the individualized education program: a closer look...individualized education program (iep) answer...
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2/25/2021
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The Individualized Education Program: A Closer Look
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@mialliance
/MichiganAlliance
www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org
1-800-552-4821
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
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My biggest concern with my child’s IEP is…
Or
The thing I understand least about the IEP is…
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Agenda Present Level of
Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance
(PLAAFP)
Goals and Objectives, Progress
Monitoring
Accommodations and Modifications
Special Education
Services and Programs
Laws and Rules
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education
Free Appropriate Public Education
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)
• Special Education and related services are provided by public schools at no cost to parents
• The IEP provides information about how your child’s education is personalized to meet his or her needs.
• Children receiving special education programs and related serves have a right to receive an education provided by the public-school system
• The education should prepare all children for their future including postsecondary education, employment and independent living.
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Least Restrictive Environment
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)
Educational placement is the
setting where your child receives
his or her education and services.
Schools must place students in the
least restrictive environment
(LRE). That means students
must be placed in the general
education setting to the greatest
extent possible to receive
supports and services as
determined by the individualized
education program team.
Appropriate Education - Considerations
GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Advocacy Tip: Educational Needs vs. Service
• More Speech Therapy
• 1:1 Parapro/aide
• iPad
• More time with reading
teacher
• People need to understand him when he talks.
• More effective social skills
• To understand what s/he reads
• Why a parapro/aid – what is need
• Why iPad – what is the need
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Handout:
From Unique Needs
to Individualized
Services on Your
Child’s IEP: Records
Review
The IEP Process
Student’s Needs Skills or behavior the child will learn
Assuring access Special Education: • Services &
Programs • Frequency,
length of time
• Location
Determining a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Handouts
Present Level of
Academic
Achievement and
Functional
Performance
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Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance
The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance statement (commonly called “present levels”) should cover all areas of development where your child may need support. Some examples are:
• Academic skills – math, reading, writing
• Daily living or self-help skills – dressing, eating, using the bathroom
• Social Skills – making friend
• Behavior
• Sensory skills – hearing, seeing
• Communication skills – talking
• Mobility – getting around in school and the community
Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance - Continued
Well-written present levels will describe:
• Your child’s strengths and weaknesses
• What helps your child learn
• What limits or interferes with your child’s learning
• Objective data from current evaluations of your child; and
• How your child’s disability affects his or her ability to be involved and progress in the general education curriculum
• Extra Curricular Activities
• Non-academic Activities
The IEP Process
Student’s Needs: • Strengths, • Weaknesses • What helps
with learning • What
interferes with learning
• Objective Data • General
Education Curriculum
• Extra Curricular • Non-Academic
Skills or behavior the child will learn
Determining a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
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Handout:
Individualized Education
Program (IEP) Goals
Goals and Objectives
According to the U.S. Department of Education, “The IEP must include annual goals that aim to improve educational results and functional performance for each child with a disability. This inherently includes a meaningful opportunity for the child to meet challenging objectives. Each child with a disability must be offered an IEP that is designed to provide access to instruction strategies and curricula aligned to both challenging State academic content standards and ambitious goals, based on the unique circumstances of that child.”
The IEP must address all
the educational needs
that result from your
child’s disability or
disabilities, regardless of
the disability label.
Goals and Objectives
WH?
• Who?... will achieve
• What?... skill or behavior
• How?... in what manner or at what
level
• Where?... in what setting or under
what conditions
• When?... by what time
SMART
• S – Specific
• M – Measurable
• A – Achievable
• R – Results-oriented
• T - Timely
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Progress Monitoring
The IEP Team will discuss:
• Skills that need to be learned or behavior that needs to change
• Where the child is now in that skill or behavior - baseline
• Rate of progress the child has shown in the past.
• Ending level expected to achieved
• How performance will be measured
Monitoring Progress
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
October January April September
Trend line
Trend line
Baseline
Expected to Achieve
Trend Lines
20%
40%
60%
80%
95%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
20%
25%
30% 30%
25%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Sept Nov February April June
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The IEP Process
Student’s Needs: • Strengths, • Weaknesses • What helps
with learning • What
interferes with learning
• Objective Data • General
Education Curriculum
• Extra Curricular • Non-Academic
Skills or behavior the child will learn
Assuring access
Determining a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Accommodations and Modifications
• Scheduling
• Setting
• Materials
• Instruction
• Student Response
Handouts
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Supplemental Aids & Services
Accommodations
Allows a student to complete the
same assignment or test as other
students, but with a change in the
timing, formatting, setting,
scheduling, response and/or
presentation.
Do NOT change the learning
expectation
Modifications
An adjustment to an assignment or
a test that changes the standard or
what the test or assignment is
supposed to measure.
DO change the learning
expectations
Course of Study - Michigan Merit Curriculum
The Michigan Merit Curriculum is the result of an extraordinary partnership between the Executive Branch, State Board of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Legislature and numerous education associations. MCL 380.1278a, MCL 380.1278b
High School Diploma
• English Language Arts – 4 Credits
• Mathematics – 4 Credits
• Online Learning Experience
• Physical Education & Health – 1 Credit
• Science – 3 Credits
• Social Studies – 3 Credits
• Visual, Performing and Applied Arts – 1 Credit
• World Language – 2 Credits
Michigan Merit Curriculum: Personal Curriculum
Result: High School Diploma
• Allows for specific credit
requirements and/or content
standards to be modified based on
the individual learning needs of a
student.
• It is designed to serve students who
want to accelerate or go beyond the
MMC requirements as well as
students who need to individualize
learning requirements to meet the
MMC requirement.
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Course of Study: No diploma
In Michigan, a student with an IEP,
leaving high school without a
diploma is entitled to special
education programs and services
until age 26 years.
• Based on students Measurable Post-Secondary Goals:
• Education/Training
• Employment
• Independent Living, if appropriate
• What is available, within the high school environment:
• General Education Classes
• Extra Curricular Activities
• Non-Academic Activities
• Work Experience
• What is available after high school:
• Young Adult Transition Programs
• Coordination with Adult Services
The IEP Process
Student’s Needs Skills or behavior the child will learn
Assuring access Special Education: • Services &
Programs • Frequency,
length of time
• Location
Determining a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Special Education IS NOT a place. It IS a set of services provided to a student through an IEP
• There are a variety of services and supports available that your child may need as part of his or her Free Appropriate Public Education. These services and supports are designed to help your child:
• reach his or her annual goals;
• be involved and make progress in the general education curriculum; participate in extracurricular activities or other nonacademic activities; and
• be educated and participate with children without disabilities in these kinds of activities.
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Handout:
Special Education Services and Programs
Related services can include, but are not
limited to any of the following:
Assistive Technology
Audiology
Counseling Service
Early Identification
Interpreting Services
Medical Services
Occupational Therapy
Orientation & Mobility Services
Parent Counseling/Training
Physical Therapy
Psychological Services
Recreation
Rehabilitation Counseling
Social Work Services
Speech-Language
Pathology
Transportation
School health services
Nursing services
IEP Includes: • Related Services
• Program
• Specific Amount of Time and Frequency
• Location
• Duration
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Once the IEP team has decided what services your child needs, decisions must be made about where services will be provided.
• Where your child’s IEP is carried out is called placement.
• As the parent, you have the right to be part of the group that decides your child’s placement.
• The group must make sure that your child has the maximum opportunity appropriate to learn with children who do not have disabilities—in academic, nonacademic, and extracurricular activities.
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The IEP Process
Student’s Needs Skills or behavior the child will learn
Assuring access Special Education: • Services &
Programs • Frequency,
length of time
• Location
Determining a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
5 Tools for Resolving Disagreements
Informal Meeting Review of IEP or Facilitated IEP
Mediation
State Complaint Due Process Complain/Hearing
I-833-KIDS-1ST
Making an Action Plan
1. Review your child’s PLAAFP statement, look for strengths, what helps learning, weaknesses, what interferes with learning, objective data and impact on general education curriculum, extra-curricular and non-academic activities.
2. Review your child’s goals/objectives. Can they be tied back to information in the PLAAFP statement?
3. Does the PLAAFP statement include baseline data for each objective?
4. Review recent Progress Reports. Is there data that shows progress towards goals/objectives?
5. Review accommodation / modification. Are the learning expects changed?
6. Review the type and level of Special Education Programs and Services. Are they sufficient to teach goals/objectives and assure accommodation and/or modifications are put in place.?
Review Your Child’s IEP:
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Resources: Michigan Alliance for Famiies • Laws:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/law/
• 504 Plans:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/section-504/
• Free Appropriate Public Education:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/fape/
• Least Restrictive Environment:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/lre-placement/
• Access to General Education Curriculum:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/access-to-gen-ed/
Resources: Michigan Alliance for Families
• PLAAFP Statement:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/plaafp/
• Goals and Objectives:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/goals-and-objectives/
• Progress Monitoring:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/progress-monitoring/
• Accommodations and modifications:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/accommodations-and-modifications/
• Michigan Merit Curriculum:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/mmcpc/
• Related Services:
• https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/related-services/
Stay Connected
@MichiganAllianceForFamilies
@mialliance
/MichiganAlliance
www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org
1-800-552-4821
2/25/2021
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Disclaimer and Compliance
The information expressed during this presentation is the opinion of the individual presenter(s) and may not reflect the opinions of Michigan Alliance for Families, Michigan Alliance – PTI, Michigan Department of Education, or U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs.
Compliance with Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is the landmark federal law that bans sex discrimination in schools, whether it is in curricular, extra-curricular or athletic activities.
Title IX states: “No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid.”
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et esq. (Title IX), and its implementing regulation, at 34 C.F.R. Part 106, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The MDE, as a recipient of federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education (USED), is subject to the provisions of Title IX. MDE does not discriminate based on gender in employment or in any educational program or activity that it operates.
For inquiries and complaints regarding Title IX, contact:
Elizabeth Collins, Office of Career and Technical Education,
Michigan Department of Education, Hannah Building,
608 West Allegan, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909
State Board of Education Members
State Board of Education Members
Dr. Cassandra E. Ulbrich, President
Dr. Pamela Pugh, Vice President
Tiffany D. Tilley, Secretary
Tom McMillin, Treasurer
Dr. Judith Pritchett, NASBE Delegate
Ellen Cogen Lipton, Board Member
Nikki Snyder, Board Member
Jason Strayhorn, Board Member
Ex-Officio
The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer, Governor
Dr. Michael Rice, Chairman and State Superintendent
Michigan Alliance for Families
Michigan Alliance for Families is an IDEA Grant Funded Initiative of the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education, and Michigan’s federal Parent-Training and Information Center (PTIC) funded by U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org
1-800-552-4821