19,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Sprache: Englisch
Learn how to put together IEPs with the power to make a real difference for students
The Intentional IEP shows special education teachers how to successfully collaborate with all stakeholders—parents or guardians, general ed teachers, therapists, and beyond—to work toward students’ success. Too many of us aren’t trained to write the Individualized Education Programs that help millions of students with thrive in school. This book fills that training gap, explaining the importance of assembling an IEP team and inviting this team to confront and improve its current processes and habits to make IEP writing simpler and more effective.
With all the pressures that educators are under, it’s easy to cut corners when it comes time towrite IEPs. Writing them in isolation, leaving them to the night before, making decisions without consulting data and research, letting family collaboration fall to the wayside—most special educators have made these mistakes at some point. The Intentional IEP equips you with the resources you need to feel confident in approaching IEPs the right way, including prioritizing the many competing demands you face so you can find the capacity to show up for your students. This book offers:
- Clear, step-by-step solutions for all IEP members that can easily be implemented at any time during the school year
- Collaboration strategies for IEP teammates to rely on one another for expert and professional knowledge
- Tools and reproducibles to strengthen practices and overcome common hurdles
- Direct advice from a veteran special education teacher who has seen what a difference collaboration in the IEP can make for students
The Intentional IEP is a timely resource for special education teachers, general education teachers, and support staff, as well as teachertraining programs. Parents and guardians with students will also benefit from this clearly written guide to the IEP.
Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 263
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
Ähnliche
Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Praise for The
Intentional IEP
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Author
Introduction
Habit Building
Chapter 1: IEP Rundown
History of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
What Is an IEP?
The IEP Writing Timeline
Types of IEP Meetings
An IEP versus a 504 Plan
Summary
Notes
Chapter 2: Data Collection
The Five Ws of Data Collection
Data Collection Methods
Paraprofessionals Helping with Data Collection
Students Helping with Their Data Collection
Common Data Collection Questions and Answers
Analyzing Data
Making Decisions with Data
Reverse Planning IEP Goals with Data
Writing IEP Goals with Data Collection in Mind
Summary
Chapter 3: Writing the IEP
Student Information
Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance
Adverse Effects
IEP Goals and Objectives
IEP Objectives and Benchmarks
Accommodations and Modifications
Related Services
Special Factors
Transition Services
Determining the Least Restrictive Environment and Placement
Prior Written Notice
Summary
Notes
Chapter 4: Increasing Team Participation at the IEP Meeting
Outside of the IEP Process
Pre‐IEP Meeting: The IEP Writing Timeline's Alignment with Team Collaboration
What to Bring to the IEP Meeting
During the IEP Meeting
After the IEP Meeting
Summary
Notes
Chapter 5: Increasing Parent Participation in the IEP Process
Pre‐IEP Meeting
During the IEP Meeting
Starting the IEP Meeting
After the IEP Meeting
Summary
Notes
Outro/Conclusion
Passing the Baton to You!
Appendix: Helpful Templates
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
Table 1.1 Age‐Appropriate IEP Student Responsibilities
Table 1.2 Some Differences between an IEP and a 504 Plan
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Figure I.1 Setting Your Priorities Will Help Organize Your Task and Goals...
Chapter 1
Figure 1.1 The IEP Writing Timeline.
Chapter 2
Figure 2.1 Here Is How to Set Up Your Sticky Notes to Effectively Collect Da...
Figure 2.2 You Can Collect Data Using the Sticky Data Method and Use the +/−...
Figure 2.3 Data Rings Organize Student Information into One Place.
Figure 2.4 Once You've Analyzed and Interpreted the Data, You Use the Data t...
Chapter 3
Figure 3.1 Understanding the Bell Curve Can Help an IEP Team Understand What...
Figure 3.2 Write Smart Goals Using This Formula to Fill in the Blanks with t...
Figure 3.3 The Special Factors Checklist
Figure 3.4 The LRE Continuum
Chapter 4
Figure 4.1 IEP Team Collaboration Begins with an Inclusive Mind Set.
Figure 4.2 The Differences between Mainstreaming and Inclusion.
Figure 4.3 Refer to Chapter 1 for More Details on the IEP Writing Timeline....
Guide
Cover Page
The Intentional IEP
Title Page
Copyright
About the Author
Introduction
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Outro/Conclusion
Appendix: Helpful Templates
Index
Wiley End User License Agreement
Pages
i
vii
vi
ix
xi
xii
xiii
xiv
xv
xvi
xvii
xviii
xix
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
Praise for The Intentional IEP
“This book is a one‐stop‐shop for teachers, administrators, special educators, and parents. Packed with comprehensive information and practical tips, Stephanie has made the IEP process understandable from start to finish. As a dad to a college student with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, this is the book I wish I had when he started his journey.”
—Dan Jordan, LPC NCC CCTP, Accessing College, former College Accessibility Coordinator
“Stephanie nailed it: writing IEPs is a task, but it's also an opportunity; it's a process, but it's also a promise; and it's tough, but she makes it easy! Teachers who love their students and want the best for them should master writing effective IEPs, and The Intentional IEP: A Team Approach to Better Outcomes for Students and Their Families provides the perfect guide to make the best out of every IEP!”
—Timothy Kretchman, Founder and Educational Strategist for Action Driven Education
“The Intentional IEP simplifies and streamlines the overwhelming process of creating an IEP. This book provides practical and functional tips for every step of the IEP process for a special education teacher.”
—Sasha Long, MA BCBA, Founder and President of The Autism Helper, Inc.
The Intentional IEP
A Team Approach to Better Outcomes for Students and Their Families
Stephanie DeLussey
Copyright © 2024 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per‐copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750‐8400, fax (978) 750‐4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748‐6011, fax (201) 748‐6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission.
Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762‐2974, outside the United States at (317) 572‐3993 or fax (317) 572‐4002.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data is Available:
ISBN 9781394184729 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781394184736 (ePDF)
ISBN 9781394184743 (ePub)
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Images: © kool99/Getty Images
About the Author
Stephanie DeLussey is owner of The Intentional IEP and Mrs. D’s Corner, a veteran special education teacher, Individualized Education Program (IEP) coach, and dual-certified in special education N-12 and elementary education K-6. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University, completed an IEP Coaching program in 2020, and is studying to be a Board Certified Inclusive Education Specialist through the National Association of Special Education Teachers. Stephanie has been featured in publications like Exceptional Parent magazine, a guest on The Autism Helper and Be Kind to Everyone podcasts, and others. More than 500,000 online followers across platforms trust her expertise and turn to her for inspiration in not only planning effective, adaptable lessons for students, but in utilizing a more collaborative special education process for all students and families. Visit www.theintentionaliep.com and www.mrsdscorner.com to work with her.
When Stephanie isn’t working with teachers and staff, she’s spending time with her husband, young son, and two dogs on the beach in Northwest Florida.
Introduction
I have dreamed of being a teacher ever since I can remember. In elementary school, I would take extra copies of worksheets home and teach invisible students in my classroom, which was my bedroom. I'd save my babysitting money to buy Vis‐á‐Vis markers and clear shelf‐contact paper to make transparencies for my overhead projector, which was my dresser. In high school, I tried to start an email chain with friends to add math word problems and forward them. While wildly unsuccessful at the email chain, I have always known I wanted to teach.
Special education came into my life when I was a teenager. I vividly remember going to Walmart with my mom and seeing someone she knew there. I remember hearing them talk about this person's younger son having a disability and needing extra help in school. I had no idea what any of it meant, but this is my very first memory of me knowing that being a special education teacher is what I was put on this Earth to do.
My senior project was all about No Child Left Behind, and after graduating high school, I went on to pursue a dual certification degree in Special Education N–12 and Elementary Education K–6 from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. And in 2010, I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree and started to pursue my dream as a classroom special education teacher. It is true what they say though: nothing prepares you for teaching in the classroom quite like actually teaching in a classroom does.
No more than a month fresh out of college, I taught Extended School Year (ESY) through a local Intermediate Unit. My class was a severe autism unit, and honestly, I would not have survived that summer without the help of the paraprofessionals in the room with me. About a month after the end of ESY, I moved to northern Virginia and became a 7th‐grade math co‐teacher. The staff I worked with was incredible, administration was so supportive, the school was recently remodeled, and my caseload had about 20 students on it. Talk about a dream job! I loved this school and all of the students I worked with. I even got to write my first Manifestation Determination and Behavior Plan that year! At the end of that school year I remember thinking, “Steph, you made it through this school year! You can make it through anything!” It wasn't tough, but it was not what college had prepared me for—even though I loved every minute of it.
At the end of that school year, I jumped right back into teaching ESY. You know those things that non‐teachers always say we're so lucky to have … there was no summer break for me my first four years of teaching. I lived and breathed being a teacher.
After my first year in Virginia, I moved back to Pennsylvania to be with my now‐husband outside of Philadelphia. I struggled finding a teaching position for months, and this is when I started selling lessons I had created on www.teacherspayteachers.com. A few months later, I accepted a position as a K–8 resource teacher at a charter school in Wilmington, Delaware. The commute was rough, my caseload was enormous, but I was back in the classroom and I was going to make a difference. The staff and administration at this charter school were unmatched. And I mean, I actually wanted to go to the staff meetings because the people I worked with were so passionate about education. It was contagious. I worked at this charter school for a few months until a position as a high school instructional support team (IST) facilitator at a public school opened up. At this same time, I was working on my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and English as a Second Language because I wanted to help write curriculum and saw this new position as a next step.
As an IST facilitator, I worked closely with the general education teachers and administrators to identify and help students who didn't qualify for special education services, but needed additional supports. Through this position, I got to see the other side of special education. The side where staff and parents, sometimes together and sometimes not, were advocating for students and trying to find loopholes to get supports for these students who didn't qualify for special education services. Teacher me thrived in this position until the budget cut it a year and a half later.
Months later, I was hired by another charter school in Chester, Pennsylvania, to be a 5th‐grade resource teacher. It wasn't long after this that we found out we were moving to Houston, Texas. We were thrilled, and as soon as we found out, I began transferring my teaching certifications to Texas. Within two months of being in Texas, I officially accepted a position as a grade 1–4 life skills teacher. I spent the entire summer getting ready, and as soon as I was allowed in my classroom to set up, I was there. I instantly fell in love with my class. We got to cook in the classroom, practice life skills, play to build motor skills … this classroom setting lit my teacher soul on fire. The next school year, I became the special education team leader in the building, and my caseload was exhausting, but I lived for it.
This was the first year I remember crying in an IEP meeting; I cared so much about my students and felt like no one at my school was listening to me when I advocated for the services my students deserved. You know how some years you teach, and other years teach you? My second year in life skills taught me. That class had so many needs, and on top of the day to day, I had to prove to the district that I desperately needed an additional paraprofessional. Needless to say, I became that squeaky wheel advocating for my students, which turned into a very unhealthy and toxic situation the following school year.
Ultimately, I decided to leave the classroom mid‐year.
It was the hardest decision I have ever made, to this day. I felt broken beyond repair, and I was ashamed and disappointed in myself that I left. The guilt ate me alive, and without being in a classroom, my entire identity of being a teacher shattered. At this same time, I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and PTSD. The following year was a blur of ignoring my mental health, until I finally decided to go to therapy and get help. There was always this little voice inside my head, though, that told me I needed to be in the classroom, so I went on interviews and would have anxiety attacks when offered the position. After experiencing the same phenomenon three times, I started listening to my body and what it was trying to tell me. I challenged myself to find my place in education that did not involve an actual classroom.
My journey in education has always challenged the traditional status quo of what being a teacher is and looks like. You know, the one where you teach in one classroom for 35 years and then retire. Fortunately, and unfortunately at the same time, education has changed a lot in the last decade. What I do see from the outside of the classroom setting is teachers setting harder boundaries than before, teachers taking back their worth and standing up to challenge the current state of education, and I see more students than ever being referred to special education, with teachers being given little to no guidance or training.
Flash forward a few summers—I was creating a resource to help teachers with IEP writing. I remember talking to one of my friends and she could see the light return in my eyes as I described this new resource to her. That conversation inspired me to dive deeper into what I love—IEP writing. One fun fact about me is I truly enjoy writing IEPs; I always have. The paperwork excites me and I could look at data for days, and I know I'm in the minority with this. That's when I came up with the idea for The Intentional IEP. Since then, I have helped more than 30,000 teachers with their IEP writing through virtual and in‐person trainings and I am proud to call myself an IEP Coach.
One thing that has always rung true for me as a veteran special education teacher is my love of students. To this day, everything I do is to make an impact in special education. To make positive waves in special education. To help you, the special education caseload manager.
Habit Building
IEP writing wasn't always easy for me. I committed many of the ultimate no‐nos of IEP writing during my first years as a teacher:
I spent nights writing IEPs at home.
I wrote IEPs the night before the IEP meeting.
I have not used data to make decisions.
I have not always done my best to be collaborative and inclusive of the families I serviced.
I had a mentor teacher my very first year teaching, and the rest was on me to figure out—across multiple states, multiple classroom settings, and multiple IEP writing systems. The biggest lesson I had to learn had nothing to do with the process of IEP writing; I had to learn how to prioritize all the to‐dos in my classroom, and it wasn't until my 5th year of teaching that I realized the importance of prioritizing my teacher job duties and responsibilities. I had to learn how to say “no” and I needed to break bad habits and build new habits because I needed to set boundaries to protect my mental health.
Before you continue through this book, I invite you to join me in an activity. This activity is the exact habit builder that I created and began using in my own classroom, and my hope is that by completing this quick 30‐minute activity, you will be set on the pathway to becoming a stronger, more efficient IEP writer and advocate for your students.
Figure I.1 Setting Your Priorities Will Help Organize Your Task and Goals
SOURCE: (c) Adobe Stock Images
You can visit the appendix of this book for blank templates for this activity.
Step 1: Brain Dump
On a blank piece of paper, you need to write down all of your mental notes and to‐dos. Everything and anything, nothing is too big or too small to be written down. All of these things need to be out of your head so you have the mental capacity to show up for your students and yourself.
Tip: This step can be done all at once in one sitting, or accumulated across days. For example, I am the queen of sticky notes. My desk never has less than a dozen sticky notes with different things I need to do scribbled on them because if I don't write it down, I will forget it and it won't get done. It might be a chaotic brain dump, but I will let the sticky notes accumulate for no more than one week, and then I will do a quick brain dump and add my sticky notes to the paper.
Step 2: Break It Down
Remember how I said to write everything down, nothing is too big or too small? It's still true, but this is the part where you will break down the larger tasks into smaller tasks. Kind of like a task analysis, but maybe not as specific. You can do this on the same sheet of paper, or a separate one if you'd like.
Example: Let's say I have “lesson plan for math for week 26” as a to‐do. This task breakdown might look like four different tasks: (1) determine which math skills will be taught during week 26, (2) determine the sequence of skills to be taught each day of the week, (3) determine what and how to teach each lesson each day of the week, and (4) determine how to assess the skill at the end of the week.
The most important point to remember about this step is that it will look different for each task and for each teacher. There's no right or wrong way here!
Step 3: Prioritize
This is the fun part because it's time to prioritize each of the tasks from your brain dump into one of three sections: Must Do, Do Later, Maybe Do.
Must Do
—These are tasks on your list that need to be completed. These tasks are generally time‐sensitive, are student‐specific, or have another task waiting so there is no other option than to get done.
Do Later
—These are tasks on your list that need to be completed, but not right now. The tasks have no immediate urgency and can wait a couple days or weeks to be completed.
Maybe Do
—These are tasks on your list that you'd like to get done, but may be tasks that don't actually need to be done. These tasks are not aligned to student achievement or your success as a teacher.
Remember: your priorities are unique to you, and there is no right or wrong!
Step 4: Your Big Three
Once you have your priorities organized into three separate lists, it's time to make your weekly task list. Each day should have no more than three big tasks on it that you need to or should complete. You can also use this method to set three big goals for the week.
Step 5: Revisit
As the week progresses, you may find that other things have popped up that have a higher priority than what you had planned on doing. Welcome to teaching, right? It's okay, and this is where your flexibility comes to the rescue.
You may also find that you completed your Big Three really quickly on a specific day of the week, and you have the time and mental capacity to handle another task from your priorities list. You can then go back to your original list and select another task to complete that aligns with how you've prioritized your teaching duties and responsibilities.
As teachers, we always have a million and six things to do. And no matter what classroom setting you teach in, there will always be more to do. You can finish grading a stack of papers today, and tomorrow there will be another task waiting for you. Or you can decide to not laminate that center activity because going to your own child's sports event is more important. Truly, there's no quick fix to changing your habits. But, gradually, as you make a new habit here, let go of an old habit there, make another new habit here, you'll notice your system beginning to work for you and not against you. And you, my teacher friend, have just taken the first step into revamping your current system. Welcome! I'm so proud of you!
Chapter 1IEP Rundown
Objective 1
Learner will glean information about the history of the federal IDEA law and how it came to be.
Objective 2
Learner will understand what an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is and how an individual may qualify for services.
Objective 3
Learner will discover the similarities and differences between IEPs and 504 Plans.
You are here reading this because you're a teacher or an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team member. That means you are providing a service to your students, more specifically, you are providing special education services that are mandated through federal and state laws.
The purpose of this chapter is to offer you background knowledge of the history of special education and what special education services are, with hopes that by understanding the reasons why these laws were enacted, you will better understand your role at a child's IEP meeting and in their education.
History of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
If we want to learn the history of special education services in schools, we have to go back before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted. The fate of many individuals with disabilities prior to the 1950s and 1960s was many were shunned or institutionalized, of which the majority in institutions were placed in severely restrictive settings. These individuals were kept rather than taught or rehabilitated, and the families of these individuals had little to no say. More so—there weren't many resources available for families and individuals with disabilities to live at home, let alone attend school with their neighboring peers.
It wasn't really until the 1950s and 1960s that the federal government started to step in, passing the National Defense Education Act (PL 85‐864). This was the first act obtained that gave federal funding for teachers to be trained to work with disabled children.
Many of these new practices and improved programs and services from the 1950s and 1960s laid the foundation for the future … or the services that are available today.
Here are some of the wave‐making acts from during this time that helped pave the way for today's services:
Training of Professional Personnel Act of 1959: Helped train educational leaders on how to educate children with disabilities.
Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963:
1
Provision for funding of construction on facilities related to the prevention, care, and treatment of disabled individuals.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (which is now Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] of 2015): The start of state provided grants.
Economic Opportunities Amendments of 1972, now known as Head Start.
Handicapped Children's Early Education Assistance Act of 1968.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
It's important to know where we came from so we can understand why we have the services, programs, and supports available today, and so we know what services, programs, and supports are available for our students when making IEP recommendations.
Moving into the 1970s, only about one in five2 students with a disability were educated in schools. Much of this was because school districts were not legally required to educate disabled children, and there were many laws that prevented and prohibited disabled children from attending school altogether … until 1975.
In 1975, the United States saw the landmark development and signing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) (Public Law 94‐142).
Signed by President Gerald Ford on November 29, 1975, the four purposes of the EHA were:
“To assure that all children with disabilities have available to them … a free appropriate public education (FAPE), which emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs,
To assure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents … are protected,
To assist States and localities to provide for the education of all children with disabilities, and
To assess and assure the effectiveness of efforts to educate all children with disabilities.”
3
After being signed into law, the EHA gave and guaranteed each student with a disability access to a FAPE. FAPE is pivotal to our purpose as special education teachers because all children deserve the opportunity to attend public schools and have a right to an education.
Not only was Public Law 94‐142 the first to clearly define FAPE, it also:
Required school districts to include the parents and guardians.
Mandated IEPs for each student with a disability.
Required placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
Ensured disabled students are given nondiscriminatory tests (think: native language and tests that take the disability into consideration).
Required due process procedures be in place.
The EHA took the necessary steps to protect students with disabilities and their families, giving them the right to an equal, yet individualized, education, but it also provided support to the states to help them meet each student's individual needs.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a huge push for more opportunities for children with disabilities. Children in institutions were now being serviced under EHA and many were integrated with their nondisabled peers in public schools.
During this time we also saw:
The U.S. Supreme Court address FAPE for the first time.
More support for improved transition programs (think: vocational skills).
Transition from high school to adult living.
In 1982, a landmark Supreme Court Case (Board of Education v. Rowley)4 ruled that the law was to provide “a basic floor of opportunity to learn,” as opposed to the achievement of maximum potential. It's important to remember this: FAPE is an opportunity as opposed to an unmeasurable outcome (i.e., maximum potential). The ruling also said that the state must provide sufficient supports and services to allow the child to benefit educationally from instruction, which you may now hear called “The Rowley Standard.”
In 1984, in Irving Independent School District v. Amber Tatro,5
