IEP TEAM MEMBERS

Certain individuals must be involved in writing a child’s Individual Education Program. The IEP team members may fill more than one of the team positions if properly qualified and designated. For example, the school system representative may also be the person who can interpret the child’s evaluation results.

These people must work together as a team to write the child’s as a team to write the child’s IEP. A meeting to write the IEP must be held within 30 calendar days of deciding that the child is eligible for special education and related services.

Each team member brings important information to the IEP meeting. Members share their information and work together to write the child’s Individualized Education Program. Each person’s information adds to the team’s understanding of the child and what services the child needs.

Parents are key members of the IEP team. They know their child very well and can talk about their child’s strengths and needs as well as their ideas for enhancing their child’s education. They can offer insight into how their child learns, what his or her interests are and other aspects of the child that only a parent can know. Thy can listen to what the other team members think their child needs to work on at school and share the suggestions. They can also report on whether the skills the child’s learning at school are being used at home.

Teachers are vital participants in the IEP meeting as well. At least one, the child’s regular education teachers must be on the IEP team if child is participating in the regular education environment. The regular education teacher has a great deal to share with the team. For example, he or she might talk about;

• The general curriculum in the regular classroom;
• The aids, services or changes to the educational program that would help the child learn and achieve;
• Strategies to help the child with behavior, if behavior is an issue;
• The regular education teacher may also discuss with the IEP team the supports for school staff that are needed so that the child can;
• Advance toward his or her annual goals;
• Be involved and progress in the general curriculum;
• Participate in extracurricular and other activities and
• Be educated with other children, both with and without disabilities.

Supports for school staff may include professional development or more training. Professional development and training are important for teachers, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other who provide services for children with disabilities.

CONTENTS OF THE IEP

By law, the IEP must include certain information about the child and the educational program designed to meet his or her unique needs. This information is;

·         CURRENT PERFORMANCE: The IEP must state how the child is currently doing in school (known as present levels of educational performance). This information usually comes from the evaluation results such as classroom tests and assignments, individual tests given to decide eligibility for services or during reevaluation and observations made by parents, teachers, related services providers and other school staff. The statement about “current performance” includes how the child’s disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

·         ANNUAL GOALS: These are goals that the child can reasonably accomplish in a year. The goals are broken down into short-term objectives or benchmarks. Goals may be academic, address social or behavioral needs, relate to physical needs or address other educational needs. The goals must be measurable meaning that it must be possible to measure whether the student has achieved the goals.

·         SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES: The IEP must list the special education and related services to be provided to the child or on behalf of the child. This includes supplementary aids and services that the child needs. It also includes modifications (changes) to the program or support for school personnel such as training or professional development that will be provided to assist the child.

·         PARTICIPATION WITH NONDISABLED CHILDREN: The IEP must explain the extent (if any) to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and other school activities.

·         PARTICIPATION IN STATE AND DISTRICT-WIDE TESTS: Most states and districts give achievement tests to children in certain grades or age groups. The IEP must state what modifications in the administration of these tests the child will need. If a test is not appropriate for the child, the IEP must state why the test is not appropriate and how the child will be tested instead.

·         DATES AND OBJECTS: The IEP must state when services will begin, how often they will be provided, where they will be provided and how long they will last.

·         TRANSITION SERVICE NEEDS: Beginning when the child is age 14 (or younger, if appropriate), the IEP must address (within the applicable parts of the IEP) the courses he or she needs to take to reach his or her post-school goals. A statement of transition services needs must also be included in each of the child’s subsequent IEPs.

·         NEEDED TRANSITION SERVICES: Beginning when the child is age 16 (or younger, if appropriate), the IEP must state what transition services are needed to help the child prepare for leaving school.

·         AGE OF MAJORITY: Beginning at least one year before the child reaches the age of majority, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been told of any rights that will transfer to him or her at the age of majority. (this statement would be needed only in states that transfer rights at the age of majority)

·         MEASURING PROGRESS: The IEP must state how the child’s progress will be measure and how parents will be informed of that progress.

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10 STEPS IN MAKING IEP

1.     Child Find

The state must identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities in the state who need special education and related services. To do so, states conduct “Child Find” activities. A child may be identified by “Child Find” and parents may be asked if the “Child Find” system can evaluate their child. Parents can also call the “Child Find” system and ask that their child be evaluated or referral or request for evaluation. A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child’s teacher or other school professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal or in writing. Parental consent in needed before the child may be evaluated. Evaluation needs to be completed within a reasonable time after the parent gives consent.

2.     Child is Evaluated

The evaluation must assess the child in all areas related to the child’s suspected disability. The evaluation results will be used to decide the child’s eligibility for special education and related services and to make decisions about an appropriate educational program for the child. If the parents disagree with the evaluation, they have the right to take their child for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). They can ask that the school system pay for this IEE.

3.     Eligibility is Decided

A group of qualified professionals and the parents look at the child’s evaluation results. Together, they decide if the child is a “child with a disability” as defined by IDEA. Parents may ask for a hearing to challenge the eligibility decision.

4.     Child is Found Eligible for Services

If the child is found to be a “child with a disability” as defined by IDEA, he or she is eligible for special education and related services. Within 30 days after a child is determined eligible, the IEP team must meet to write an IEP for the child.

5.     IEP Meeting is Scheduled

The school system schedules and conducts the IEP meeting. School staff must;

·        Contact the participants, including the parents,

·        Notify parents early enough to make sure they have an opportunity to attend,

·        Schedule the meeting at a time and place agreeable to parents and the school,

·        Tell the parents the purpose, time and location of the meeting,

·        Tell the parents who will be attending and

·        Tell the parents that they may invite people to the meeting who have knowledge or special expertise about the child.

6.     IEP Meeting is held and the IEP is Written

The IEP team gathers to talk about the child’s needs and write the student’s IEP. Parents and the student (when appropriate) are part of the team. If the child’s placement is decided by a different group, the parents must be part of that group as well.

Before the school system may provide special education and related services to the child for the first time, the parents must give consent. The child begins to receive services as soon as possible after the meeting.

If the parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. If thy still disagree, parents can ask for mediation, or the school may offer mediation.

7.     Services are Provided

The school makes sure that the child’s IEP is being carried out as it was written. Parents are given a copy of the IEP. Each of the child’s teachers and service providers has access to the IEP and knows his or her specific responsibilities for carrying out the IEP. This includes the accommodations, modifications and supports that must be provided to the child in keeping with the IEP.

8.     Progress is Measured and Reported to Parents

The child’s progress toward the annual goals is measured as stated in the IEP. His or her parents are regularly informed of the their child’s progress and whether that progress is enough for the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year. These progress reports must be given to parents at leas as often as parents are informed of their non-disabled children’s progress.

9.     IEP is Reviewed

The child’s IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year or more often if the parents or school ask for a review. If necessary the IEP is revised. Parents as team members must be invited to attend these meetings. Parents can make suggestions for changes can agree or disagree with the placement.

If parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other member of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. There are several options including additional testing, an independent evaluation or asking for mediation (if available) or a due process hearing.

10. Child is Re-Evaluated

At least every three years the child must be reevaluated. This evaluation is often called a “triennial”. Its purpose is to find out if the child continues to be a “child with a disability”, as defined by IDEA and what the child’s educational needs are. However, the child must be reevaluated more often if conditions warrant or if the child’s parent or teacher asks for a new evaluation.

(IEP) INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN

Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an individualized education program (IEP).Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document .The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students

(when appropriate ) to work together to improve  educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.   

To create an effective IEP parents teachers, other school staff and often the student, must come together to look closely at the student’s unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in and progress in the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability. Without a doubt, writing and implementing an effective IEP requires teamwork.

This information is based on what is based on what is required by our nation’s special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.

The IDEA requires certain information to be included in each child’s IEP. It is useful to know, however, that states and local school systems often include additional information in IEPs in order to document that states and school systems have to design their own IEP forms is one reason why IEP forms may look different from school system to school system or state to stat. yet each IEP is critical in the education of a child with a disability.