IEP Administrative Designee

IEP Administrative Designee

Developed by Contra Costa SELPA

2001-2002

Facilitated byContra Costa SELPA Staff

IEP Administrative Designee 8-28-01

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Purpose

The purpose of this training is to inform administrators, special

education and general education staff of the role of the Administrative Designee during the individual education planning meeting.


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Agenda IDEA 97 Parent Conference &

Student Study Team Role of the

Administrative Designee

IEP Meeting Chair, Role of the Parent and General Educator

Eligibility Disabilities

Timeline and Assessment

FAPE LRE Required Forms Individual Education

Program Parent Rights IEP Best Practices Alternative Dispute

Resolution


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Guiding Principles of IDEA ’97 High Expectations and Agency

Accountability Improving Results through the

General Curriculum Education with Non-disabled Peers Parental Involvement and

Partnerships Increased Efficiency and Flexibility


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Teacher Conference and Student Study Team Opportunities

Prior to referral to special education, meet with the teacher(s) individually or in a group to discuss strengths, weaknesses, modifications and accommodations

Identify concerns and needs Implement and document accommodations Develop accommodations and options Review and evaluate impact of

modifications and accommodations on the student’s progress


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The IEP Team Members

Parents General education teacher Special education teacher Administrative or designee

(Representative of the Local Education Agency authorized to commit LEA resources)

Individual who can interpret assessment results, if sharing assessment

Others (i.e. agency representative) Student, when appropriate and always

included in development of transition plan


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Role of the Administrative Designee at IEP MeetingsA representative of the LEA who is: Qualified to provide, or supervise

the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities

Knowledgeable about the general curriculum

Knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the local education agency


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Administrative Designed Role (cont.) District/County/ or SELPA employee

authorized by responsible district of residence

Authorized to commit district resources

Responsible for:– Eligibility– Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)– Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)


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IEP Meeting Chair Responsibility for conducting the meeting Ensure that special education process is

followed by the IEP Team Ensure that the IEP paperwork is completed

and returned to the special education office Explain the Parental Rights to the parent

and answer any questions about their rights

Provide copies of assessment reports and IEP to all parties who need them

Follow-up on unresolved issues


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Role of the Parents Provide consent to assessment and

provision of special education services Participate in meetings for the

identification, evaluation, placement and determination of FAPE

Parents are included in eligibility and placement decisions

IDEA ’97 recognizes the importance for parent/school partnerships and non-adversarial dispute resolution.

Parents are offered mediation as a voluntary option for dispute resolution.

IDEA ’97 recognizes the importance for parent/school partnerships and non-adversarial dispute resolution.

Parents are offered mediation as a voluntary option for dispute resolution.


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Role of the General Education Teacher Provide information about the

general education curriculum Identify the need for

supplemental aids and supports Design program modifications Request support

for school personnel Consider request

for positive behavior intervention


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Eligibility

Specific Learning Disability

Hard of Hearing Visual Impairment Speech or Language

Impairment Other Health Impairment Orthopedic Impairment

Mental Retardation Traumatic Brain Injury Emotional

Disturbance Autism Deaf/Blindness Deaf Multiple Disability

A disability is listed in Federal law as one of thirteen disability categories, and because of the disability, the student requires special education and/or related services


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Timeline 15 days: After a written referral is

received to develop and offer an assessment plan or formally refuse to assess

15 days: For parents to provide informed written consent


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Timeline (cont.) 50 days to complete all the following:

– An assessment report– Determination of eligibility– An IEP team meeting– A written Individualized Education Plan

(if eligible)– Placement recommendations– Parent’s signature (approval)

Expeditious placement Annual Review one year from date of

last IEP meeting, or earlier if necessary


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Assessment: To Determine Eligibility Whether a student has a disability

If there is a need for special education and/or related services to benefit from education

Present level of educational functioning and needs


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Assessment Requires Parent notice and obtain written

consent The IEP team meets to review

assessment and existing information from parents, teachers and others

The IEP team’s determination of additional information needed

Collection of additional information and/or administer tests

A written report by individual assessors or by the team of assessors


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Reassessment

IEP team discusses need forre-assessment

Parents are notified Parents must provide written

consent to any individual testing After obtaining written consent,

LEA conducts the re-assessment


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Free and Appropriate Public Education, Definition (FAPE) Provided at public expense,

under public supervision and direction, and without charge

Meets the standards of the State Education Agency

Includes preschool, elementary and secondary

Provided in conformity with the IEP requirements of IDEA’97


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FAPE Definition (cont.) Requires specially designed instruction Meets unique needs of the student

with disability Provides related services when

required including: Transportation and such developmental, corrective and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education

Defines the relationship to the general education curriculum


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FAPE (cont.)

Requires that alternative services continue to be made available

to suspended or expelled students


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FAPE (cont.)Alternate Services During Alternate Services During

Periods of Disciplinary Periods of Disciplinary RemovalRemoval

Provide services to the extent determined necessary to:

Enable the child to appropriately progress in the general curriculum, and

Appropriately advance toward achieving the goals of his/her IEP

The IEP Team makes this service determination


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What Does FAPE Mean at the School Level?

It is the agency’s responsibility to immediately procure services and to ensure all services are provided in accordance with IEP goals and objectives

Special education services must be based upon the unique needs of a particular student rather than some “standard or service” offered to every student within a group


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What Does FAPE Mean at the School Level? (cont.)

Students must receive services on their IEP(Students cannot be placed on waiting

lists) Students who receive special

education and related services must have IEPs

The IEP team determines what is an “appropriate education”


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What Does FAPE Mean at the School Level? (cont.)

For most students an “appropriate education” will include involvement in the general education curriculum

Schools must make FAPE available to students who have been suspended or expelled for more than 10 days in a given year


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Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District, et. al. v. Rowley, et. ux. U.S. Supreme Court 1985 Federal law (94-142 or IDEA) requires a

“free appropriate public education” (FAPE) for disabled children. If child is placed in regular classroom, the IEP should be “reasonably calculated to enable child to achieve passing marks and advance from grade to grade.”


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Rowley (cont.) Other than this, there is no substantive

standard prescribing the level of education for disabled children. There is no requirement to maximize the potential of each disabled child.

The courts are only concerned with whether the agency has complied with the procedural requirements and if the IEP is reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits.


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Least Restrictive Environment

The intent of IDEA 1997 is to ensure that children with disabilities receive their education:

In age appropriate environment With non-disabled peers In neighborhood schools


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Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) To the maximum extent appropriate,

children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions and other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the general education environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of the child is such that education in the general class with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Section 612(a)(5)(A)


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Guidelines forLeast Restrictive Placement

Decisions regarding participation in general

education must be based on

Holland v. Sacramento City


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Holland v. Sacramento City The Four–Part Full Inclusion Test1. The educational benefits

available to the student in a regular education classroom, supplemented with appropriate aids and services, as compared with the educational benefits of a special education classroom

2. The non-academic benefits of interaction with children who are not disabled


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Holland (cont.)

3. The effect of the student’s presence on the teacher and other children in the classroom

4. The cost of mainstreaming the student in a regular classroom


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Key Concepts of LRE Must be individually determined and

based on a student’s individual needs Applies to all children with disabilities The general education class is always

the first choice Consideration and use of supplementary

aids and services to make the general education class a first and viable choice is required


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LRE Placements Must Be based on the IEP which must be

developed before the team determines the placement

Be as close to the child’s home school as possible and unless the IEP requires something else, be in a child’s home school

Consider any potential harmful effect on the child or quality of services


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Forms To Meet Requirements For Documentation Notice of special education referral Assessment plan Notification of team meeting Learning disability eligibility form (for

SLD only) Current levels of performance, goals

and objectives form Transition plan (14+ years) Program Description Summary


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Standards Based Learning

Establish which standards are absolutely essential for students to be successful at next grade level

Students demonstrate mastery of the standard


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Standards Based Learning

IEP Goals become focused on student achieving Essential Standards– Standards based goals– Skills needed to achieve standards– Accommodations required for instruction

Classroom instruction supported by– General education– Special education– Related services– Materials– Professional training– Support programs


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Goals and Objectives Addressing needs for involvement

and progress in general education based on standards and benchmarks

Addressing the student’s other educational needs

Written to represent expected progress over a period of one year


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Goals and Objectives (cont.) Progress measured by

providers

Reporting progress to parents(At least as often as for non-disabled peers)


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Goals and Objectives (cont.) Determine whether anticipated

progress is being achieved Meet to revise IEP to address

– Lack of expected progress– Results of assessment– Information provided by parents– Anticipated needs and other

considerations Meet and revise the IEP at least

annually


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Present Levels ofPerformanceStated in narrative form, Present Levels of

Performance must include the following:A description of: the strengths of the student in each area (i.e.,

speech and language, reading, social skills) the educational needs of the student that result

from the disability how the disability affects involvement and

progress in general education curriculum and/or appropriate activities.


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Annual Goals

Must reflect the major focus of the content area

Must relate to the general education curriculum’s standards or functional skills curriculum

Must be designed to be measurable

Must be designed to be attainable in one year


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Objectives Must be written incrementally either by date of accomplishment or in a task-analysis format of simple to complex Who Does what How Presented How much Evaluative method By when In a logical sequence


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Transition Plan By age 14: A statement of transition

needs that focus on the student’s course of study

By age 16: A statement of transition services and any interagency responsibilities or needed linkages

By age 17: A statement that the student was advised that all special education rights transfer to the student upon the 18th birthday (conservatorship)

Age 18: Transfer of rights, however must still notice parents as well as student


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Continuum of Placements Instruction in general education

classes (with supplementary services if needed)

Service specific classes Service specific separate classes Non public schools State school Home/hospital instruction Other


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Special Factors to be Considered Behavior intervention and strategies Language needs: Limited English

Proficiency (LEP) Instruction in and the use of Braille for a

visually impaired/blind student Communication needs and opportunities

for a hard of hearing/deaf student Assistive technology needs for a student

who requires assistive devices or services to benefit from education


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Special Factors to be ConsideredGoals and objectives are required for

any student needing: Behavior intervention and

strategies Assistive devices or services to

benefit from their education


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Required Content of the IEP: Aids & ServicesMust enable the child to: Advance appropriately toward annual

goals Be involved and progress in the general

education curriculum Participate in extracurricular and

nonacademic activities Be educated and participate with other

children with disabilities and non-disabled children


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Individual Education ProgramWhen reviewing and revising the IEP, the

IEP team must: At least annually review the IEP to

determine whether annual goals are being achieved

Revise the IEP as appropriate to address– Lack of expected progress– Results of reassessment– Information provided by parents– Anticipated needs or other matters


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Program Description Summary

Services determined by the IEP team: Dates: The start and end of the service Location: Examples - pull-out to special

education resource room (Learning Center) or provided in general education classroom with non-disabled peers

Frequency: At least 30 minutes per week which includes consultation

Duration: For the regular school year


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Parent Rights To receive prior

notification To participation in

decision-making To be informed of

options To provide written

consent to assessment and special education services

To access an independent educational evaluation, if they disagree with district’s assessment

To access to all records To settle disputes

voluntarily To Due Process through

state level hearing and complaint options


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IEP Best Practices Do not simply collect information,

consider where it fits in the puzzle. Do not lose the forest for the trees

in assessing the child’s progress. Keep the big picture in mind!

Make sure the goals and objectives match the child’s skill level and abilities.

Be wary of too many goals and objectives.


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IEP Best Practices

Make sure the goals and objectives are not too general.

Describe skills to be achieved instead of promising levels of achievement.

Make sure each service provider has a copy of at least that portion of the IEP he or she is responsible for implementing.


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IEP Best Practices

Make sure each service provider knows the evaluation schedule for assessing student progress on goals and objectives.

Make sure the child’s progress toward the goals and objectives is reported to the parents as agreed in the IEP.

Be mindful of the student’s privacy.


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IEP Best Practices

Listen to the parents’ concerns and expectations.

Communicate with the parents and keep them informed.

DOCUMENT! DOCUMENT! DOCUMENT!


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Alternative Dispute Resolution

1. Resource Parents (Parent to Parent Support)

2. Program Specialists (Placement Specialist Support)

3. Facilitated IEPs4. Solutions Panel5. Local Mediation

The opportunity to resolve disputes at the lowest level and in the most timely manner under

neutral,non-adversarial conditions.


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Alternative Dispute Resolution

Contact theSELPA Coordinator of Dispute Resolution

at (925) 827-0949 ext. 13


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Thank you for your attendance and interest in conducting Individual Education Planning Team Meetings relative to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997

Documents

IEP Administrative Designee