IDEA and the IEP Process

docx

School

Grand Canyon University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

200

Subject

Sociology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by brittaniewaldrop

1 IDEA and the IEP Process Aaron Leon Snell III Grand Canyon University, College of Education SPD-200: A Survey of Special Education: Mild to Moderate Disabilities Dr. Holly Love May 14, 2023 IDEA and the IEP Process The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA) is an essential piece of legislation when discussing Individualized Education Plans(IEPs) and the process by which they are established for individual students. Without it students with disabilities would not be entitled to the various accommodations and services guaranteed to them in IDEA. What follows is an overview of IDEA, the IEP process, and how the two work in synchronicity to provide students with disabilities all they need to succeed in school.

2 Individuals with Disabilities and Education Act (IDEA) IDEA is the current federal special education law. Put into place in 2004, it assures specific rights and safeguards to children with disabilities and their parents. (What’s the Big IDEA?, n.d.) There are six tenets that are the foundation on which special education services are designed. Of these six, four are especially important during the IEP process: appropriate evaluation, parent and student participation in decision making, procedural safeguards, and of course the individualized education program (IEP). Appropriate evaluation ensures that any evaluations done to determine a child’s need for special education services and accommodations includes current and pertinent information from multiple sources, and that the assessments are done by a team of evaluators who are specialists in the appropriate types of evaluations. (What’s the Big IDEA?, n.d.) IDEA also ensures that parents are full, equal participants in all aspects of their child’s special education program, including participating in all meetings, giving or withholding consent before any initial evaluations and consent before the release of any of their child’s information. Some of the procedural safeguards set in place by IDEA consist of a parents right to receive prior written notice regarding the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of their child, requesting mediation and an impartial du process hearing, and participating in all decisions regarding their child’s education. Finally, the individualized education program (IEP) is the primary tenet of IDEA, referring to both a meeting and a legal document. The document is a written record of the IEP meeting where a team analyzes evaluations and present levels of performance to develop a program which will meet the students unique educational needs. (What’s the Big IDEA?, n.d.) Importance of Collaboration in the IEP Process

3 The Family-professional partnership, as defined in educational literature is an alliance in which families and education professionals confidently build on each other’s word, judgment, and wise actions ensure the maximum benefit for students and themselves. (Gershwin et al., 2022) Through this partnership, parents and students(at the high school level) are able to be part of the decision making process. That takes care of the family portion of the family-professional partnership, now for the professionals that are involved in the IEP process the number and type varies based on the student’s disabilities. There is the special education teacher and the principal at the meetings, but other professionals that may be present are numerous. There could be a behavior specialist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and even the school psychologist. If the child is not in a self-contained special education classroom, then their general education teacher will also be present. The specialists that are directly related to the child’s disabilities, the special/general education teacher(s), and the parent(s) are required to attend the IEP meetings. CEC Ethical Principles and Professional Practice Standards are essential to the IEP Process. They ensure the members of the IEP team are doing everything they can to ensure that the goals in the student’s IEP are within their ability to achieve, while also pushing them forward to reach new, higher goals. The ethical principles and standards also ensure that nothing in the IEP is harmful to the child. In essence, the ethical principles and standards keep everyone involved in the IEP process honest and focused on the child’s best interests. The IEP Process in Detail The process of getting a student an IEP is quite involved. First is the collection of information to determine the student’s performance level. In an effort to get to know the student, all records are collected, filed, and reviewed. These include medical reports, school

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 reports/development reports. Furthermore, interviews are held with the student’s parents, present and/or previous teachers, the school counselor, and other school personnel who may have student information, or with the student themself to learn their prioritized needs. After all of the pertinent information is collected and reviewed by members of the IEP team, they must then schedule and have an IEP meeting to determine what services if any, the student needs. These meetings are held several times during the school year to keep up to date records of the student’s progress throughout. IDEA has within it’s rules and policies that date from multiple sources must be collected, continue to be collected throughout the student receiving the special education services. As said above, the team members must collect the date to be reviewed during the meetings. During the IEP meeting, the team members must analyze and discuss the data to determine what services will be most beneficial to the student. They must also set reasonable goals for the student to work towards throughout the implementation of the special education services. After an IEP meeting, the teacher(s) and therapists must ensure the student receives the services they need, and keep accurate records of their progress towards their IEP goals (progress monitoring). Major Components of an IEP The IEP must contain the following components: A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, a statement of measurable annual goals, both academic and functional. It must also contain how the child’s progress will be measured and when progress reports will be provided. A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to or on behalf of the child. Program modifications or support for school personnel must also be included as well as an explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children. Finally, a

5 statement of any individual accommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on state assessments and a projected date for starting services and modifications. ( Contents of the IEP | Center for Parent Information and Resources , n.d.) These components are each important in their own ways. Knowing the child’s present academic and functional levels shows the need for the services and accommodations. The annual goals that are measurable allows for easy tracking of the child’s progress, which is included in the periodic progress reports. It is necessary to include the frequency of these reports because it keeps everyone up to date on the child’s progress. Listing out all of the special education and related services and supplementary aids keeps every informed of what the child is legally required to have in the classroom. Measures of inclusion, or how often if at all the child will be interacting with nondisabled children is required to be included so staff and teachers know where the child is supposed to be and when. Finally, knowing the accommodations the child is legally required to have for state assessments keeps the teachers informed so they can provide those accommodations. These are important things for all members of the child’s IEP team to keep aware of because not providing them with the supports they need is against the law per IDEA. In conclusion, when looking back at the facilitated IEP meeting, my main takeaways are that I will be a studious record keeper for all of my students, and keep watch for those that may benefit from services. As for those who already receive services who come into my classroom, I will put a great deal of effort into making sure all of their accommodations and services are met in my classroom.

6 References Contents of the IEP | Center for Parent Information and Resources . (n.d.). https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iepcontents/ Facilitated IEP Meeting . (2023, July 31). Education Service Center Region 13. https://esc13.net/resources/a-facilitated-iep-meeting Gershwin, T., McKittrick, L. L., & Kilpatrick, A. (2022). The Importance of following Legal Requirements: Factors that Lead to Parent Satisfaction with the Individualized Education Program Meeting Process. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation , 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2022.2145290

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 Nur Akçin, F. (n.d.). Identification of the process of preparing Individualized Education Programs (IEP) by special education teachers, and of problems encountered therein . Educational Research and Reviews. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1332835.pdf What’s the Big IDEA? part 1 . (2004). Parents Reaching Out. https://parentsreachingout.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/02-6-Principles-of-IDEA- Part-1.pdf

Related Documents

ECS 427 Child Assessment Worksheet -1.pdf

ECD 310 Intentional Teaching Plan.pdf

Values and Ethics Assignment 2.docx

HUSS 355 Week 5 Assessing Program Effectiveness.docx

HUSS 335 Week 2 Enhancing Support for the Elderly Population.docx

MFT-5106_Week_1_Assignment_Template_TD (4).docx

Global Stratification and Its Effects on Local Cultures and the United States.docx

One Strong Message - Pre K.docx

Arianna's Case.docx

Deviancy and Consequences.docx

Career Connect HUSS 440 Week 6 1.docx

Annotated Bibliography rough draft.docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134641287

Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers

Publisher:Pearson College Div

Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780393639407

Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...

Sociology

ISBN:9781305503076

Author:Earl R. Babbie

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...

Sociology

ISBN:9780134477596

Author:Saferstein, Richard

Publisher:PEARSON

Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134205571

Author:James M. Henslin

Publisher:PEARSON

Society: The Basics (14th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134206325

Author:John J. Macionis

Publisher:PEARSON

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Pearson College Div
Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780393639407
Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...
Sociology
ISBN:9781305503076
Author:Earl R. Babbie
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...
Sociology
ISBN:9780134477596
Author:Saferstein, Richard
Publisher:PEARSON
Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134205571
Author:James M. Henslin
Publisher:PEARSON
Society: The Basics (14th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134206325
Author:John J. Macionis
Publisher:PEARSON