The Fly PaperHouse Fly

A bulletin from the Director on those sticky issues in special education

 

May 24, 2004

 

The order of the IEP meeting – While many of the IEP meetings for the school year have been completed, there are still a few left.  With that in mind I want to offer an explanation of the order in which things should occur at a well run IEP meeting.

 

ü      Opportunity for Parent Input – After all necessary introductions have been handled, the parent should be given the opportunity to state any issues they would like to make sure are covered during the meeting.  They should also be encouraged to ask questions and be an active participant in the process.

 

ü      Present Levels of Educational Performance – The next thing to come in the flow of events should be the description of the Present Levels of Educational Performance (PLEP).  The PLEP should include information on the material the student is currently working in, any adaptations that are being used, grades received, progress being made, etc.  If done correctly, you should be able to take the statement of PLEP from one year to the next and determine how much progress the student has made.

 

ü      Identification of Needs – Once the student’s PLEP has been covered, it is the responsibility of the group to define the student’s needs, e.g. the student needs a small teacher to pupil ratio, the student needs a program that provides a great deal of structure, the student needs an extensive level of behavioral support, the student needs direct instruction in modified curriculum for mathematics, etc.

 

ü      Establishing Annual Goals and Benchmarks – The child’s annual goals and the accompanying benchmarks should be developed directly from the identified needs.  If a need has been identified, there should be a corresponding, measurable annual goal.  The benchmarks should then break the goal into manageable steps.

 

ü      Recommendation of Program – Once the child’s progress has been reviewed through the PLEP, the needs have been identified, and the annual goals and benchmarks have been established, the IEP team should then focus on the need for related services and where the child’s goals can best be addressed.  The program needs to be decided upon/developed.

 

You are to keep in mind that while it is appropriate, and even expected, that evaluation results, PLEP information, and draft goals can be developed and shared with the parent prior to the IEP meeting; the placement decision MUST be made at the meeting with the parent present.

 

Steven D. Castle, Director of Special Education

Oak Park Elementary District 97