West Clermont Special Education

Opening Day 2012 / 2013

Front Loaded Inservice

Presentation Objectives

• Welcome New Staff Members!• Supervisor Responsibilities• PBSS Staffing / Responsibilities• School Psychologists - Staffing• Program Updates – Tri-B, SoComm ED @ GEHS• IEP Content Updates• IEP Meetings - Practical Tips• IEP Processing

Welcome New Staff• Brantner – Rachel Smolen• Clough Pike – Macaira Hughes• Holly Hill – Porschea Monnin• Summerside – Chelsea Smith • WT – Deanne Maus• Willowville – Nicole Stephan• Amelia Middle – Darlene Carroll• Amelia High – Maggie Gattermeyer• Amelia High - Kaylin Henninger• Amelia High – Brittany Myers• Glen Este High – Katie Cohill• Glen Este High – Tyler Erwin• Glen Este High – Cara Concannon

Moving on Up!!!!!!

• Holly Hill – Megan Harrelson

• WT – Ryan Fessler

• Amelia Middle School – Holly Capps, SoComm MD

• Glen Este High – Stefanie Hahn

New School Psychologists

• Molly McNeil – Willowville & WT

• Megan Brennan – Preschool

• Sarah English – Summerside, Preschool, & Itinerant

PBSS – Staffing

• Lisa Zelvy – Clough, Merwin, WT, Glen Este Campus, Amelia Campus (share)

• Amy Storer – AES, Brantner, Holly Hill, Summerside, Willowville, Amelia Campus (share)

PBSS – Roles and Responsibilities

• Direct Services for students with behavioral concerns per IEP Team

• Consultation Services• Coordination of RTI processes with School

Psychologists, General Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Counselors, and Administrators

• Liaison to Wrap Around services through CCMHRB

• Professional Development

School Psychologists - Staffing

• Leanna Webber – Amelia Elementary, AE preschool, school 35

• Carrie Bunger – Brantner, Merwin• Kendra Herdtner – Clough Pike, Holly Hill,

Auxiliary (includes private, AU scholarship)• Sarah English – Summerside, SS preschool• Molly McNeal – Willowville, WT• Megan Brennan – WC Preschools, EI, Head

Start• Chele McKissick – Glen Este• Nathan Dumford – Amelia

Your Special Education Administration Team

Laura Nazzarine (Overall District, SS, WT, GMS, Aspire, Far and Away)

Director of Special EducationLinda Diener and Sara Jane Hutcherson 943-5029

Chuck Boothby (GEHS, AHS, AMS, BE)

Special Education SupervisorBoothby_c@westcler.org 943-5043

Chris Curtin (AES, GMS, ME, Social Communication Classrooms, Preschool)

Special Education Supervisor Curtin_c@westcler.org 943-5011

Julie Carter (CP, HH, WV, Aspire, Work Study)

Work Study Coordinator and Special Education SupervisorCarter_j@westcler.org 943-5025

School Supervisor

Amelia Elementary Chris Curtin

Brantner Elementary Chuck Boothby

Clough Pike Elementary Julie Carter

Holly Hill Julie Carter

Merwin Elementary Chris Curtin

Summerside Elementary Laura Nazzarine

Willowville Elementary Julie Carter

Withamsville Elementary Laura Nazzarine

Glen Este Middle School Chris Curtin & Laura Nazzarine

Amelia Middle School Chuck Boothby

Glen Este High School Chuck Boothby

Amelia High School Chuck Boothby

Preschool Chris Curtin

School / Service Supervisor

Oaks / Work Study Julie Carter

SoComm (Behavior) Chris Curtin

SoComm (Social Communication Skills)

Chris Curtin, Laura Nazzarine

Tri-B Chuck Boothby, Laura Nazzarine

Wasserman School

Chris Curtin, Laura Nazzarine

CCESC (Social Communication, Med. Frag. Unit)

Laura Nazzarine,

Chris Curtin

Wildey School Chuck Boothby

PBS- (AE, BE, HH, SS, WV, Amelia Campus)

Amy Storer

PBS- (CP, ME, WT, AM campus, GE)

Lisa Zelvy

Questions? We are here to help!

“You can do it if you believe you can! “ Napoleon Hill

District SIPBy 2013, a minimum of 90% of West Clermont students will

achieve proficient or above in common core content standards for Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social

Studies. Performance Measures: DIBELS (EOY benchmark

outcomes), OAA/OGT Proficiency Levels, AYP Targets, Value-Added, ACT (18/English, 22/Mathematics, 21/Reading,

24/Science)

What does that mean for our special education students and educators?

What does that mean for our special education students and educators?

“A leader is one who knows the way,goes the way and shows the way.”

-John C. Maxwell

Questions to Think About? In what areas have we made the most significant gains in "closing the gap"? With what subgroup? With what content areas? What is the target for 2011, given our goal of a 33% decrease in the subgroup gap?

08Reading

09Reading

10Reading

11Reading

12Reading

08 Math 09 Math 10 Math 11 Math12 Math

010203040506070

8090

100

SWDNonSWDGap

Closing the Gap: District data comparison 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

55.960.2

67.7

51.9 55.659.6

24.420.1

34.532.4

25.5

31.9

84.687.887.8

86.4 8885.1

9.6

12.1

82.6

70.5

63.5

73.2

-Para Professional

Update Work

Dates- Para Pro

Assessment

Aspire

Academy

A West Clermont Transition

Program

West Clermont Special Education Website Info. http://www.westcler.org/specialed/

Program UpdatesTri - B

• Targeted Rigorous Instruction, Building Better Behavior

• Tri-B programs are child centered learning programs that focus on building individual skills for each learner. Our classrooms are self-contained, highly structured visually supported environments, with an emphasis on building social communication skills, adaptive behavior, and functional behavior skills

IEP Content Updates• Other Information• Future Planning• Special Instructional Factors• Child’s Profile• Transition• Measurable Annual Goals• Specially Designed Instruction• Transportation• Nonacademic and Extracurricular Activities• General Factors• Least Restrictive Environment• Testing• Participants • Signatures

IEP Update

• Information compiled from Ohio Department of Education Representatives as well as West Clermont’s law firm Ennis, Roberts and Fischer

• “Other Information”– Include any additional information the district has found to

be useful.• Identify existence of health plans, behavior plans, etc.• Explain any unusual factors regarding parental participation in the

meeting (e.g. attempts to reach parent if parent not participating, rescheduling to accommodate parent needs, constraints preventing rescheduling such as timeline after evaluation or before annual review, documentation of IEP being sent home for review, etc.)

• “Amendments”–Do not just note revision in these boxes – also

indicate within the IEP or in an attachment–Amendments are important when an IEP is not

appropriate (required to meet and discuss when child is not making “expected progress,” reevaluation indicates different needs, parents provide information indicating different needs, etc.)

• This section helps start the conversation regarding what a student can/will do

• Question to ask: “Where are we seeing this going?”• Good section for reporting whatever it is the parents

want for their child– Even if you don’t agree with the parent you can put “parents

report that…”

• Statement should include information obtained from the child’s evaluation team report (“ETR”) as well as any additional information/documentation the team has considered in relation to the child’s plans for the future.

• Should be based on a discussion with the child and the child’s family about the child’s future including the coming school year, and the plans for the child’s life after graduation.

• Questions for the IEP team to consider:– What interests, strengths, and needs does the child have?– How can these interests, strengths, and needs be supported and incorporated into the

child’s educational program?– What skills does the child possess and how can these skills be improved and used in

the child’s educational program?– What does the child want to do after high school in terms of working, living, and

learning?– What do the parents want the child to do after high school?– What coursework, job coaching opportunities, and career tech programs will assist the

child in accomplishing what he or she wants to do after high school?

• “Does the child have behavior that impedes his/her learning or the learning of others?”

– Questions for the IEP team to consider:• Does the child’s challenging behavior persist despite implementation of informal

behavior change strategies?• Do functional assessment results indicate that deficits in communication and/or

academic skills contribute to challenging behaviors?• Has the child lost access to instructional time due to in-school disciplinary referrals

and/or suspension from school?• Does the current educational placement utilize positive reinforcement and other

positive techniques to shape the child’s behavior?• Has the child’s behavior contributed to consideration of a more restrictive

placement?

• “Does the child have limited English proficiency?”

– Questions for the IEP Team to Consider:• Is the child’s difficulty due to a disability or second language acquisition?

• What was the first language the child learned to speak and is the disability present in the native language?

• What language does the child speak most often at home? With friends?

• What language(s) is/are spoken most often in the home?

• Was the ESL/Bilingual/Migrant teacher a member of the IEP team?

• How will services be coordinated (i.e. special education and ESL)?

• What accommodations for LEP are necessary for instruction and participation in the state and district-wide testing?

• What language or mode of communication will be used to address parents or family members?

• “Does the child have communication needs (required for deaf or hearing impaired)?– Questions for the IEP Team to Consider:

• What is the child’s typical mode of communication and is the child understood by others, especially unfamiliar communication partners?

• What opportunities exist to foster communication with others?

• Do the child’s communication skills have an impact on learning?

• Does the child require assistive devices to assist in the development and use of meaningful language used in direct instruction?

• What other considerations (e.g. mode of communication used at home) should be addressed?

• Is an educational interpreter or translator needed for the child to participate in and benefit from classroom instruction and/or social interaction?

• What opportunities exist for direct instruction (without interpreter support) in the child’s language and communication mode?

• Any child who uses manual communication – i.e. American Sign Language, Manually Coded English, or Pidgin Sign English – as his/her primary method of communication should be given consideration for placement into a classroom or program where the teacher, other children, and the ancillary support service providers understand and use the appropriate communication mode.

• “Does the child need assistive technology devices or services?”– Assistive technology device: any item, piece of equipment, or

product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.• An assistive technology device does not include a medical device

surgically implanted or the replacement of such device.

– Assistive technology service: any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device

• “Does the child need assistive technology devices or services?”– Questions for the IEP team to consider:

• Does the child need assistive technology (“AT”):– To meaningfully participate in the general curriculum?– To participate in academic or functional activities?– To access print materials?– To access auditory information?– For written communication and/or computer access?– For augmentative/alternative communication?– To participate in state and local assessments?

• Does the child require AT services for:– Evaluation of needs?– Purchasing, leasing, or providing for acquisition?– Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, or adapting AT devices?– Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with AT

devices; i.e. who will charge/maintain device and provide updates?– Training or technical assistance for child, family, professional?

• “Does the child require specially designed physical education?”– Physical education services must be made available to every

child with a disability receiving FAPE, unless the school district enrolls children without disabilities and does not provide physical education to children without disabilities in the same grades.

– Each child with a disability must be allowed to participate in the regular physical education program available to nondisabled peers unless:• The child is enrolled full time in a separate facility; or

• The child needs specially designed physical education as prescribed in the child’s IEP.

– For preschool, specially designed physical education refers to motor needs of the child and whether the child requires adapted physical education.

• MOST IMPORTANTLY:–If anything is checked YES in this section, then

the IEP must address it. –One of the biggest mistakes schools make is

to mark that a student has problems with a particular area and then fail to address it later in the IEP.

• A third-grade student’s IEP indicated that the student’s behaviors related to problems with inattention and distractibility, which did not impede his education.

• However, a reevaluation conducted at the end of the student’s second-grade year showed that these problems seriously impacted his ability to learn.

• The district ignored the reevaluation results and decided to continue using the behavioral interventions from prior IEP’s. – These behavioral interventions included preferential seating, repetition of

instructions, and pre-teaching.

• The Court ruled in favor of the parents and held that the district’s continuance of relying on unsuccessful classroom-level interventions and failing to conduct an FBA or develop a BIP, was a denial of FAPE. The parents were awarded reimbursement for the student’s private school placement.

• Explain the child’s strengths and weaknesses• Include background information about the child,

including concerns raised by the parents regarding the education of the child, the child’s interests, and relevant medical and safety information

• Any needs that have been identified in the ETR that the team has determined will NOT be addressed in the IEP must be listed and EXPLAINED!

• Include Data, OAA/OGT Scores• Include information about behavior plan if behavior box

is checked – Do NOT make plan part of the IEP• Rationale for discontinuation of related services if

applicable

• Secondary Transition Age Students: include information related to adult living, working, and learning that will not be included in the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance if it does not relate to any of the child’s goals

• Preschool Students: provide a summary of the child’s developmental strengths and opportunities for growth in the areas of adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, hearing, vision, sensory, and motor functioning, social-emotional skills and behavior as well as pre-academic skills, as outlined in the Early Learning Content Standards. Include ECO, GGG, ASQ-SE

• This is where the IEP team can explain any thinking that is not explained elsewhere.– Example:

• A student has a severe deficiency in decoding words and reading comprehension. The school must focus on the decoding first, because until the student improves decoding, reading comprehension will not increase.

• i.e. where some deficiencies must be worked on before others in order for the child to succeed in all areas, explain the reasoning

• Highlight the evaluation “Here are the areas of need”

• Must explain logic!

• A student was receiving occupational therapy in order to improve his handwriting skills – his IEP reflected a need for handwriting improvement.

• After the occupational therapist noted that the student’s handwriting might not improve because he was “so engrained in his approach to printing,” the district decided to reduce his time in OT and focus on keyboard training instead.

• However, the district failed to document in the IEP the basis for a reduction in OT services even though the need was still present.

• Therefore, since the student’s IEP reflected services (keyboard training) that did not line up with the stated goal of handwriting improvement, the district was in violation of IDEA.

• Had the district been more diligent in documenting the IEP team decisions and its reasoning regarding the programming offered to the student, no violation would have been found.

• For 14 years and older– The statement should include what kind of curriculum the student will partake in

during high school and what will get him/her read for that curriculum.– Questions for the IEP Team to consider:

• What classes will the child need to prepare for the intended job/career?• Does the child intend to go to college?• Is this child planning to enroll in a career/tech program during high school?• What classes will provide the child with skills needed in order to achieve the

child’s post-school goals?• Does the child need accommodations and/or services to support achievement

and progress in the child’s course of study?• How do the child’s plans for the future match up with the child’s preferences,

interests, needs, and skills?• Are accommodations and services the child currently receives providing

opportunities for the child to attain the level of independence needed as an adult?

• Does the child know how to: (1) describe to others how his/her disability affects his/her learning, working, and living; and (2) advocate for appropriate accommodations?

• For 16 years and older– Age-appropriate transition assessments are used:

• As evidence that the child has or is developing the skills necessary to achieve his/her postsecondary goals;

• To determine the transition services and supports needed for the child to make progress toward the postsecondary goals;

• As the basis for identifying annual IEP goals to support the post-school plans; and

• To inform the appropriate and logical linkages to adult, community, and postsecondary agencies and the services they provide.

– It is possible that one assessment may provide the information necessary for transition goals in all areas or more than one assessment may be needed.

– List any tests the student will take.• Include the type of assessment, the person or agency conducting the

assessment, the date in which the assessment was/will be given, and provide a summary of the results to be considered when developing the measureable postsecondary goals in the next section.

• For 16 years and older– Questions for the IEP team to consider:

• What do we know about the child’s preferences, interests, needs, and strengths?• What skill levels are required for the child’s future intentions and how do the

child’s current levels compare?• Does the child have the stamina, dexterity, coordination, and other skills needed

to meet the physical demands of the postsecondary environment?• How do the child’s current behavior skills compare with those expected in the

child’s postsecondary environment?• Can the child solve everyday problems and make decisions as expected in the

postsecondary environment including independent living and employment situations?

• Is the child able to self-advocate and effectively communicate needs in the postsecondary environment?

• Does the child need to become more independent by gradually removing any school accommodations currently in place?

• This section is mandatory for any student who will be 16 during the time the IEP will be in effect. For any other student, this section is optional.

• At any IEP meeting where transition will be discussed, the child must be invited and the appropriate sections on the invitation form must be checked.

• This section must be reviewed by the IEP team each year, and revisions should be made as necessary.

• If any transition planning is done outside of IEP meetings, any plans made must be finalized at an IEP meeting.

• Questions for IEP team to consider:– Has the child been invited to attend IEP meetings where transition is

discussed?

– Is there time for the IEP team to plan for transition with the child?

– Is the child actively involved in making plans for the future?

– Are the child’s current future plans a good fit for the child’s preferences, interests, needs, and strengths?

– Does the child need assistance in developing an achievable future direction?

– Are the child and the child’s family in agreement regarding the child’s plans for the future?

• Measurable Postsecondary Goal– Base these goals on age-appropriate assessments and other

available data.– These goals should address education/training, employment, and,

as needed, independent living skills.– Must specify the result that is intended and that result must be

measurable. In order to comply with IDEA, you must clearly state an outcome that will occur after the child leaves high school, affirmatively state the intended result, and it must be easily determinable.• Good Example:

– “Upon graduation, Tom will attend a vocational/technical school and enroll in a program that will enable him to become an auto mechanic.”

• Bad Example:– “Tom will take classes related to automobile maintenance.”

• Course of Study– Identify the course of study the child will need during the

school day – i.e. college preparation courses, career technical courses, Ohio Core courses.

• Number of Annual Goals– Write the total number of measurable annual goal(s) that is/are

related to the listed postsecondary goal in each area.– An annual IEP goal may be related to multiple postsecondary

goals.

• Transition Service/Activity– Under each area, list the services, activities, and course of study that support

reaching the goal – if any service or activity is a one-time event, the anticipated duration may be listed as “single occurrence,” which will make it clear that there is no planned continuance.

– Point is to give the student what they would need in order for the goal to be reached.

– Any services/activities that will be listed in Section 7 (Description of Specially Designed Services) to support the annual goals, do not need to be repeated in this section (but can be).

– These should be based on the results of transition assessments.

• Don’t worry that a student doesn’t actually achieve the goal set forth, worry about whether you are providing the tools so that they can.– Your responsibility is to identify supports, services, activities, and linkages

necessary to move the child towards the stated goal.

• Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance– Provide measurable baseline data– For a school age child, the following should be included in this section as it relates

to each goal:• Detailed and targeted summary of current daily academic/behavioral and/or functional

performance (relative strengths and needs);

• Describe how the characteristics of the child’s disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum in relation to peers, regardless of the setting in which the child currently receives services;

• Effective classroom strategies/interventions used for the child;

• Current quantifiable instructional level;

• Relevant academic achievement or functional performance assessments;– ETR results (if current); Formative assessments; curriculum-based assessments; ecological

assessments; transition assessments; functional behavior assessments

• Progress towards similar goal (from previous/current IEP);

• If a child is limited English proficient, a statement of native language performance and English proficiency level.

– IEP teams generally do not spend enough time talking about “typical student achievement” - IEP teams need to spend more time on that topic.

• If a child is 14 years and older, include present levels of performance related to current postsecondary transition goals that relate to this specific goal.

• For a preschool child, provide levels of present performance related to the child’s developmental domains, functional performance, and pre-academic skills.

• Measurable annual goals should be designed to meet the child’s unique needs that result from the child’s disability using specially designed instruction to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum.

• A measurable goal must include:– Who, What, to what level/degree, under what conditions, in what length of time, and how progress will be

measured

• Goal should be capstone skill, not objectives listed out in order• Each Goal should have at least 2 objectives• Make sure goal is references in PLOP• Do NOT include academic content standards• Make numbers relevant, do not use % for everything• Include behavior goal if checked in special factors• This is BIG – make sure the goals/objectives are MEASURABLE

– Given 3 digit division problems Student will independently solve them correctly 90% of the time.

– NOT Student will improve grade level math skills.

• This section essentially spells out the child’s least restrictive environment (“LRE”).

• Specially Designed Instruction– Under “Provider Title” be particular, and if you can’t be particular

make sure you are honest.• E.g. teacher versus aide providing services, OT versus OTA, etc.

– Under “Location of Services” be honest and particular – don’t lead the parents to believe that the student will be served in the regular education classroom when in most cases they will be served in a pull out setting.

• Related Services– Includes any developmental, corrective and other supportive

services that are required to assist a child so that he/she may benefit from special education – i.e. speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, occupational therapy, etc.

• Assistive Technology– Any device or service that directly assists a child with a disability to

increase, maintain, or improve his/her functional capabilities.– This is challenging.– DO NOT identify a specific (name brand) machine, but instead

describe the function of the machine that will be used.• i.e. “Dynamic Communication Device” not “DynaVox Maestro”

– Will student take the device home?

• Accommodations vs. Modifications– Accommodations are changes made in the way materials are

presented or in the way children demonstrate learning, as well as changes in setting, timing, and scheduling, with the expectation that the child will reach the content standard set for all children of the same age/grade level.• Examples: child seated near the front of the room; directions are repeated orally;

teacher provides nonverbal cues regarding appropriate performance or behavior; using AT devices to convert text to audio

– Modifications are changes made to the curriculum that will result in the child being taught something different or being taught the same information but with the complexity level being changed from what is taught to children of the same age/grade level.• Examples: shorter vocabulary list, reduced choices in multiple choice questions,

reading assignments at student’s reading level, etc.

• Support for School Personnel– This section is underused – it is important for schools to take

credit for what they are doing.• Examples:

– Staff are trained in de-escalation and physical restraint methods– Teacher has an aide to help with all students (not necessarily there for the

particular student)

– In this section, “amount of time” is blacked out and therefore you do not commit to any particular amount of time these supports are provided.

– Is this a part of the student’s placement?– Beef this section up!

• A student’s parents argued that the district did not provide their child with FAPE because the reading program the district used for their daughter was never tested for children who had their daughter’s unique combination of learning disabilities.

• The court held that IDEA does not require a district to choose the program that is supported by the optimum level of peer-reviewed research, but only must be “reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive meaningful educational benefits in light of the student’s intellectual potential.”

• The district’s chosen method had been reviewed by an organization devoted to literacy research and the program aligned with current research

• A 7th grade student with learning disabilities made meaningful progress during the prior year and the district proposed similar supports and services for the student’s next IEP.

• Even though the student performed average in nearly all areas in a mainstream environment and successfully completed state assessments without using accommodations, her parents requested placement in a special school for students with language-based learning disabilities.

• After an IHO and SRO ruled in the district’s favor, the parents sought tuition reimbursement in federal court.

• The new IEP was similar to the last IEP, but with increased frequency in use of the resource room services and daily tutoring.

• The court declined to reimburse the parents, because it concluded that the IEP was likely to enable the student to continue to progress academically in the mainstream setting.

• Therefore, districts can defend a proposed program by arguing that the student meaningfully progressed under the prior IEP, and that the new IEP is designed to continue that trend.

• Does the child have needs related to their identified disability that require special transportation?– Examples:

• Children who are unable to physically board the bus;

• Children who cannot safely find or stand at a bus stop; and

• Children with behaviors that would cause safety concerns for the driver or other children present on the bus.

• Does the child need accommodations or modifications for transport?– This is relatively self-explanatory. If one of the boxes below must be checked, then

the answer is “yes.”

• Does the child need transportation to and from provider services?– If the IEP team determines the child will receive services from an off-site provider, or

in a location other than the child’s school, and the child needs transportation to access the service, the answer is “yes.”

• It is almost impossible to think of a child who requires extracurricular activities to get FAPE.

• All you need to do is make sure the district does not discriminate.

• “Brandon has equal access to participate in non-academic/extracurricular activities as their non-disabled peers.”

• “At this time, the student’s parents have elected not to participate in non academic and / or extracurricular activities.”

• Biggest thing here is whether there is a need for an extended school year.

• Need for Extended School Year (“ESY”)– Ohio has a specific definition for when ESY services are needed – OAC 3301-51-

37(G)(3)(b)(v)

• The IEP team shall consider the following when determining if extended school year services should be provided:– Whether extended school year services are required to prevent significant regression of

skills or knowledge due to interruption of instruction between school years.– Whether extended school year services are required to prevent significant regression of

skills or knowledge retained by the child that cannot be recouped in a reasonable amount of time.

– This is always about FAPE.

– Look at whether there are abnormal regressions and recoupment issues.

• The need for ESY services should not be based on:– The desire or need for day care or respite care services;

– The desire or need for a summer recreation program;

– The desire for summer school; or

– The desire or need for other programs or services which, while they may provide educational benefit, are not required to ensure the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

• It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that children with disabilities are educated, to the maximum extent possible, with children without disabilities.

• “Darren receives pull out instruction for reteaching of concepts and behavioral support.”

• Make sure if the student is receiving accommodations on these tests that they are receiving the same accommodations on any other tests they may be taking in class.

• If the child will participate in an alternate assessment, the justification should explain:– “Due to the nature of the severity of the student’s disability, the

student will participate in alternate assessment”

• Changes coming to alternate assessments– Move from Collection of Evidence to a more

standardized test (Alternate Assessment for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities )• Related to “extended standards”

• Required Participants:– District Representative

– Regular Education teacher

– Intervention Specialist

– Parents

– Person knowledgeable about the instructional implications of evaluation results, if they will be discussed

– Child, if appropriate

• If a required participant is only there for part of the meeting, make sure to have a written excusal from the parent.

• If a required participant leaves early, put his or her name under “attended” and then note when they left – DO NOT put his or her name under “people not in attendance” with a note of when they were there.

• Annual Review/Review Other than Annual Review (Not a Change of Placement)– The parent must sign, noting whether s/he agrees, but you do

not need parental consent for the IEP to be valid.– Still send PR-01 to parents and implement plan as written.

• Annual Review/Review Other Than Annual Review (Change of Placement)– Do need parental consent for change of placement to be valid.– If the parent does not agree, the child’s current placement cannot

be changed. – The child’s IEP may still be implemented, but must be

implemented without a change of placement.• In any case where the parent does not agree, push the

parents to give an explanation (preferably in writing) of why they disagree.

• Transfer of Rights at Majority– Do it!– While parental consent is not necessary for the

transfer to occur, the parental signature line is there for verification that the parents received notification from the district of a transfer of procedural safeguards rights to their child.

• Procedural Safeguards Notice– Whose IDEA is this?

• New version recently released

IEP Meeting

• Practical Tips to ensure that your IEP meeting is a success

• “It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” John Wooden

• All the knowledge and training you put in place won’t amount to much if you don’t ensure your staff attend to the little details that subliminally communicate:– That you care deeply about the student OR that the student is just

a set of numbers– That you value the parent’s input OR that you see the meeting as

just another hoop to jump through– That you are highly educated and engaged professionals OR that

teaching is just another job

Before the meeting:1. Have enough (adult) seats in the room and a big

enough table.2. Have sufficient copies in advance.3. Ensure that all appropriate members of the team have

received and reviewed information that is provided in advance by parents.

4. Bring paper and writing utensils.5. Start on time with all required members (or have

signed, written excusal and appropriate reports from missing members).

At the meeting:1.Greet parent and others parent brings (provide

introductions as needed). Provide similar courtesies at the end of the meeting.

2.Propose an agenda – ask for input.3.Have tissues handy.4.Assign someone to keep a “to do” list as action items

come up – review it as a team at the end of the meeting.5.Productively occupy the time while copies are made at

the end of the meeting (e.g. with Item 4, show nice examples of student’s work, tour facility, etc.).

After the meeting

1.Follow up in writing regarding action items, disagreements (PR-01), proposals rejected by parents (PR-01), etc.

2.When trouble is expected, have a couple trusted members of the team informally confer regarding their notes to make sure nothing is missed.

IEP Processing

• Please send the IEP to main office immediately after the meeting (even if you’re missing a signature)

• Double check to make sure that you have filled out every section of the IEP required

• Make sure Dates are correct on the IEP, especially ETR dates

• Fill out EMIS sheet completely

IEP Processing

• Amendments: Start date is meeting date, end date doesn’t change…must send EMIS, Cover Page, other pages with changes, Participant and Signature Pages, Invitation & Prior written notice

• Cannot change an IEP in Progress Book until the prior one is finalized

• Make sure home district is invited for foster in students

IEP Processing

• Send all completed IEPs to Linda Diener at main office ASAP!!!!!!!!– Order to send paperwork in:

• EMIS• Complete IEP• Parent Invitation• PR-01 (prior written notice)

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“They may forget what you saidbut they will never forget how you made them feel.”

-unknown

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled,but a fire to be ignited.”

-Plutarch

Thank you for all you do! You are appreciated!