that
all children with disabilities have available to them free appropriate
public education that emphasizes special education and related
services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for
further education, employment, and independent living.
Section 1401(10): Highly Qualified Teachers- also in Title IX of No
Child Left Behind, teachers who teach core academic subjects must
meet the highly qualified teacher requirements in NCLB. Special
Education teachers must be highly qualified and licensed in the area
of licensure.
Section1412: Catch- All Statue -Least Restrictive Environment (where
will the child’s education take place). Children with disabilities should
be educated with children who are not disabled” to the maximum
extent appropriate”

15. Child’s present level of academic achievement and functional
performance( w/ baseline data), including how the child’s
disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the
general education curriculum.
Statement of measureable annual goals, including academic
and functional goals, designed to meet the child’s needs that
result from the child’s disability to enable them to be
involved in and make progress in the general education
curriculum; and ..meet each of the child’s other educational
needs that result from the child’s disability.
IDEA 2004 ( 20 U.S.C. ,Section 1414)

16. 1. Preparation and planning are key to
successfully managing a school based plan that
sets up your child for life long learning.
2. SMART IEP’s
3. Basics of IDEA 2004

17. “Winning is getting what we
want , which also means
helping others get what
they want.”
- Gerry Spence, Trial lawyer and Author

18.  Suzanne Wilcox
www.hopeforlearning.com
PO Box 6541
Grand Rapids, Mi 49516
616-551-3798