A child with a disability is not removed from education in age-appropriate regular classrooms solely because of needed modifications in the general education curriculum.

                                                                                                                   - - - that IS the law.

IEP Expectations              Picture this!

  

           IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:

     

 

1. Present Levels must be described quantitatively using an assessment method, such as the Brigance or a Criterion Based Assessment.
2. Periodic monitoring of progress will be conducted, using the same method that was used to describe the child's present skill level.
3. Clearly defined, observable, measurable goals will address the need presented in the Present Levels.  If a need is described in Present Levels, a goal must accompany that need.
4. The goal will relate to the grade level content standards. This does not mean that we teach grade level material or have grade level expectations for a child if that is not appropriate.  This means that (for example) if the content standard is writing a term paper 'English 12.7.4', the goal can still be forming a complete sentence because it is a skill required for that content standard.
5. Goals will contain a target behavior, condition and criteria which matches the baseline data gathered for the Present Levels.
6. Objectives will explain how we will teach the skill to the child.
7. There WILL be a statement of how the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured, what kind of specially designed instruction the student will receive and who will deliver the service, frequency with which the teacher/therapist will spend time providing this service to the student for each goal, and what accommodations or modifications the student needs to access the curriculum (need being the operative word here - the need must be described in the Present Levels). Finally, there will be an explanation of why this is the LRE for this child.

         NOW, HOW DO WE DO THIS?

         

Step 1     Discuss future planning

• Make parent input evident in this section
• Make student input evident in this section
• Include immediate and long range needs of the student in the home, school, and community

Step 2     Discuss present levels of academic and functional performance

• Provide a snapshot of facts and skills (academic and functional performance)
• Reflect the priorities in the student's future plans
• Identify the gaps between student's current achievement and grade level standards
• Provide specific, measurable (countable), observable baseline data
• Describe how the disability has an impacty on progress (achievement and performance) in the general curriculum)
• Is understandable to all team members
• Provides the foundation for identifying needs, developing goals, and determining services

Step 3     Identify needs that require specially designed instruction

• Identify the skills the student needs to gain in order to progress in the curriculum
• Should be directly linked to the Present Levels of Performance
• Write using action verbs

Step 4   Identify measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals

• Prioritize by student need (most important first)
• Should provide access to the general curriculum
• Use an action verb / show an action performed by the student
• Match baseline data from present levels (es.  use the same unit of measurement)
• Set expectations for levels of academic and functional achievement in one year
• Achieving this goal would enable the student to make progress in the general curriculum, how?
• Work backwards, and check that each goal has an established baseline in the present levels of performance
• MUST contain a target behavior, condition, and criteria.

           Benchmarks or short-term objectives

• Objectives are the intermediate steps or benchmarks that lead directly to accomplishment of the goal (How WE will help the student reach the goal)
• Objectives measure student progress toward meeting the goal
• Objectives indicate performance results
• Objectives should be easy to measure and document

 

  Student Progress

• Includes a description of how the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured and when periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals will be provided

• Progress

  • Identify method of data collection
  • State how progress will be measured (i.e. charts, checklists)
  • Provide sufficient measurement intervals to give parent timely notice if changes need to be made
  • Indicate how parents will be informed of progress 
• Services
• Specify what kind of specially designed instruction the student will receive
• State who will deliver the service
• Frequency
• How much time during the day, week, or month will the teacher spend providing this service to the student for this goal (or similar goals if noted)
• Note that if the Intervention Specialist spends 50 minutes per day with a student but during that time addresses both language arts and organization goals, the time for each must be indicated, or split to indicate how much time will be spent on each content area.
• Accommodations/Modifications:
• What adaptations, changes, and supports the student needs to access the curriculum
• Specify who will provide the services and under what conditions the service will be provided.
• This should flow from the present levels of performance, matching a need which has been established.
• Should match with modifications allowed for state testing, and should be routinely provided in the classroom setting as a modification/accommodation.
• Least Restrictive Environment:
• State where this goal will be addressed and give the reason why this is the chosen setting.
• Must provide criteria for providing instruction outside the general education setting.
• Should provide a framework for the support needed for students to make progress in the general curriculum
• Establishes a link between the setting and service the student will receive.

           SO WHAT SHOULD THE IEP LOOK LIKE?

                                    TO BE CONTINUED.......