Asking Effective Questions: Making the Most out of the

IEP Process

FCSN Visions of Community – March 10, 2018Anne M. Howard, PhDFitchburg State University anhoward@fitchburgstate.edu

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Agenda

1. Introductions and Overview of Session2. Some assumptions about the IEP Process3. Massachusetts Improve IEP Project

4. Key Questions to keep in mind for all IEPs

5. Individualized Education Programs (IEP) – a walk through the IEP with potential questions to ask for most sections

6. Wrap-up and Resources2

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Who am I?

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And who are you?

ROLES

Asking Effective Questions: Making the Most out of the IEP Process

A few assumptions. . .

• Federal requirements for key components in all IEPs

• States have flexibility in format and additional components

• Massachusetts has had same IEP format and guidelines since 2000

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Improve IEP Project

Improvement Project

IEP Form

New IEP

Three versions: Early Childhood - ages 3-5 Elementary/Middle - ages 5-14 Secondary/Transition - ages 14-22

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Asking Effective Questions: Making the Most out of the IEP Process

A few MORE assumptions. . .

• Districts/Schools have very different ways of handling the IEP Process

• Solicit extensive input prior to meeting• Prepare a complete DRAFT prior to

the meeting• Each service provider comes with

written goals and objectives8

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There is no one right way to organize an IEP.

There are many wrong ways, but really good IEPs can look quite different.

Different districts. . .different practices. Different schools in the same district. . .

Asking Effective Questions: Making the Most out of the IEP Process

Many different ways to organize questions Before, during and after (handout) According to IEP Components – PowerPoint

(Notes can go on blank IEP form)

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Big Picture IEP Considerations

Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction11

CT State Education Resource Center

Ideally, the IEP will address general education standards while outlining specially designed instruction to meet individual needs of the students.

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Begin with a close examination of last year’s IEP

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Begin with a close examination of last year’s IEP

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Look closely at all IEP components. For example:Are the concerns still relevant?Has the vision changed?As you read the Current Performance

levels, what progress has student made toward last year’s goals?

Two key questions to keep in mind as you develop a new IEP:

What is the vision for this student?

What will make the biggest difference?

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Shifting back to the IEP itself . . .

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IEP 1

1. Parent and/or Student Concerns

2. Student Strengths and Key Evaluation Results

3. VISION STATEMENT

Student Strengths and Key Evaluation Results Summary

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• There are endless questions associated with this section. . . Parents should have seen all assessment results prior to IEP meeting and development of IEP.

• New format in new MA IEP.

Student Strengths and Key Evaluation Results (IEP 1) Provide a snapshot picture of the student Educational strengths Interest areas Significant personal attributes Personal accomplishments TYPE OF DISABILITY General educational performance MCAS test results Achievement toward IEP goals

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Start with the VISION – new IEP will!

Classic quote from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any place will do.”

KNOW WHERE YOU WANTTHE STUDENT TO GO!

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Student Centered Vision

Consider next 1-5 years, longer for older child.

beginning no later than the first IEP in effect when the student is 14, the vision statement must reflect the student’s preferences and interests, including desired outcomes in adult living, post-secondary and working environments.

Vision will help to shape goals and objectives. The transition services and courses of study must be linked directly to the vision statement on IEP 1 and appropriate goals on IEP 4.

What is your vision for _______?

Ideally all members of the team will have the same vision.

But if not, it is important to articulate the differences.

Matt . . . Secondary school outcome25

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Examples of Vision Statements Becky’s parents want to see her master

more of the basic skills she seems to have missed in earlier grades. They also want her to have more friends to do things with outside of school. Becky wants to play soccer and would like to go to the same college that her cousins go to.

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Present Levels of Educational Performance PLEP A & B (IEP 2&3)

GENERAL CURRICULUM and OTHER EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Impact of disability on progress ACCOMMODATIONS SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION

Content Methodology/Delivery of Instruction Performance Criteria

PLEP A and PLEP B – will be combined

Access and Participation

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Present Levels of Educational Performance PLEP A & B (IEP 2&3)

GENERAL CURRICULUM and OTHER EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Impact of disability on progress ACCOMMODATIONS SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION

Content Methodology/Delivery of Instruction Performance Criteria

HOW does the disability affect progress . . .?

Accommodations (do not change content)

Specially Designed Instruction

• Content• Methodology/Delivery of

Instructionf

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Present Levels of Educational PerformanceA: General Curriculum IEP2

Check all that apply.

General curriculum area(s) affected by this student’s disability(ies):

English Language Arts

Consider the language, composition, literature (including reading) and media strands.

History and Social Sciences

Consider the history, geography, economic and civics and government strands.

Science and Technology

Consider the inquiry, domains of science, technology and science, technology and human affairs strand.

MathematicsConsider the number sense, patterns, relations and functions, geometry and measurement and statistics and probability strands.

Other Curriculum Areas Specify:

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Why aren’t all curriculum areas checked as being impacted?

Students with learning disabilities often receive specialized instruction in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

These students are often included for science and social studies without special education support – but isn’t their progress still affected by their disability?

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How does the disability affect progress? (PLEP A&B)

1. Skill weakness

2. How weakness impacts success

3. Address each component of the disability

INFORMATION in this section should support choice of accommodations and modifications.

**This will be most negative part of IEP.

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Have we considered all disability factors impacting progress?

Are there other disability related factors that impact the student’s progress (e.g., anxiety issues, organizational skills)?

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How does the disability affect progress?

Jorge takes a long time to complete any written assignment so that it is difficult for him to get his work done in time allocated. He has difficulty maintaining his pencil/pen grip.

Matt’s difficulty with oral expression make it difficult for him to participate actively in small group activities.

Sarah has trouble staying in her seat for more than 10 minutes so that she often leaves class and misses material.

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What types of accommodations, if any, are necessary for the student to make effective progress? (PLEP A&B)

Do not involve modifying the material content. Whatever is being covered in the general education

classroom/curriculum remains the same.

Do allow students to receive information in a more effective manner.

Do allow students to demonstrate knowledge in a more effective manner.

Can be provided by general educators.

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Accommodations. . . .

LEVEL the playing field, but they don’t change the game.

Miriam K. Freedman

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Examples of Accommodations

Pencil grip Laptop PowerPoints prior to class Preferential seating (specify WHERE and WHY) Slant board FM System (enhanced audio) Rug on floor Large type Fewer problems on each page Graphic Organizers

Which accommodations will make the biggest difference?

Don’t fall into the more is better trap!

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What type(s) of specially designed instruction, if any, is necessary for the student to make effective progress? (PLEP A&B)

MA IEP divides specialized instruction into three areas:

Content

Methodology/Delivery of Instruction

Performance CriteriaMay include information on report card

grading

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Specially Designed Instruction: CONTENT

EXAMPLES:

Content should be at Tom’s developmental level

Student working at access level; focus on integration of IEP objectives with general curriculum content.

Is content being modified so much that ___ is not working at grade level?

Do you expect that ________ will pass MCAS, earn a diploma, and graduate?

If you are working with HIGH SCHOOL student, be careful to make sure content is not being modified so much that student will not receive credit toward graduation.

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Specially Designed Instruction: Methodology/Delivery of Instruction (PLEP A & B)

EXAMPLES:- Intensive multi-modal / multisensory

reading program.

- Social skills curriculum to be integrated throughout daily schedule.

- Math program with visual supports and tactile cues.

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Specially Designed Instruction: Methodology/Delivery of Instruction (PLEP A & B)

What is unique about the way that instruction will be provided? How is it different from anything delivered in general education classroom?

What reading curriculum are you going to use? Why was it selected and is it an

evidence-based program? Is it the same program you have been

using? Has _____ been making progress using this program?

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Specially Designed Instruction: Performance Criteria (PLEP A)

EXAMPLES:

Grades for written products will combine original and edited versions. Oral tests for key course content.

Test only on vocabulary and concepts included on study sheets; have a series of grading options/activities to choose from at the completion of every major curriculum unit.

Specially Designed Instruction: Performance Criteria (cont.) If student is in general education

classroom and content is not at grade level, make sure to discuss how student will be graded on report card.

Primarily an issue in Middle and High School.

WHO is responsible for determining the grade and HOW will it be determined? 46

PLEP B – Other Educational Needs

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• If first IEP, ask which areas will be checked.• If next IEP, look carefully at what was checked last year

and ask if you think an area is missing.

IEP 4 – Current Performance Levels/Measurable Annual GoalsWhat will make the biggest

difference?How many goals are essential?

(Keep in mind there is a general curriculum for all students.)

Pitfall of too many goals. . .

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For each goal area:

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Current Performance Level (3/2018)

Annual Goal

(3/2019)

OBJECTIVESServices

Accommodations& Modifications

Specially Designed Instruction

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Current Performance Levels - written for each goal (IEP 4)

What can student currently do? Should be written in as quantitative,

specific terms as possible. Serves as a baseline against which to

measure future progress. Should support your choice of goals & obj.

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CPL Examples Based on running records, Gabby reads 3rd grade narrative text at 70 words correct per minute; however with expository text her words correct per minute is reduced to 50. After independent reading, Gabby is able to answer factual questions (Who, What, When, Where) with 70% accuracy.

Lisa has the physical capacity to produce speech sounds. She has a 10 word verbal vocabulary. When she speaks, she most commonly uses the words: yes, hi, no. She can also use eye gaze and single switches to communicate with others. Her combined vocabulary using all three methods of communication totals 18 words.

Current Performance Level for each Goal

How much progress did ______ make in this goal area from last year?

How did you determine Current Performance Level for this IEP?

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GOALS Stay focused on SKILLS student needs:

to access and progress in the general curriculum; to fully participate in the life of the school; and to move toward vision – consider adult life.

(DOE 2/03)

What will make the biggest difference?

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Goals (cont.) Is goal supported by current level of

performance? Always ask how will student' progress

be measured?? How will you know if goal has been

met? Beware of rewriting the curriculum, but

ensure that IEP is alighned with Curriculum Frameworks.

Pink Handout – Goals and Objectives

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Measurable Annual Goal (and complete objectives)

Four required components:

1. Student2. Conditions3. Behavior/Skill4. Criteria

SMART Goals

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Multiple dimensions of “meaningful” That the objective “makes sense” as

written: Given a topic, Sandra will write a

paragraph with 80% accuracy.

That it has meaning for the student for the student in his/her life: When asked to stand on one foot,

Joey [who is 18] will do so for 2 minutes.

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TARGET BEHAVIOR - The skill or behavior in need of change.

Condition - Circumstances under which thetarget behavior is to occur.

Criteria - Acceptable level of performance of the target behavior.

The picture can't be displayed.

IEP page 4

Measurable Annual Goal Components

Created collaboratively by MA DOE &

SKILL or BEHAVIOR

What is it you want the student to know or be able to do?

What will it look like? Sound like?

Observable, measurable, repeatable 63

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IEP 4 – Current Performance Levels /Measurable Annual Goals

What will it look like when student meets the goal?

How will you measure student progress?

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Service Delivery – IEP 5

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Service Delivery Why is only one service provider working

on Goal #? Why isn’t there any time allocated for

collaboration among team members? If student is going to be out of the general

education classroom ___ hours per week, when will that be scheduled to ensure that he does not miss anything important?

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New IEP Easier to see which person is

responsible for which service, and in what environment.

“To support the provision of goal-related services by multiple educators and related service providers, it is anticipated the new IEP process would explicitly align the service delivery discussion with specific annual goals.”

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IEP 6

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IEP 7

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IEP 8

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While there is some required information to include in this section, this is where any “additional information” should be recorded.

Big Picture IEP Considerations

Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction77

Two key questions to keep in mind as you review completed IEP:

Is the IEP consistent with the VISION for the student?

Does IEP reflect key question: What will make the biggest difference?

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Martin Luther King said:

“I have a dream.”

He did not say,“I have an annual plan and quarterly

goals and objectives.”

(Inclusion News, 1997-8)

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