Chapter 7: IEPs — Developing Your Child's Education Plan - Página 3

Services/Programs

Next, the IEP team must develop a statement about the special education (specially designed instruction), related services and supplementary aids and services that will be provided to your child, or to someone else in order to address the needs of your child.

The proposed special education services, related services and supplementary aids and services must enable your child to:

• Advance appropriately toward reaching the annual goals
• Be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum, extracurricular and other nonacademic activities
• Be educated and participate with children who do not have disabilities.

 

The statement of special education services must include specific information such as:

• Dates (date services will begin and end — generally one year)
• Frequency (how often the services will be provided; for example, the number of times each day or week and the minutes or hours that will be provided each time)
• Location (where the services will be provided; for example, in a resource room)
• Duration (the period of time each service will be provided).

This statement of special education services is the school's commitment of resources to your child that will allow him or her to reach the measurable annual goals developed by the IEP team.

 

[New] IDEA 2004 adds an important new requirement: the IEP team's choice of special education and related services must be guided by peer-reviewed research whenever possible. In other words, instructional programs and other services should be supported by strong evidence of effectiveness that has been determined through scientifically based research. This is particularly important when determining instructional programs to address reading difficulties since there is a robust body of research showing the effectiveness of an array of reading programs, also known as "methodologies." You should ask whether the school has any scientifically based research to support the instructional program or methodology that is proposed for your child, including evidence of its effectiveness. This applies not only to instructional programs to address academic needs, but also to the programs chosen to address behavioral or other identified areas. Schools should be able to offer a variety of instructional approaches — not simply one approach that is used with all students who have a particular learning problem or disability.

Unfortunately, sometimes there is a "disconnect" between the goals to be achieved and the frequency, location and duration of the services your child is to be provided. You should be certain that the frequency of the proposed services is adequate to meet your child's needs and will result in reaching the annual goals. Addressing your child's academic difficulties in a timely manner is essential if he or she is expected to participate in the grade-level general education curriculum.

Participation in General Education

The IEP team must describe how much time your child will spend outside of the regular education classroom and away from students who do not have disabilities. This requirement is designed to protect your child's right to be educated in the least restrictive environment as required by IDEA.

Your child should have full access to the general education curriculum regardless of where he or she receives special education and related services. If special education services, such as reading instruction, will be provided in a separate location such as a resource room, be sure to ask what will be happening in your child's general education classroom during the time your child will not be present to make sure your child won't be missing valuable classroom instruction.

Accommodations and Assessment Participation

The IEP team will develop a statement about any individual accommodations that your child should use while taking state and district-wide tests, or assessments, including tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This statement will also say whether your child will participate in the regular assessment or in an alternate form of assessment.

Take time to understand the particular tests or assessments that your child is expected to take, including the content of the test, how it will be presented, the response format (e.g., multiple choice, essay), and the administration (setting and length). You should also fully understand the decisions that will be made regarding your child based on the assessment scores, such as moving on to the next grade (grade promotion) or graduation.

Make sure that decisions regarding accommodations for state and district-wide assessments are made carefully and are based on your child’s individual needs — and not on his disability category.

Accommodations for classroom instruction and classroom tests may differ from accommodations allowed on state assessments. All accommodations, the settings for which they are intended should be included in the IEP.

You may find that an accommodation your child has been using in the classroom and on classroom tests is not allowed by state guidelines during state testing. Use NCLD's Parent Advocacy Briefs on Assessment Options, Assessment Accommodations and High Stakes Testing to learn more about these important aspects of your child's IEP.

 

Transition

Beginning when your child is turning age 16, IDEA requires that the first IEP that will be in effect must also include plans for your child’s successful transition from high school to postsecondary education or employment. This important process includes adding new members to the IEP team and developing appropriate measurable postsecondary goals. Transition planning required for students 16 and older is discussed in detail in Chapter 8.

Use the IEP Meeting Planner (PDF) and IEP Meeting Conversation Stoppers for additional assistance with planning and negotiating your child's IEP.

 

Finalizing the Initial IEP

After the IEP team has developed the initial IEP for your child — that is, the first IEP following the eligibility decision — you will be asked to sign the IEP, along with all other team members. Your signature serves as your informed consent for the school to begin to provide special education services to your child. Services should begin as soon as possible once the IEP is finalized.

You don't have to sign the IEP at this meeting. If you want to review the IEP first, ask to take it home before you sign it. This allows you time to thoroughly review the proposed IEP. You can use the IEP Checklist make sure your child's IEP contains all the required elements.

The proposed IEP will likely include several annual goals and the services that will allow your child to achieve those goals. You may agree to all or some of the proposed services, programs or placements. If you decide to accept the IEP as proposed, indicate that you accept by signing the IEP.

• If you accept only parts of the proposed IEP, indicate which items you agree to have provided and which items you wish to dispute. You should also provide a written explanation of your disagreement and ask that it be included as an addendum, or addition, to the IEP document. A second IEP meeting may be scheduled to try to work out the items in dispute, or you can use the dispute resolution options discussed in Chapter 11.
• If you refuse to accept the proposed IEP entirely, indicate your disagreement on the IEP form. You might be asked to sign the IEP to indicate your attendance or participation at the IEP meeting, which does not indicate your agreement. Be sure that your signature clearly indicates only your attendance if you do not consent to the proposed IEP. At this point, you are free to use the dispute resolution options discussed in Chapter 11.
• If you refuse to allow your child to begin to receive the proposed special education services, the school cannot begin delivery of initial services and is not required to provide a free appropriate public education, as required by IDEA, to your child.

You should be given a complete copy of the final IEP (at no cost to you).

Changing an IEP

[New] After the initial IEP is finalized or later IEPs are agreed upon (usually annually), IDEA 2004 provides new ways that parents and schools can make changes they agree upon:

• Once the annual IEP team meeting has taken place, schools and parents are allowed to amend or change the IEP without holding another meeting of the full team.
• The entire IEP does not need to be rewritten in order to include such changes; however, parents may request a copy of the revised IEP with the changes included. At a minimum, you should receive a copy of the IEP changes in writing.

If the changes are made in this manner, all members of the IEP team must be made aware of the changes and their responsibility in implementing the changes.

While these new provisions make it more convenient for both parents and schools to make IEP changes, you should be cautious about using this approach to changing your child's IEP. Minor changes involving such things as accommodations can be easily revised this way, but significant revisions such as changes in the services, the frequency of those services, and how behavioral or disciplinary issues are addressed are reasons to have a full IEP team meeting. When making IEP changes without a team meeting, you should make sure that the school representative making the change(s) is authorized to do so by the school district. Parents are free to request an IEP meeting at any time, and requests should always be made in writing.