Make Your IEP Great in 45 Days or Less!jimforgan.com/Module 6/6-10.pdf · Make Your IEP Great in 45...

Make Your IEP Great in 45 Days or Less!

By SeeMyIEP.com

© 2011 www.SeeMyIEP.com P a g e | 1

Table of Contents

Day(s) Page

1 ……………………………………………………………..4

2-7 ………………………………………………………….5

8-17.………………………………………………………..9

18-20 ……………………………………………………..20

21-30…………………………………………………….. 25

31-45…………………………………………………….. 29

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If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) then you may have asked yourself the question, “How good is my child’s IEP?” If so, you are not alone in wanting to know if your child has a good IEP but why stop with just good? You want to make sure your child has a GREAT IEP. After all, if you don’t advocate for your child, who will?

The most important instruction your child receives is written on the IEP. Therefore it’s important for you to make sure that the IEP team really understands your child and hears your input. YOU are a critical member of the IEP team and, in our opinion, the most important member. You know your child best. You understand what makes him or her tick and you know things that work for helping your child. The IEP team needs you!

It’s possible that when your child’s first IEP was written you did not know much about IEPs or special education. Now that has changed and you’ve been doing your homework and learning about IEPs. It’s time to take your child’s IEP from ‘good’ to ‘great’ and we want to help you do that in 45 days or less. We have outlined a plan that guides you through improving your child’s IEP. You probably already anticipated that the improvement process will take some of your time but it will be worth it in the end. We know that one day your child will thank you for all your hard work.

The 45 day timeline is broken down into one and two week timeframes. The days specified are a general outline of this process and, depending on how much time you invest, you may complete this process sooner rather than later. The first week involves gathering information current and up to date information about your child’s performance.

We’ve included a “TO DO LIST” and “NOTES” page for you to jot down the items you need to follow up on or write down questions you think of during this improvement process. Are you ready to get started? Let’s go!



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DAY 1

Day 1.

1. Locate or obtain a copy of your child’s IEP. If you can’t find your

child’s most recent IEP, email the special education teacher or special education contact person at your child’s school. Ask them to mail or send home a copy of your child’s IEP.

2. Email your child’s teacher(s) and ask them to email you an update on your child’s performance. It is important that you contact each teacher that your child works with in school. You’ll need their homeroom teacher, specials (art, music, etc) teachers, everyone who works directly with your child. You want to ask for three specific items so that you will use to improve the IEP.

o Request the teacher sends you

(1) specific strengths of your child, (2) any specific needed improvements, and (3) current grades (unless you can print them).

Some schools use online grade books so that parents can access and view their child’s grades. If this is your case, then print about a month’s worth of the most recent grades.



In your email to the teacher(s) you can use the sample wording provided below. Dear __________, I am working to make (insert your child’s name) IEP even better than it is now and I would like

to get an update on his/her school performance. I need your help to obtain the following

information.

1. Specific academic or behavior strengths you observe

2. Specific academic or behavior weaknesses that need improvement

3. His/ her test scores in your class for the past month

Will you email me this information ASAP?

Sincerely,

Your Name




Days 2-7

1. As you receive the teachers’ emails print each one. If you have

not received a response within two days, resend the email and emphasize how important their feedback is for your planning. Using the emails, make a list of your child’s strengths and needs. Use a table such as the one below.

Name: ________________________

Strengths Needs/ Weaknesses

Using a second copy of the table, reorder the ‘needs’ column based on which ones you believe are most important and high priority. Put them in rank order from highest priority to lowest priority.



Name: ________________________

Strengths Needs/ Weaknesses Highest priority

Lowest priority

You must put these in priority order because they will make up the statement that is the ‘heart’ of the IEP. This statement is called the Present Level of Achievement and Functional Performance. This is known as the PLAAFP or PLOP (Present Level of Performance). We’ll talk more about this in the section below.

As you are working on your child’s IEP there is a simultaneous task that also needs to be completed. This is to schedule the IEP review meeting. It often takes the school two or even three weeks to get the IEP meeting scheduled since they must work with so many people’s schedules. Use the example letter below to request an IEP meeting.



Sample IEP Meeting Request Letter

Dear _____________,

I have been learning more about IEPs and I am requesting an IEP review meeting for my child, ____________________. The purpose of this meeting is to review the IEP goals, objectives, accommodations, and related services. I would like all IEP team members to attend including the following: school administrator, general education teachers, special education teachers, appropriate therapists or counselors, my child (if age appropriate), and any other pertinent individuals.

The best time for me to attend this IEP meeting is _____________________________.

Please acknowledge my request and confirm the meeting in writing.

Sincerely,

Your name

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Change My Child’s IEP at Any Time?

Yes, the IEP is a fluid document that changes as the needs of your child change.

Does the IEP Expire?

When implemented, the IEP is dated for one year. It is reviewed and renewed each year to update progress or make any changes. The IEP can be updated more frequently if the parent or teacher makes a request.

What if I Attend the IEP Meeting and the Required People Are Not Present?

If you attend an IEP meeting and are told that a key person, such as the child’s special education teacher is away on a field trip, then you can stop the meeting. Reschedule it for a day and time when all members are present. This is your child you are discussing and you want all the professionals involved present and hearing the same information. For example, it creates a problem if you make decisions about teaching the child with the Edmark Reading program and the special education teacher is not there to say if she knows how to use the program.

What if My Child’s Teacher Knows About the IEP But Refuses to Make Accommodations?

When this occurs the first thing parents should to do is talk with the teacher. If this does not get you anywhere then go to the principal. You can also call the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Director and speak to them. Administrators understand the importance of implementing the IEP so they will talk to the teacher. There have been court cases where an individual teacher was sued because they blatantly refused to make the IEP accommodations.



DAYS 8-17

1. There is a lot for you to cover during these ten days and you’ll need to set aside some uninterrupted time to focus on these tasks. If you’re ready then take out the copy of your child’s IEP.

2. Using a highlighter of your favorite color, highlight the 8 required components of the IEP. Look for broad heading such as:

a. Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). b. Annual goals c. Process for measuring of progress toward the annual goals. d. Statements related to "special education, related services, supplementary aids,

and services.” e. An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with

nondisabled children. f. Accommodations that are necessary to measure academic achievement and

functional performance of the child on state and district-wide assessments as well as a statement of any needed alternative assessments on a particular state or district-wide assessment

g. The projected date for the beginning of services and modification, the anticipated frequency, location and duration of these services and any modifications.

h. A statement that by age 16 measurable postsecondary goals, based on age appropriate transition assessments, are developed. These are related to training, education, employment and where appropriate independent living skills and transition services needed to help the child to reach goals. There must be a statement related to transfer of right no later than one year before child reaches age of majority

Did you find all 8 required components? If you didn’t, you can check the SeeMyIEP.com website under ‘IEP Evaluation’ to find a description of what each of these components means. Most IEPs will have all these components, especially if they are typed using a computer software program. It’s the handwritten IEPs that often are missing some of these parts. If your IEP does not have all 8 components, or if you could not find them, add this to the ‘TO DO LIST’



and follow up with the special education teacher at the coming IEP meeting. You want to make sure your child’s IEP is complete.

3. The next task is to develop a strong Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement for your child’s IEP.

A. Go back to your prioritized list from above. Look at the top two or three items. These are probably your child’s priority areas of need. Thus, you want these items written on the IEP so your child receives instruction in these areas. If you don’t get these items explicitly written on the IEP, you can’t be sure they will be taught. And, if they are not taught your child won’t improve on these areas that are so critical to his or her success.

B. Look at your child’s current IEP and find where you highlighted the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement. Is it written so that it captures the most important skills your child needs to learn? If yes, then great and kudos to your child’s IEP team. If the answer was no, then you have some work to do.

C. You can write a draft of the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement to bring to the meeting. Follow the template below to make your child’s Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement strong. You can include more than one ‘need.’

Based on teacher input and comments, parent observation, and _____(insert

your data, grades, etc here)_____________ , my child can __________(list

strengths here)________________________________.

However, the effect of his or her disability is that he or she has significant

difficulty with___________________.

Therefore, his or her priority educational need is to_____________________.

Write your PLAAFP statement here.

Based on _______________________________________________________ ,

my child can _________ __________________________ _________________.




difficulty with____________________________________________________.

Therefore, his or her priority educational need is to_____________________

_______________________________________________________________.

Sample PLAAFPs. Here are two PLAAFP statements to help you. This PLAAFP statement could be made stronger by providing more information in the “Based on” section. The special education teacher could have written: “Based on Courtney’s oral reading of a 5th grade passage”

This is a very strong PLAAFP because it provides a clear and precise description in the “The student is able to” section. The strength is clear when you compare this section with the same section above.

This IEP came from a school district in Florida and refers to the statewide test used in that state to measure annual yearly progress. Your state probably has its own test.



4. Using a www.SeeMyIEP.com Premium Membership to help you write IEP goals.

The SeeMyIEP.com IEP library contains over 4,000 real IEP goals and objectives that are searchable by age, grade, disability, need, setting, and accommodation. Searching through the database or ‘best’ list is by far the easiest way to develop IEP goals for your child’s priority educational needs. These are real IEPs goals and objectives that come from real IEPs submitted by other parents or schools.

Searching the IEP library allows you to see and compare the services your child receives to those of other children with similar needs. This way you find out if there are additional services you should be asking for on your child’s IEP. If you don’t know what is available for your child, you won’t know want to ask for!

The SeeMyIEP.com premium membership is a great value for you because you’ll receive a personalize review of your child’s IEP goals and IEP objectives. That’s correct; Drs. Duffy and Forgan will personally review your child’s IEP goals. As a premium member you can fax or scan (as an Adobe PDF) your child’s IEP goals and objectives pages to us. We’ll read them and provide you with specific feedback about the quality of your child’s IEP goals and objectives. In a way, this is like getting a second opinion on your child’s IEP because you’ll know if you need to contact your child’s IEP team about making changes to the IEP.

You get expert IEP advice to help you and your child. This is one way we say, “thank you” for subscribing.

5. Writing Your Child’s IEP Goals based on the PLAAFP statement.

Writing great IEP goals takes time and can be a challenge but if you are a premium SeeMyIEP.com member this is where you can save time and headache by using the list of goals to help guide you. The main thing to remember is that you want to link your child’s IEP goal(s) directly to his or her priority areas of need. So let’s return to your PLAAFP statement you wrote above. Write in the priority educational need(s) in the blank below.

Therefore, his or her priority educational need is to:

1. ________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________




IEP goals are written to cover your child’s instruction for an academic school year. The IEP

goals are broad since they last for a calendar year, however; the IEP goals must be measurable

so that teachers can document your child’s progress. Annual goals also include an evaluation

statement. This statement ( __% accuracy on XX out of XX attempts) is included in the annual

goal so that there is a standard to be attained that indicates mastery. You know that even when

you are learning something new you get it right some times, and other times you miss it by a

little. The evaluation statement allows for the possibility that your child might not be perfect

every time they are evaluated on a specific skill. The evaluation statement % accuracy out of __

trials) is constructed to match the nature of the annual goal. Some goals have to be met at

100% accuracy, because they are foundational to other skill development or are crucial to

survival. But other annual goals can be satisfied with 90% accuracy or completion of 9 out of 10

trials, because there is room for error. This concept is very difficult, and causes even

experienced teachers great difficulty when writing good IEP goals.

Let’s write an IEP goal for your child’s priority educational need. Use the template of:

Given ______________________, (Name) will _____________________________, with

_____% accuracy on XX out of XX attempts.

Here is how this might look. If your child’s priority educational need was to remain on task for a

longer period of time, you need to write an annual goal for that area. What can you think of

related to staying on task that will cover a year of your child’s instruction? You can rack your

brain to come up with ideas or you can go to the SeeMyIEP.com library of goals for ‘on task.’

Here are two goals from the SeeMyIEP.com goals page for ‘on task.’

1. By 05/12/20XX, the student will remain on task 75% of the time during instruction without prompting.

2. Given teacher lead or independent seatwork, the student will stay on task with one or less teacher prompt within 20 minutes or until task is completed.

Do either of these two fit your needs? If yes, then write this on the “Pulling it All Together”

page below. If these IEP goals don’t fit your child’s needs then let’s write our own IEP goal

using the above template.



Given daily opportunities for independent seat work, (Name) will increase his

continuous time on task from the current 3 minutes to at least 15 minutes on

8 out of 10 seat work assignments.

This is a great IEP goal for increasing time on task because it is measurable. Any good teacher

can read this goal on an IEP and know exactly what to teach your child. If I was the teacher I

would readily know your son can currently sit and work for 3 minutes without becoming off

task. My job is to teach your son how to increase his time on task. Since this is an annual IEP

goal I have a year to accomplish this.

Let’s consider another priority educational need and assume your child’s next priority

educational need was to learn study skills strategies. Let’s write an IEP goal for this priority

educational need. Try it using this format:

What’s coming to your mind for writing this goal? If you are stumped, go to the SeeMyIEP.com

list of IEP goals. We’re the guide by your side and you’ll find the heading: “Study Skills

/Complete Assignments/ Remain on Task.” When you click, these are some of the real IEP goals

that appear. This means these were annual goals that a came from a student’s real IEP. Is

there an annual goal that states what you want for your child? Can you use one of these and

tweak it?

1. Student will demonstrate organization skills to complete assignments and keep track of them 4 of 5 days.

2. Student will use his agenda book as a way to organize his school work and turn in papers and homework on or before the due date 8 out of 10 trials.

3. Student will turn in classroom work on time 8 out of 10 trials

Custom IEP Goal for ‘On Task.’

Given ______________________, (Name) will __________________________

________________________, with _____% accuracy on XX out of XX attempts.



4. Student will improve his independent functioning skills which will allow him to be more successful in his classes, work, or on his own by turning in assignments on time while maintaining a 2.6 GPA or higher.

5. Student will complete class work/homework assignments within given time frame 3 out of 5 times.

6. Student will complete homework and turn in on time 3 out of 5 days. 7. Student will be able to use a variety of strategies to both organize and set studying

parameters to help the student be more successful in the general education setting to turn in work on a timely basis 9 out of 10 times.

If not, write your own unique study skills strategy IEP goal. Consider this custom goal.

Given various study skills strategies, (Name) will apply these strategies to complete

assignments or tests with 80% accuracy or greater on 15 out of 20 tasks.

Again, this is a measurable IEP goal. The teacher can use various study skills strategies to help

your child earn a grade of 80% or better on at least 15 out of 20 tests and assignments. The

teacher will use small instructional steps to teach your child this IEP goal. Special education

professionals call these steps Short Term Objectives or STOs. They are the intermediate or

small steps the teacher and child work on daily in order to reach the IEP goal.

If your child has an IEP goal then there are usually two or more objectives or short-term steps

toward meeting the goal. Now you need to write two short term IEP objectives for each of the

above goals. Use the same template for writing IEP objectives as you did for writing IEP goals.

Let’s practice with the first IEP goal.

1. Given teacher lead or independent seatwork, the student will stay on task with one or less teacher prompt within 20 minutes or until task is completed.

When you go to the SeeMyIEP.com “IEP Objectives” page and click on “On Task” these

IEP objectives from real IEPs come up. After reading each one, I believe numbers 1 and 6 would

work. I’d recommend these to you because they are both under 20 minutes. Furthermore, we

Each IEP Goal has two or more short term objectives (STOs)



want your child to stay on task during both instruction and independent seat work and these

IEP objectives capture that. They are small steps toward our annual IEP goal of 20 minutes.

Which IEP objectives would you choose or would you write your own?

1. Student will stay on task for 10 minutes with one teacher reminder for 4 out of 5 days. 2. Student will stay on task for 90% of lessons in 6 out of 7 class periods. 3. Student will begin tasks with 0-2 prompts from the teacher 4 out of 5 times. 4. Student will stay on task for 5 minutes with 0-3 redirections from the teacher 3 out of 5

tries. 5. Student will begin a classroom assignment within 5 minutes of given directions 3 out of

5 times. 6. Student will complete class work independently at his seat for 10 minute intervals

without being redirected 4 out of 5 times. 7. Student will begin classroom assignments with 2 or fewer teacher prompts 5 out of 8

trials. 8. Student will be able to sit and work on task without getting out of his seat for at least 15

minutes. 9. Student will refrain from social conversation & personal letter writing during academic

times 7 out of 10 times. 10. Student will stay in his assigned classes the whole class period for 6 out of 7 days. 11. Student will change promptly from one activity or assignment without hesitation or

complaining 3 out of 5 times.

So when we put the annual goal together with the two short term objectives

we have this for your child…

Given teacher lead or independent seatwork, the student will stay on task with one or less teacher prompt within 20 minutes or until task is completed.

A. Student will stay on task for 10 minutes with one teacher reminder for 4 out of 5 days. B. Student will complete class work independently at his seat for 10 minute intervals

without being redirected 4 out of 5 times.

Is writing IEP goals and objective starting to make sense? It’s a lot to learn and can be

overwhelming so take your time and keep trying. Why don’t you practice writing two short

term objectives for this IEP goal? Use the same goal writing template to make your objectives

specific and measurable.



IEP GOAL: Given various study skills strategies, (Name) will apply these strategies to

complete assignments or tests with 80% accuracy or greater on 15 out of 20

tasks.

S.T.O. A.___________________________________________________________________

S.T.O. B.___________________________________________________________________

As you can tell, writing short term objectives (STOs) is challenging because it requires you to

know about curriculum development and what to teach your child. We realize you are

probably not a certified teacher. This is where we can help you!

The SeeMyIEP.com IEP goals and IEP objectives lists are so handy for parents. You may not feel

skilled enough to write IEP goals or objectives from scratch but you certainly can recognize a

good goal for your child to learn! Let us do the hardest work and pass on the benefits to you.

In case you need some ideas for study skills IEP objectives here is what you have access to as a

premium SeeMyIEP.com member. Do two of these STOs fit your needs? Can you customize

any of these STOs? If not, then you have a lot to consider as you write your own short term

objectives.

1. Student will write down all assignments and information in his agenda daily 5 out of 6 times with 90% accuracy.

2. Student will be able to use agenda daily to clearly mark what is homework or class work and when a test or project is due with 100% accuracy.

3. Student will use agenda to record assignments and upcoming tests with 70% accuracy. 4. Student will begin, complete, and turn in 9 out of 10 assignments per teacher request weekly. 5. Student will demonstrate organization skills by documenting all assignments in his agenda 7 out

of 10 times. 6. Student will write down his homework in his agenda with no more than one teacher prompt 4

out of 5 times. 7. Student will complete homework and bring in back to school to turn in when finished 7 out of 10

times. 8. Student will record upcoming tests/quizzes and homework assignments in agenda 7 of 10 times.

This is why the SeeMyIEP.com IEP goals and IEP objectives lists are so handy for parents. You may not feel skilled enough to write IEP goals or objectives from scratch but you certainly can recognize a good goal for your child to learn! Become a premium member today!



9. Student will turn in his daily class work without a teacher reminder with 70% mastery on 4 out of 5 days.

10. Student will communicate with teachers when he misses a day and get all required make up work, complete it, and turn it in 6 out of 7 classes.

11. Student will write all assignments (including chapters, class work, homework, and test dates) in her agenda 8 out of 10 assignments.

12. Student will independently complete projects and turn them in on time in 8 out of 10 opportunities.

13. Student will type classroom and homework on computer independently with 80% mastery. 14. Student will use a highlighter to identify important information 7 out of 10 times. 15. Student will use common reference resources to find information 4 out of 5 times.

Now that you’ve practiced writing IEP goals and IEP objectives, you should write some for your child. Write these on the “Pulling it All Together” sheet on page 23.



Let’s recap. You’ve identified and prioritized a list of your child’s needs. You took the top two and are calling those the ‘priority educational needs.’ You used these needs to write a statement of her present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). From the PLAAFP you wrote two or more IEP goals. You also wrote two short term IEP objectives for each annual goal. We now know what’s most important to teach your child and it’s written in a specific, observable, and measurable way. Whew, that was a lot! Our next step is to think about any accommodations your child needs written on the IEP.

Your Accomplishments Thus Far

• Obtained IEP

• Emailed teachers

• Scheduled an IEP meeting

• Rank ordered needs

• Prioritized the top two needs

• Wrote a PLAAFP

• Used the PLAAFP and wrote IEP goal 1

• Used the PLAAFP and wrote two short term IEP objectives for goal 1

• Wrote IEP goal 2

• Wrote two short term IEP objectives for goal 1



DAYS 18-20

1. Is your IEP review meeting scheduled with the school? If you have not received confirmation, follow up with a call or email.

2. Given the priority educational need and IEP goals, what accommodations does your child need?

3. Where should your child receive services?

Let’s begin by discussing accommodations since they play a vital role in helping kids with IEPs. Accommodations are changes that are made in how your child is taught. About 98% of kids with IEPs will learn the state standards as their primary curriculum. This is great because many kids with IEPs graduate with a standard diploma. They just need reasonable accommodations to help them learn the standard curriculum. The SeeMyIEP.com dictionary defines accommodations as: Service or support connected to specific needs of an identified disability that allows for access to the general education curriculum. These supports do not "water-down" the curriculum.

Frequent types of services or accommodations provided on the IEP for students with:

• Intellectual Disabilities include: specialized instruction in basic and functional skills, independent life skills, self-advocacy skills, and transition planning from school to adult living.

• Learning Disabilities include: using a prearranged signal to gain attention, repeat and simplify directions, assign a study buddy, use a timer, give the student an individual checklist, use two sets of books so there is one at home and one in school, placing a dot on a handwriting starting place, let the student use a word processor, reducing the length of an assignment, allowing extra time.

Accommodations are changes that are made in how your child is taught.



• Autism include: minimize transitions, offer consistent daily routines, use a buddy system, provide assignments that link student’s interest, break assignments into smaller units, preferential seating, provide expanded explanations with simplified instructions, provide a safe-place or safe-person for highly stressful events, and frequent home communication.

• Behavior Disorders include: allowing the student frequent work breaks, allowing the student to stand while working, giving the choice of two desks to complete class work, sending the student on an errand if it appears she is becoming frustrated, not taking away all the student’s recess for not completing class work, reducing homework, using a behavior contract, giving the student a visual reminder of class rules on his desk, and allowing the student to go to a quiet area of the classroom when necessary.

Do any of the above accommodations seem important to have for your child? Write them down on the “Pulling it All Together” page 21.

Where should your child receive services?

Your voice is very important in the IEP process when deciding which educational setting is best for your child to receive special education services. The law (IDEIA, 2004) supports the idea that all students with disabilities are to be educated in the setting that is most typical for other students the same age. That is referred to as the least restrictive environment (LRE). LRE means that students with disabilities have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers, to the greatest extent appropriate. Consideration of cost should not enter into the decision of where to place a child as far as LRE is concerned. The guiding factor is what does the schedule look like for other kids your child’s age and where and when would your child benefit from being with those same aged peers. Most parents want their child to be educated in the same school and classroom as they would if the child did not have a disability. School personnel will tell you that the least restrictive environment for your child is not always the regular education classroom.

The ‘real deal’ with the least restrictive environment is that your child’s placement really depends on the severity of his or her disability and the capacities of the school. Children with less significant disabilities are usually placed in regular classrooms where as children with significant cognitive disabilities are usually in special classrooms. This is not always the case but is a generality.

There are pros and cons to each setting and we recommend you ask the school staff these questions.

1. Describe all the available placements for my child. Discuss the pros and cons of each one.

2. Where would my child have the chance to learn the most?



3. Can I observe each placement before we make a decision?” Don’t feel pressured into signing off on the IEP just because someone is in a hurry. If you need time to observe then by all means, do it. Then you can make the decision as which placement is best for your child.

Some school systems have moved to all inclusion placements. This means all students with disabilities are taught in the regular classroom and there are no self-contained or pull out placements available. In school systems that are 100% inclusion, that becomes your only choice unless you are allowed to change to a different school system or attend a publically supported charter school.

The federal government still supports the idea that a full range of placements should be available for students with disabilities. For example, Dr. Forgan’s son had IEP goals for speech. He wanted his son in a pull-out classroom for small group instruction and this was available in his school system. Inclusion was an option but Dr. Forgan believed more effective instruction could be delivered in the pull out classroom using small group instruction. The IEP team honored his request and provided the services in the resource room.

The Least Restrictive Environments below are in order from least restrictive to most restrictive. Where do you want your child taught?

The inverted pyramid shows the listing of placements from least restrictive to most restrictive as well as the proportions of students in each level of LRE. The top of the pyramid has widest section and represents the largest proportion of students with disabilities. And the bottom (hospital or full time residential setting) has the smallest portion of the pyramid and the smallest portion of students.

Regular education classroom with reasonable accommodations

Regular class with the special education teacher/ therapist providing support in the classroom.

Part time special class

Full time special class

Special education school

Homebound

Hospital or full time residential

setting



4. Pulling it All Together. This is where you need to pull everything together onto these two sheets. You’ll distribute these pages at the IEP meeting so take your time and put thought into the PLAFF, IEP goals, accommodations, and placement. Consult the www.SeeMyIEP.com website and IEP goals, objectives, and accommodations database if you need a list of IEP goals and ideas for your child’s IEP.

Child’s Name:____________________________ Date: ___________

Write your PLAAF statement here.

Based on _______________________________________________________ ,

my child can _________ __________________________ _________________.


difficulty with____________________________________________________.

Therefore, his or her priority educational need is to_____________________

_______________________________________________________________.

Write your IEP Goals here.

1. S.T.O. A.___________________________________________________________________

S.T.O. B.___________________________________________________________________

2. S.T.O. A.___________________________________________________________________

S.T.O. B.___________________________________________________________________




Write your requested Accommodations here.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Where should your child receive his or her special education

instruction?

� Regular/ general education classroom (inclusion)

� Resource/ pull out room

� A combination of the two above settings

� A separate special education classroom in the neighborhood school

� A separate special education classroom in a different school

� A separate special education school

� At home

� Other ______________________________

Final thoughts and/or uniqueness of your child.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________



DAYS 21-30

1. Meeting time! Understand the school’s perspective

Consider the needs of your child and enlist a teacher’s help. Most teachers want the best for kids and are willing to support your requests and somewhat mentor you through the educational system. Having teacher support goes a long way. One teacher that helped a student get an IEP recently contributed this to SeeMyIEP.com.

“As a teacher, it is always positive to see parents appreciate your hard work and efforts. At one IEP meeting we were discussing a fifth grade child in my class with behavior issues. The parents were at their wits end as how to manage behaviors at home. I knew the boy was a challenge in my classroom and started the referral process and Response to Intervention (RtI). Through the IEP process and eligibility for an IEP, the parents felt relief because they had a diagnosis to validate that there was a true disorder with their child and that they were just not ‘bad parents.’ The parents were also relieved because, with the help of the IEP team members, their son was going to receive twice a week counseling as a related service. This was written on the IEP. The family did not have insurance coverage for counseling so this was going to really help them. I left the IEP meeting feeling like this family’s future just changed for the better.”



2. Holding the IEP Annual Review Meeting

As a working parent you may not always be able to attend the IEP team meeting in person. While we recommend this is the best way to hold the IEP meeting, you can participate by video or conference call. The federal law states that, The parent of a child with a disability and a public agency may agree to use alternative means of meeting participation, such as video conferences and conference calls” [34 CFR 300.328] [20 U.S.C. 1414(f)]. The real deal here is that most public schools won’t tell you this. They often make it appear that if you can’t attend the IEP meeting when they schedule it than too bad for you. That’s far from the truth. When you specify in writing when you’d like to hold the IEP meeting (a specific day and time within the school day), the school must accommodate your request. Setting the tone. When you arrive at your child’s IEP meeting you want to set the tone for creating a win-win IEP. These are some tips for creating the win-win tone. Audio record the meeting in case you’d like to listen to it again later.

A. Write down each individual’s name and title as folks introduce themselves. B. Agree to the procedural safeguards. C. Thank each person for attending and immediately state your purpose for the meeting. D. Distribute your “pulling it all together” pages. E. Explain the process of how you developed your content. (emailed/ consulted with

teachers, researched using SeeMyIEP.com, building upon the current IEP, etc.) F. Ask to have your new information written on the IEP. G. Ask the disability specific questions.

At your IEP meeting you may feel overwhelmed with the amount of new information and educational terminology. Take these questions with you and ask them until you get a straightforward answer. Lay it all on the line because if you don’t stand up for your child, who will?

1. How is the IEP information kept confidential? 2. Who receives a copy of the IEP? 3. What do I do if I want to change the IEP later? 4. Can my child’s scores on state tests be used as evidence to hold back my

child? 5. Are the services made up if the special teacher/therapist is absent? 6. Is this the best you can do for my child? 7. How does the IEP guarantee skill improvement? Why? 8. How will you document, over time, that my child makes progress?

You can participate in your child’s IEP meeting by video or conference call.



9. What is the best _______(reading, math, study skills, etc.) program to help my child?

10. Does the special education teacher hold a teaching degree in special education?

11. Are the services made up if the special teacher/therapist is absent? 12. How is the IEP information kept confidential? 13. Who receives a copy of the IEP? 14. What do I do if I want to change the IEP later? 15. Can my child’s scores on state tests be used as evidence to hold back my

child?

H. Premium www.SeeMyIEP.com members have access to disability specific IEP questions that should be asked in addition to the questions above. You’ll find these in the “IEP Help” section of SeeMyIEP.com

I. If you believe the IEP meeting is not going well and it’s becoming confrontational, stop the meeting and tell the staff you’ll need to reschedule for another time when you can bring a special education advocate or attorney with you.

J. However, if all goes well you won’t need an advocate or attorney and will leave your child’s IEP meeting with a GREAT IEP!




DAYS 31-45

1. Copies of IEP (or at minimum give goals and accommodations) to all

teachers

While the teacher may keep a copy of your child’s IEP in his or her classroom, they are not required to do so. The federal law says that the IEP must be ‘accessible’ to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related services provider, and any other service provider who is responsible for its implementation.

The school system is responsible for informing each teacher of his or her specific responsibilities related to implementing the child’s IEP as well as the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child in accordance with the IEP.

We recommend you give each teacher a copy of the IEP goals and accommodations. When you do this, highlight the accommodations so they are easy to spot. Before each big test, and especially before your state’s high stakes testing, remind teachers about your child’s accommodations.

A parent recently asked SeeMyIEP.com, “I don’t believe the teacher is following my child’s IEP. What should I do?” Our Special Education Director replied with this answer.

It’s important that everyone working with your child is on the same page when it comes to following an IEP. If you feel that your child is not receiving the accommodations and the special services that are written out; there are several steps to take. Here are four steps I recommend.

A. The first one would be to ask for an IEP review with your child’s Guidance Counselor. Make sure everyone goes over the entire document; what are the special services? What accommodations are written into the IEP? Also make sure that all of your child’s teachers have a copy-this is the responsibility of the LEA or Local Educational Authority. In most cases, this is the school counselor.

Before each big test, and especially before your state’s year end/ high stakes testing, remind teachers about your child’s accommodations.



B. After you have had the meeting and you still feel things are not being followed, call the county office liaison for ESE placements-this is either called a Program Specialist or perhaps a Staffing Specialist. A Parent Advocate may be available also to help you out.

C. The next step would be the Director, asking for assistance in finding out why the IEP isn’t being followed.

D. Finally, if all else fails, you have the right to file a Due Process or call in a complaint to the Department of Education, Special Education Bureau. As a parent, always make sure you have a copy of the most recent IEP so you can keep on top of any problems.

2. Knowing your Rights

If you have an IEP then parents and children have specific rights. These are called procedural safeguards and you are given a copy of them when your child may be evaluated. These give you rights during the evaluation process, placement in special education, and rights if you don’t agree with the school district’s decision or meeting outcome. Our SeeMyIEP.com special education attorney recommends the following.

In addition to seeking due process and possibly later pursuing action in federal court under the IDEA, parents have several options for protecting the educational rights of their children with special needs.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of disability by recipients of federal funding, including public schools and some private schools. Its reach actually surpasses the IDEA because some students who are covered by Section 504 because they have qualifying disabilities do not come under the IDEA because their disabilities do not adversely affect educational performance. Moreover, Section 504 covers post-secondary students who attend universities, colleges or technical schools that receive federal funding, whereas the IDEA covers only primary and secondary students under the age of 22.

Similarly, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an antidiscrimination statute that covers government entities, including public schools. In order to qualify for coverage under both the ADA and Section 504, students must have a medical or mental health condition that substantially impairs a major life activity, which includes learning, interacting with others and a host of other daily activities.



Students with disabilities whose rights have been violated may file Section 504 and ADA Title II complaints with the U.S, Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). OCR is charged with investigating complaints of discrimination and seeking damages or remedies on behalf of victims. Additionally, filing an OCR complaint provides for administrative exhaustion, a prerequisite for filing suit in federal court under Section 504 and the ADA

In addition, parents may submit complaints to their state’s Board of Education (BOE) or Department of Education (DOE), which also investigate complaints and can order school districts to comply with remedial orders. Blank forms for every state are on SeeMyIEP.com.

Parents should keep in mind that there are time limitations for filing administrative complaints, just as there are for pursuing litigation. Events or acts of discrimination that occur outside of the statute of limitations may not be considered by the investigators, and claims may be precluded from consideration, if they are not submitted in a timely manner.

Although some parent advocates and attorneys complain that OCR and state BOEs do not always enforce the orders against school districts and that school districts will often provide misleading information to the investigators suggesting that the issues have been resolved, seeking administrative resolution of special education disputes can be an effective and less costly way of handling them.

If you need to hire an attorney or advocate, ask these five important questions.

1. How would you proceed? 2. What are your attorney’s fees, anticipated costs and court

fees? 3. How is payment expected to be made? 4. What do you require of me as a parent in terms of

communication, provision of information and attendance at meetings and hearings?

5. What is your success rating in helping parents win with _____ school district?

For more information on filing complaints, see:

OCR Complaint Process

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintprocess.html

State Education Departments and Boards

http://www.statelocalgov.net/50states-education.cfm

Learning Disabilities Online: Sample State Complaint Letter

http://www.ldonline.org/article/Sample_Letters%3A_Filing_a_Complaint_with_the_State_Department_of_Education


http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintprocess.html�



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Congratulations! If you followed these steps you should have A great IEP for your child. We love hearing from folks so email us with any feedback. [email protected]

About SeeMyIEP.com This website was developed and designed by two professional teacher educators in special education. Both Jim and Mary Lou have been classroom special education teachers as well as professors in special education involved in teacher education at a state university. They have written hundreds of IEPs and teach teachers how to write great IEPs. They are ready to help you too! Their years of experience in the classroom lead them to understand that the special education process can be confusing and intimidating for parents and for some teachers. One of Jim’s children has an IEP so he has sat on both sides of the table during IEP meetings and understands what you are going through for your child. He wants to help you avoid some of the headaches and hassles that he has gone thru as a parent. SeeMyIEP.com is one way that they have combined their experience and expertise to provide help to parents like you and teachers improve education for students with IEPs. You can take advantage of their special education expertise by reading the informational articles, using the evaluation tool, and becoming a premium member of SeeMyIEP.com. Your IEP help is here because we ‘get it’ and can help you. Member benefits include: -A free IEP Guidebook -A do-it-yourself IEP evaluation tool -A map of the USA with state Department of Education contacts -A map of the USA with links to blank IEP forms for each state -A searchable database of 4000+ IEP goals and objectives -Ask the expert your IEP question and read all Q and As -Our personalized analysis of your child’s IEP goals and objectives.

Dr. Jim Forgan Dr. Mary Lou Duffy

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