Live & Learn: Creating and Managing a School Based Plan that Creates Life

Long Learning

Prepared for DSAWMFebruary 29, 2012

Why do I need to do this?

It helps you focus and be efficientAnticipate problemsPlan for the future

**Every year, millions of children with disabilities spend

hundreds and millions of hours in special education

classes without a master plan**

Create a Master Plan

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because

someone planted a tree longtime ago”

-Warren Buffet

What do you dream for your child's future?- Living arrangements ( independent or companion living)- Employment- Level of function for independent living( travel, shopping

skills, financial skills, ect.)

What steps do you need to take to help your child meet these goals?- What does your child have to know /do when he/she

leaves public school?- What are your child’s strength and weaknesses? - What do you want your child to achieve this year?

The Need for Backwards Planning:

4 Elements of a Master Plan

1. Vision Statement2. Goals3. Strategies4. Timelines

**Writing the Master plan – have all the Information in front of you. All assessments and clinicians reports.**

Vision Statement – Your vision that describes your child in the future. In one year, at the end of elementary, middle, or high school? Do you see your child working? Living independently?

Goals- Gives you direction and should make you stretch. Master plan should include academic and non-academic (outside of school) goals for your child.

Strategies- Think of strategies as your road map to getting the goals met. Short term objectives that are measurable or steps to getting to your destination. Strategies solve problems.

Timelines- Actions that need to be completed

and when. VERY important

part of the master plan.

Know the Chain of Command and the Players

Understand Special Education Rules- read the IDEA ( Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004)handbook, at least become familiar with it.

Learn the Climate( Bureaucracy) of the School and Develop Relationships

-It will help you overcome obstacles and feel less frustrated ( difficult people, resolve conflicts)

Understand the Pitfalls and Strength of the District

-play to their strength to solve problems

Understanding the District and Special Education Department

BE the Expert on Your Child

Understand your Child Disability: What it is and how it effects him/her.

Understand the Evaluations: base your master plan on a comprehensive evaluation by an expert who is independent from the school. Needs drive service and data is

how you determine needs.

Organize your Information: create

a master file and put it in a 3 ring binder

“SMART” IEP ( Individualized Education Plan)

** annual goals**

S- SpecificM- MeasurableA- Use Action WordsR-Realistic and RelevantT- Time-limited

School Based Plan- IEP

Specific- goals and objectives must be specific. Targeting areas of academic achievement and functional performance. They must include a clear description of knowledge and skills that will be taught and how they are to be measured.

Example: a) Joe will follow morning routine when entering the

building. b) Joe will, independently, demonstrate the following when

entering the building; morning greeting, hanging up coat and backpack in cubby, putting homework in homework bin, and sitting at desk in 4 out of 5 trials .

Measurable- means you can count or observe the goals and objectives so that you can determine progress.

Example: a) Susie will improve her reading skillsb) Given a passage at her instructional level, Susie will

increase her wpm by 25 with no more then 2 errors in 4 out of 5 trials.

Action Words- words that are stated in measurable terms. Like: “The child will be able…”a) Direction of behavior( increase, decrease, maintain, ect.)b)Area of need( reading, writing, communication, transition,

ect.)c)Level of attainment ( instructional level, independent, fewer

then 1 prompt, ect.) Example:

a) Billy will decrease his anger and outburst.b) Provided with anger management training and adult supervision,

Billy will be able to remove himself from the environments that cause him to lose control of his behavior in 3 out of 5 times with no more then 1 prompt.

Realistic and Relevant- goals and objectives need to address the child’s unique needs that are a result of his/her disability. Goals are not based on classroom program, state testing, or other standards.

Example:a) Mary will improve her writing skillsb) Mary will improve her writing so that she can write a clear,

cohesive paragraph consisting of at least 3 sentences, including compound and complex sentences that are related. With 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 times.

Time- limited- What does your child need to know and be able to do after one year of special education? What is the starting point for each of my child’s needs? Time –limited goals and objectives enable you to monitor progress at regular intervals.

Example: Present Level: Johnny can not sit still in circle time to listen to instruction for more then 1 minute and with 3 or more prompts .

Annual Goal: Johnny will demonstrate proper posture, with legs crossed ,while sitting quietly and attending to instruction during circle time for at least 5 minutes with no more then 1 prompts

Objectives; 1. After the 1st quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle

time , with legs crossed , and attend to instruction for at least 2 min. with no more then 2 prompts.

2. After the 2nd quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time, with legs crossed , and attend to instruction for at least 3 min. with no more then 2 prompts.

3. After the 3rd quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time, with legs crossed, and attend to instruction for at least 4 min. with no more then 1 prompt.

4. After the 4th quarter, Johnny will sit quietly during circle time, with legs crossed, and attend to instruction for at least 5 min. with no more then 1 prompt.

Section 1400: Purpose and Findings-( most important) to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

Section 1401(10): Highly Qualified Teachers- also in Title IX of No Child Left Behind, teachers who teach core academic subjects must meet the highly qualified teacher requirements in NCLB. Special Education teachers must be highly qualified and licensed in the area of licensure.

Section1412: Catch- All Statue -Least Restrictive Environment (where will the child’s education take place). Children with disabilities should be educated with children who are not disabled” to the maximum extent appropriate”

Special Education Law- IDEA 2004

Child’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance( w/ baseline data), including how the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.

Statement of measureable annual goals, including

academic and functional goals, designed to meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable them to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and ..meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability.

IDEA 2004 ( 20 U.S.C. ,Section 1414)

What IDEA 2004 Requires for a Child’s IEP

1. Preparation and planning are key to successfully managing a school based plan that sets up your child for life long learning.

2. SMART IEP’s

3. Basics of IDEA 2004

What have we Learned?

“Winning is getting what we want , which also means helping others get what they want.”

- Gerry Spence, Trial lawyer and Author

Suzanne Wilcoxwww.hopeforlearning.com

PO Box 6541Grand Rapids, Mi 49516

616-551-3798