IEP Look Fors

 

1st.  Look For Progress on the Last IEP:  

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team should review progress toward the last/previous IEP.  This is the one that has been implemented over the course of the last year.  At the end of an annual - the student has either achieved the goals or they have not. If the school staff mark "making sufficient progress" - the student may have been making some progress but they have not achieved the goal.

If the student has not achieved the IEP goal and the team agrees the student needs more time to work on the goal, it may be carried over into the new IEP.  Parents should pay particular attention to the  IEP progress report before moving into the draft of the new annual IEP. 

2nd.  Look For How the Previous IEP Goals and Objectives Compare to the Proposed.

Look for goals that stay the same from year to year.  When students are making progress, the student will be closing the gap between their level of performance and the grade or age level expectations.  One sign that a student is not making progress, is when the goals and objectives stay the same or the expectations decrease.  For instance, if the goal had previously been that the child would complete a task with no more than 1 verbal prompt and is now that the child will complete a task with no more than 3 verbal prompts, the expectations have decreased.  The previous goal may have been too ambitious, but the student may also have needed some additional supports they did not receive and thus did not make progress.  When goals are carried over from one IEP to the next, the team must discuss what will be done differently since the student did not master that goal.

3rd.   Look for Defined Instructional Levels.

Look for present levels and goals written for "instructional level" without defining what that level is.  For example:  A student's instructional reading level is mid 2nd grade.  The goal is the student will read and comprehend instructional level text with 80% accuracy.  If the student's instructional level is still mid 2nd grade level at the end of the annual - the school may say the student met the goal if they are demonstrating 80% accuracy even though the student is still reading at a 2nd grade instructional level.  

If the goal is the student will read and demonstrate comprehension of mid 3rd grade level text by answering explicit and implicit comprehension questions with 80% accuracy - you can measure a year later whether that goal has been mastered and whether the student is making progress.  

I encourage families to track their child's progress over time to monitor progress.  This can be done with a simple table such as the one below:

Fountas and Pinnell Data

Date
Level
Accuracy
Comprehension
Fluency
Indep/Instr/Frust

4.  Look at What Supports are Being Provided and Proposed.

Is the IEP team able to remove some of the supports?  Is the student gaining skills?  When students are making progress and gaining skills, they often need less supports from adults.  When a student is not making progress, they need more supports or services.  Parents should look for whether the student's team is using accommodations or whether they are helping a student learn skills.

If you have questions, please contact me at ashley@lawforparents.com or 410-206-5997.

Disclaimer:  This blog is made available by the Law For Parents, LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site, you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the publisher. The blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

New Guidance from Maryland State Department of Education

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) issued a new Technical Assistance Bulletin outlining expectations and processes for improving outcomes for students with disabilities.

This bulletin provides explanations of what specially designed instruction is and is not, development of IEP goals and objectives in connection with the general education curriculum, and expectations for implementation.   The bulletin also includes the expectations for a free appropriate public education  (FAPE) based on the Endrew F. case.

Many questions arise in Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings about what goals should be developed when there is a significant gap between the student's grade level and their skill level.  For example, a student is in 7th grade but is reading on a 2nd grade level.  The MSDE clarified that, "If a student is performing significantly below grade-level, the IEP team should determine annual goals that are ambitious but achievable for that student. While annual goals need not necessarily result in the student attaining grade-level within the year covered by the IEP, the goals should be sufficiently ambitious to help close the gap."  Two of the key words being ambitious and achievable.  As IEP team members, we need to write IEPs that reflects what is reasonably expected for the child to achieve in a year's time in a challenging and ambitious program.

If you have an upcoming IEP meeting, the bulletin includes helpful questions and guidance for the decision making process especially the following that can be used for determining the amount of services the student should receive:

The following guiding questions may assist IEP teams when calculating the appropriate frequency and intensity of services:
• Do the services support the implementation of all the outcomes or goals and objectives?
• Do the services take into account the student’s history and progress with previous general education, special education, and related services?
• Do the services address the nature of the student’s needs, including the gap between the student’s grade level and performance level?
• Do the services support the student’s cultural and linguistic background?
• Do the services support an accelerated rate of learning?

One notable quote is, "The IEP team must ultimately consider how special education and related services, implemented through an effective IEP, can change the trajectory of a student’s growth to narrow the gap."  Special education through a well developed IEP can change the trajectory of a student's growth academically as well as their life options.

If you have questions about your child's IEP and whether it offers an appropriately ambitious program for your child, contact our office to schedule a consultation.

If you have questions, please contact me at ashley@lawforparents.com or 410-206-5997.

Disclaimer:  This blog is made available by the Law For Parents, LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site, you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the publisher. The blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.