Preparing For Annual Reviews

Preparing For Annual Reviews

April 10, 2013

AgendaThe Process

Letters of Notification IEP DevelopmentProgress MonitoringSummary/PWNSpecial Reviews vs Annual

ReviewsTransition Planning

Letters of Notification

Letter of Notification IEP meeting notifications must include

the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and who will be in attendance. This is why an email asking the parent to attend a meeting doesn’t suffice (even if they attend).

Letter of Notification So there has to be documentation that a formal invite that

included all of the above was provided.

Which one shows that proper notification was provided: “Email” “Email with invitation attached?”

Does this make sense? One notification method that says “phone.” What if the parent does not attend and one of the two

notifications were “phone?”

Even if the parent attends, the meeting could be determined null and void if proper notification wasn’t provided.

The IEP Process

The following slides were adapted from a presentation conducted by the SC Department of Education, Office of Exceptional Children.

Four Goals for Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities

1. Provide access to the general education curriculum

2. Provide involvement and participation in the general education environment

3. Implement individualized interventions4. Show progress in the educational standards

of the general education curriculum to the greatest extent possible

IEP Section IStudent Information

The percent of time the student spends in the regular education environment auto populates from Placement History.

IEP Section IStudent Information

“Date of IEP Meeting” reflects: Date of Initial IEP meeting or; Date of Annual Review

“Date of Special Review” changes whenever additional meetings are held throughout the school year

Remember that the IEP Initiation Date is either the first day of the following school year (If Not Birthday IEP) or reflects a change during the school term and you MUST provide PWN to explain the reason for the change

IEP Section IParent/Guardian Information

This section of the IEP is updated through Power School

Check frequently to ensure that Parent/Guardian Information is current and accurate

IEP Section II“The Foundation”

This is the basis from which all other Individualized Education Program (IEP) components are developed

IEP Section IIAcademic and Functional Strengths and Needs

Describing Academic and Functional Strengths and Needs provides an overview of factors that impact performance and the development of services and programs designed to meet the student’s unique learning needs

IEP Section IIAcademic and Functional Strengths and Needs

Example

Questions

What is Josephina’s area of weakness? What is Josephina’s area of strength? What type of Present Levels of Academic Achievement and

Functional Performance might be developed? Might Josephina require any instructional accommodations?

IEP Section IIAcademic and Functional Behavior

If a Functional Behavioral Assessment is warranted, this must take place as part of an evaluation or reevaluation of the student unless it is the practice of the district to conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment for any student to include students without disabilities.

IEP Section IIPresent Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

The (PLAAFP) Identifies Educational Need Serves as a baseline or starting point Is directly connected to goals and services

IEP Section IIPresent Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) Example

Recalling Josephina’s description of Academic and Functional Strengths and Needs, does the PLAAFP address all areas identified?

IEP Section III Accommodations to the General Curriculum

Accommodations : Do not reduce learning expectations Provide access by enabling the student to participate more

fully in instruction and assessment Permit the student to better demonstrate skills Must be part of daily instruction Should never be introduced for the first time when a student is

participating in state-wide or district assessments

IEP Section III Modifications in the General Curriculum

Modifications: Change learning expectations Must be clearly described

IEP Section III Supplementary Services

Supplementary Services: Aids services and supports that can be provided in general

education, education-related settings and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings

Supplementary Services: Might include parent training, providing the student with a

one-on-one assistant, or providing staff with professional development to assist in meeting the unique needs of the student

IEP Section IVIEP Goals and Objectives

Annual Goals must: Directly link to the Academic and Functional Strengths and Needs,

PLAAFP and when applicable, the Transition needs of the student

Annual Goals tell us: What we expect the student to learn or be able to do in 1 year; and How we will know when the student has learned or demonstrated

that he can do it

IEP Section IVIEP Goals and Objectives

The essential characteristics of IEP Goals are that they must be measurable and be measured

If an IEP Goal is not measurable it violates the IDEA and may result in the denial of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

If a Goal is not measured that violates the IDEA and may result in the denial of FAPE

Bateman & Herr, 2006

IEP Section IVIEP Goals and Objectives

Every Measurable Goal Must: Allow a clear yes or no determination of whether or

not it has been achieved Pass the “stranger test” (IEP Team Members can

agree if the goal has been achieved)

IEP Section IVIEP Goals and Objectives

Objectives/Benchmarks “Spell out” what the student will need to do

to complete the annual goal. Are the same skill in each benchmark with

degree of proficiency to which the student performs the skill changing from benchmark to benchmark

Measurable Annual GoalsCritical Components

Behavior – clearly identifies the performance being monitored; “Jeremy will read aloud”

Condition – describes what must be present for the student to demonstrate the skill or behavior at the expected level of performance; “when presented with a passage from the 2nd grade curriculum”

Level of Proficiency – how many, how often, to what standards the behavior must occur; “48 words per minute with less than 2 errors”

Measurement – as measured by; “as measured by weekly one minute oral reading fluency probes”

Timeframe –may be included; “In 36 weeks”; “by the end of the 2012-2013 school year”

IEP Section IVIEP Goal Example

In 36 weeks, when presented with a passage from the 2nd grade reading text, Jeremy will read aloud from 38 to 48 words per minute with less than 2 errors as measured by weekly one minute oral reading fluency probes.

Location of ServicesSpecial Education ClassroomVirtual Special Education Classroom

Not “virtual classroom”

IEP Section IVIEP Goal and Objectives

Remember, for any student that participates in the SC-Alt (Alternate Assessment), the IEP team must develop goals AND objectives for any area of need identified in the PLAAFP.

IEP Section VTime

Special Education and Related Services must be denoted in MINUTES

Subtract the total MINUTES in special education and related services from the total amount of minutes in the school week

IEP Section VRelated Services

Related Services are: Supportive services provided to students with disabilities to assist

them in benefiting from Special Education Like the need for special education, determined on an individual

basis as part of the IEP process Connected to other parts of the IEP to include, Functional Strengths

and Needs and the PLAAFP Accompanied by measurable annual goals that are denoted in

section IV IEP Goals and Objectives

IEP Section VRelated Services

The IDEA regulations contain a list of related services IEP teams can consider and they include: Audiology, Counseling Services (including rehabilitation

counseling), Early Identification and Assessment of disabilities in children, Interpreting Services, Medical Services, Occupational Therapy, Orientation and Mobility Services, Parent Counseling and Training, Physical Therapy, Psychological Services, Recreation, School Health Services and School Nurse Services, Social Work Services in Schools, Speech-language pathology services and Transportation

IEP Section VIParticipation in Statewide Testing

Consideration for the use of Accommodations and/or Modifications for Statewide Testing should: Be based on individual

student need and; When selected, must

be clearly reflected in IEP Section III – Accommodations to the General Curriculum

IEP Section VIIISpecial Factors The Team Must Consider In The Development of the IEP

IEP Section IXLeast Restrictive Environment (LRE)

LRE Considerations The team must

document the extent, if any, that the student WILL NOT participate with non-exceptional students in the general education classroom

IEP Section IXReporting to Parents

The IDEA requires every IEP to include a description of how the child’s progress toward annual goals will be measured and when periodic reports will be provided.

If your district chooses to send reports home, determine how often they will be sent and be sure to adhere to this timeline

Many districts report on progress for students with disabilities at the same time they report progress for general education students (quarterly).

IEP Section XTeam Members

Summary and PWN

Meeting Summary Required per District Policy

Not meant to be a transcription Purpose is to capture the gist/flow of an IEP meeting Purpose is to discuss requests/disagreements Every parental request needs to have closure

Parent asked for a in-home teaching assistance. The team discussed and determined that based on present level data, the child is able to receive FAPE through the proposed services of virtual services.

Common mistakes noted: Wrong date of the meeting Not noting proper meeting membership

Tips for Taking Notes – See Handout

PWNs Let’s talk about what these questions mean:

As a result of the IEP/Staffing meeting, the IEP/Staffing Team proposes or refuses to.

Explanation of why the school district/agency proposes or refuses to take this action.

Description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report the school district used in deciding to propose or refuse the action.

Description of any other choices that the IEP team considered and the reasons why those choices were rejected.

Description of any other reasons why the school district proposed or refused the action.

PWNs The parent MUST have a copy of the PWN prior to implementing the IEP.

If the parents attends the meeting and does not leave with a copy of the PWN, the IEP cannot be implemented until after the PWN has been sent.

If parents did not attend, the IEP cannot be implemented until after the PWN has been sent to the parents.

What does this mean? Give the PWN at the meeting (along with the IEP) Wait 5 – 7 days after the meeting to initiate the proposed FAPE

Initiation date must reflect this on the cover page of the IEP) Cannot extend past the expiration date of the IEP to “wait” to give the PWN.

Progress Monitoring

Progress Monitoring Using the PM report in Excent Documenting progress towards each

annual goal Provided to parents on the schedule

dictated in IEP At least as often as gen ed, but not less

than every 9 weeks

Purpose“When the cook tastes the soup, that formative; when the guests taste the soup,

that’s summative.”Robert Stake

“As the cook, or teacher, we need to stop and taste the soup before we move forward with instruction. We need to design instruction so students can press the reset button and go back to learn what they missed the first time. We can use many techniques to assess student achievement and understanding.”

If you wait until the end of the year to monitor progress, you have run out of time to change instruction.

Collecting progress monitoring data drives/guides instruction.

Examples Updates of baseline data from PLPs

CBMs Data sheets for time on task, assignments

completed Discipline referrals

Description of progress (more than “progressing”)

Answer the question “Where is Robbie now?”

Special Review vs Annual Review

Special Review vs. Annual Review

Special Review Can be done with an

agreement to amend an IEP (with your LEA’s prior approval)

Only update certain areas of present levels

Something needs to be changed (updated) for EVERY special review (most likely in the PLOP)

Annual Review Updated 100% of

the present levels with CURRENT present level data

Questions? Your school’s special education

coordinator Your school’s regional coordinator

CFPCS, YLA, SCS, YPA Mariann Carter mcarter@sccharter.org 803-960-9686

District Staff:Robert Comptonrcompton@sccharter.org803-734-8067

Beckie Davisbdavis@sccharter.org803-734-8050

Vamshi RudrapatiVRudrapati@sccharter.org803-734-1105

Transition Planning and the IEP

Who does this apply for?

Regulations Transition services. Beginning not later than the first IEP to

be in effect when the child turns 13, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updated annually, there after, the IEP must include—

(1) Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills; and(2) The transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.

What does this mean: the annual review for a child who is 12 years old and older.

Letters of Notification

Letter of Notification Purpose of the meting must include this

is a secondary reason:

To discuss transition service needs or to develop a transition plan

IEP Section ITransition

Check Yes for any student that: will reach the age of thirteen during the active dates of the

IEP; or is age 13 to 21 during the active dates of the IEP

The student must be invited to the first transition meeting as well as to all subsequent IEP meetings and “to discuss transition services” must be checked on the

Letter of Notification

IEP Section IStudent Interests and Preferences

Global statement describing the “student’s” interests and preferences

Interests and Preferences can be derived from: Formal and informal (documented) interviews Formal and informal interest inventories NOT just a copy/paste from the previous IEP

IEP Section IStudent Interests and Preferences

Example

IEP Section IPost Secondary Goal(s)

A Post Secondary Goal is: Articulation of what the student would like to achieve after

high school phrased in the form of a measurable goal Based on age-appropriate transition assessment Based on student’s strengths, preferences and interests Written for both education or training and employment When appropriate, written for independent living Education or Training must be separate from

Employment

IEP Section IPost Secondary Goal(s)

Post Secondary Goals are:

“Measurable”

Based on an outcome and not an activity or process Do not use action verbs like “seeks”, “pursues”,

“continues”, “learns” and “applies” as these terms are processes and not outcomes

IEP Section IPost Secondary Goal(s)“Helpful Formula”

IEP Section IPost Secondary Goal(s)

Example

Non-Example

IEP Section ISC Career Cluster

School can use up to sixteen clusters for reporting purposes but may modify these clusters (for example, Arts and Humanities in place of Arts, Audio-Video Technology, and Communications).

ONLY put a cluster (cluster combination) that your school offers)

The sixteen state clusters are the same as the sixteen federal clusters

Defined Program Grades 9-12 Regulation No.: R43-234 http://www.careertech.org/career-clusters/glance/careerclusters.htm

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IEP Section ICourse of Study

For any student who is, or who will reach the age of transition, the Course of Study provides a description that is:

Driven by the student’s interest and;

Linked to the selected SC Career Cluster

The only options in our District: Standard Course of Study towards a HS diploma Modified/Functional Course of Study towards a district attendance credential Standard Middle School Focus Modified/Functional Middle School Focus

IEP Section ICourse of Study

Example

Non Example

IEP Section ITransition Services

If any Transition Service is selected there must be a corresponding goal.

It is possible for one goal or goal and objectives to support multiple Transition Services

At a minimum, “Instruction” is checked. Let’s talk about “development of Employment and Post School Objectives when we talk about transition assessment.

IEP Section IDiploma/Certificate

If District Attendance Credential, the IEP team must ensure that the parent(s) and the student understands that this is not a State High School Diploma

When Regular State High School Diploma is selected, the Anticipated Date of Graduation can be updated by the IEP team as appropriate

We do not offer: Occupational credential, State Certificate, or N/A for GED Program

IEP Section IAge of Majority

Be sure to inform any student that will, or has reached age of majority, of his or her rights under IDEA.

This must be completed not later than one year before the child reaches the age of majority under the state law. This notification form is on SharePoint

IEP Section IIAcademic and Functional Strengths and Needs

This needs to include the area of “transition” too.

Do you have any post-secondary goal concerns? Unreasonable, unattainable, might struggle

IEP Section IIPresent Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

Where is your data supporting the Post Secondary Goal Statement?

Answer this question: How do you know Clay wants to be a public relations director after high school? The data must be within one year of the annual review.

IEP Section IVIEP Goals and Objectives

EVERY GOAL must be either marked: Instruction AND Transition Related Service AND Transition Or ALL THREE

How can an annual goal about writing a 5 paragraph essay . . . . . Be a transition goal?

IEP Section VTime

Do you have any annual goals regarding post-secondary goal/employment obtainment?

Questions? Your school’s special education

coordinator Your school’s regional coordinator

CFPCS, YLA, SCS, YPA Mariann Carter mcarter@sccharter.org 803-960-9686

District Staff:Robert Comptonrcompton@sccharter.org803-734-8067

Beckie Davisbdavis@sccharter.org803-734-8050

Vamshi RudrapatiVRudrapati@sccharter.org803-734-1105