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Preparing for the IEP
- 1. IEP Training for Kansas Schools 2011 – 2012 Kansas State Department of Education Technical Assistance System Network Preparing for the IEP
- 2. Preparing for the IEP 2 IEPs
- 3. IEP Requirements: A Piece of the Puzzle 3 IEPsFAPE EVALUATION PARENTS STUDENTS LRE PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS Kansas Process Handbook: Chapter 4 IEP Checklist What’s new for IDEA 2004 Notice of Meeting Sample Form Excusal from Attendance Sample Form
- 4. People Information 4 Preparing for the IEP requires the right mix of…
- 5. Gathering Information 5 Results of any evaluations Progress monitoring data Samples of student work Targeted instructional strategies attempted Document accommodations and modifications Reports from parents
- 6. Information People 6 Preparing for the IEP requires the right mix of…
- 7. Required Members of the IEP TEAM 7 Parents/education advocate Not less than one regular education teacher of the child, if the child is or may be participating in the regular education environment Special education teacher Qualified LEA representative Someone to interpret evaluation results Student, when appropriate Others with special knowledge or expertise about the child, including related services personnel as appropriate and transition services (e.g., outside agency) participants where relevant
- 8. 8 Required Members of the IEP team may be excused from the IEP meeting: When member’s curriculum area or related service is being discussed, and if 1.) the parent and the LEA consent in writing to the excusal AND 2.) the member submits written input to the parent and the IEP team OR When member’s curriculum area or related service is NOT being discussed, and if 1.) the member is absent for the entire meeting or for part of the meeting AND 2.) parents and agency agree in writing Excusals
- 9. Written Consent for Excusal is Required 9
- 10. Written Agreement is Required 10 If a required IEP team member’s area of the curriculum or related service is not being modified or discussed, then the parent and LEA must agree in writing that the member need not attend the meeting in whole or in part.
- 11. Encouraging Meaningful Involvement 11 Parents Students General Education Colleagues
- 12. Preparing Notice of Meeting 12 10 calendar day notice Parent Rights Date, Time, Location and Purpose Title of people who will attend
- 13. Preparing Parents to be Involved in IEP Decision Making 13 Provide information ahead of time Create a safe atmosphere Provide checklists Review previous IEP and progress on goals
- 14. Developing Future Vision for Student 14 Person-centered plan: Hopes, dreams, concerns, etc. of family, friends, and student There must be documentation that the parent’s concerns were considered when planning the IEP.
- 15. Who can give consent for educational decisions? 15 Parent is available: Natural (biological) parent(s): Notify both parents unless a court order precludes this from happening. Consent from one parent is sufficient. Adoptive parent(s): If adoption is not final, an education advocate is needed; Guardian: “Letters of Guardianship” issued by a court. Parent is unknown or unavailable (Person acting as a parent): Person Acting as a Parent: A person other than a parent who is legally responsible for the welfare of a child. Education Advocate: Appointment as education advocate completed Foster parent: If appointed as education advocate The student at age 18: At age 18 the student becomes his/her own educational decision-maker unless otherwise determined by a court
- 16. 16 If a student floated in a lifejacket for 12 years, would he/she be expected to swim if the jacket were jerked off? Mary E. Morningstar, PhD © 2005 Involving Students in IEPs:
- 17. Preparing General Educators to be Involved in IEPs 17 Build a positive & trusting relationship with general education colleagues serving the student Educate general education teachers about the IEP process Have a dialogue about basic requirements for success in the general education class Discover the general educator’s concerns and needs for support to effectively include the student Include the general educator in collecting assessment data
- 18. Involving Participants in IEPs
- 19. 19
- 20. Links to Documents 20 Attention IEP Members: What’s new for IDEA 2004 IEP Checklist Excusal from Attendance Sample Form Notice of Meeting Sample Form Kansas Special Education Process Handbook: Chapter 4
Editor's Notes
- This training is a cooperative effort of the members of the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN). It includes contributions from:Kansas State Department of Education Special Education Services teamTASN Coordination and Evaluation ProjectSecondary Connections Project (providing support for graduation, drop-out, suspension/expulsion, transition services, and post-secondary outcomesProject Success (providing support for Reading, Math, and LRE)Kansas MTSS Core TeamKansas In-service Training System (early childhood) Families Together Parent Information and Training Network
- In this module, we will describe the process for preparing anIEP meeting. As in everything else in life, putting together an effective meeting or event takes preparation and behind-the-scenes planning. We are sure you may have many of your own favorite strategies that you use to get ready for an IEP meeting and for writing an IEP. We hope the resource section for this module grows over time and we encourage you to add to this section!
- In your resource materials for Preparing for the IEP module, you will find several handouts which might prove useful as an overview of the whole IEP process. The first is a brochure developed by the Center on Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education at Utah State University. It contains a checklist that can provide the school team with an overview to plan, develop, and write an effective IEP. This could also be used as a guidefor teams throughout the IEP process, or as a “post-check” to make sure the finished IEP contains the required elements. The second handout is from the Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center. It is a description of “what’s new” in provisions of IDEA from the 2004 reauthorization of the Act, as it pertains to the IEP. This document provides you with the actual requirements for the IEP. The third document is a sample notice of meeting form. The 4th document is an sample excusal form. Both of these documents will be discussed during this module.In addition to these handouts, we suggest that, as a trainer, you become familiar with the Kansas Process Handbook. The June 2011 updated edition is available online through the KSDE website. You may also access Chapter 4, which presents the requirements of the IEP, by clicking on the link in the lower left hand corner of the presentation screen. A list of links will also be presented at the end of this module.This material is available on the KSDE website at http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3152. Chapter 4 presents all the requirements for the IEP. RED FLAG: Throughout the IEP modules, you will see a red flag. This flag marks information or items that are directly related to the IDEA file review. These flagged items are those that are frequently missed across districts.
- The process and content of the annual IEP begins beyond the evaluation and eligibility determination. Basically, preparing for the IEP requires asking two questions:First, what information do we need to make decisions and write the plan, and second, who should be involved in the IEP and what can we do to prepare them for effective involvement? Let’s begin by reviewing the information to be collected.
- As we think about the types of information to be collected in preparation of IEPs, it is important to make a clear distinction between initial IEP versus annual IEPs. The first item on the list, “Results of any evaluations” is generally only needed for initial evaluations – in other words, for determination of eligibility – and for three-year re-evaluations. These may include, for example, data around the progress monitoring of interventions and other diagnostic information that a team uses in determining eligibility for services.The primary purpose of the annual IEP is to develop goals for the coming year. Therefore, the data to be collected need to help the team gain an understanding of how the student is doingand how previously tried strategies and accommodations have worked.Therefore the data to be collected could answerHow is the student doing now? -- progress monitoring data, samples of student work, parent reports, teacher and student inputWhat are the curricular expectations for a typically developing peer What has been tried before? -- targeted instructional strategies or interventions attempted What services and supports are being used? accommodations and modifications,
- Now that we have an idea of WHAT to bring to the IEP, let’s consider WHO should be at the IEP.In the next section of the module we will present information about the required members of the IEP Team and their attendance
- In this slide, we list the required membership of the IEP team as described in the law. See your “What’s New” handout in the Participant’s Guide, which discusses the make-up of the IEP team as it is worded in IDEA 2004.---Go throughSLIDE TEXT---As you can see, there are two red flags on this slide. There are a couple of items that find themselves on the list of most missed for IDEA file reviews.One of the items concerns the attendance of a regular education teacher of the child.Another finding was related to not having a qualified LEA representative at the IEP.We should also note that the IEP meeting may include anyone else the parent invites. The Local Education Agency (LEA) cannot exclude these individuals. There are additional representatives who should be invited for IEPs in early childhood, and for development of the Transition Services plan. But we should also note here that for IEPs involving development of an adult transition plan, the student MUST be invited. For IEPs related to younger students, it is recommended practice to include the student. We will discuss this a little later in this module.
- Excusals apply only to the required IEP team members, shown here. The provisions for excusals, were noted in the previous slide. If someone has been invited in addition to the required members, but does not come, then an excusal form does not need to be completed. You can conduct an IEP team meeting without the parent if the school has made repeated attempts to include them. These attempts must be defined and documented by (a) telephone calls, (b) home visits, copies of correspondence, (c) other methods attempted.
- A Required IEP team member may be excused from attending a meeting, in whole or in part, if the parents and agency agree in writing that the individual’s attendance is not necessary because that member’s curriculum area or related service is not being discussed.
- For some IEP team members, there are special issues and challenges to involving them. While meaningfulinvolvement should a target of the meeting, each of these groups – parents, students, and general educators – have some slightly different issues and specific needs which we need to accommodate if we want to encourage maximum involvement on their part. As a facilitator,help participants in your training brainstorm and develop their own strategiesgiven their specific knowledge about the families, students and general educators.
- To ensure that team members are involved in an effective and meaningful IEP planning process, it is important to think beyond the 10 day required minimum. Contacting parents and collecting their feedback ahead of time, as well as collecting all the student data you need, obviously requires more time – and will go more smoothly – if you start well before ten days ahead of the IEP meeting date. For example, some teachers begin talking with parents 60 days ahead of the meeting.IEP meetings are to be scheduled at mutually agreed upon times and places. Because many, if not most parents work, the team may agree to meet after school or during lunch to accommodate the parents. Be sensitive to the fact that some parents may have their pay docked if they leave their jobs during their scheduled work day. Again, scheduling the meeting 30 to 60 days before the IEP meeting may help maximize attendance. Take a moment to review the “Notice of Meeting” sample form that is included in the resources section of the Participant’s guide. An editable version of this document is available for download in the Notices and Forms section listed in the Special Education Services Index of the special education services division of the KSDE website.Also note the red FLAGs: Several,of the items on the IDEA file review are related to the Notice of Meeting.
- When preparing parents for IEP meetings:Provide information ahead of time through one trusted teacher or service coordinatorCreate an atmosphere where information can be share in a relaxed meetingProvide checklists or other tools to help parents think through their student’s strengths and needsReview previous IEP and progress on goalsAsk yourself these questions:If a parent is unable to attend IEP meetings what am I going to do get them involved?Besides coming to school, what are other ways a parent might be involved?Does the student’s culture impact the level of school involvement? Does the parent need an interpreter? This should NOT be the student!What are ways to communicate to families?
- The chair pictured here is a reminder that while the teacher may be preparing and writing 20 to 50 IEPs during the year, a student and their family has one opportunity for educational planning. It is important to understand and capture the family’s and the student’s vision for the future. The red flag item on this slide is a reminder of arequirement of the IEP for there to be documentation that the parent’s concerns were considered. For Secondary Transition aged students, the student’s strengths, needs, preferences and interests must also be considered in the development of the IEP.One way to gather information and prepare for the IEP would be to use some elements of person-centered planning. Check the resources section of the Participant’s guide to find a list of links and materials related to gathering information about family concerns and a student’s future vision.
- An important consideration of the IEP process is determining who can give consent for education decisions. Parents include:Natural (biological) parent(s);If parents are divorced, then both parents should be notified unless a court has ordered otherwise. Consent related to the IEP is sufficient from one parent even if the other parent refuses to consent. Adoptive parents. If adoption is not final, then an education advocate is needed. Decree of adoption is documentation.Guardian:Guardianship is documented by “Letters of Guardianship” issued by the court system.If a parent is unknown or unavailable then the IEP planning should includePerson Acting as a Parent: A personother than a parent, such as a grandparent, stepparent or other relative with whoma child lives, who is legally responsible for the welfare of a child.Education Advocate: Appointment as an education advocate has been completed and isdocumented with a Letter of Appointment from Families Together.Foster parent: Only if appointment as an education advocate has been completed and is documented with a Letter of Appointment from Families Together.The student at age 18: At age 18 the student becomes his/her own educational decision-maker unlessdetermined by a court to be incompetent.Refer to SPED Process Handbook for additional information and definitions of a parent
- Preparing general educators for IEP meeting is very important . They play more a role than they may realize. We need to help the regular education teacher understand that they have an important role in this process and they are not just there to hear, but to participateOne of the ways to prepare general educators to be involved is to provide them with information about their role in the IEP meeting. The regular educator can provide specific information about the general education curriculum. The general educator can also provide input into how accommodations and modifications will be implemented in the regular classroom setting. The regular education teacher can also provide academic and behavioral data regarding the student and typically developing peers.It’s also important to determine if the regular educators have any concerns or needs for support in order to effectively include the student in their classroom. [Note to presenter: The next 2 slides include directions for activities which you may choose to use.]
- Here are links to some of the documents that were discussed in this module. Please refer to the Participant’s Guide to find the activity materials and resources.The next module in the IEP series is “Present Levels”. Finally, thank you for all that you do to provide effective services and support to Kansas students.