The IEP Team Process: Chapter 5 - The IEP Meeting

ECACorg

28 Oct 201111:12

Summary

TLDRThe video script depicts a collaborative meeting for Dominic's annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) review. The IEP team, including Dominic's parents, teachers, a school psychologist, and an assistant principal, discuss his strengths, challenges, and future goals. They address concerns about his academic progress, particularly in writing and reading, and establish an ambitious writing goal for Dominic. The team also considers the transition to middle school and the potential use of assistive technology. The meeting concludes with a plan for special education services, accommodations during assessments, and a commitment to keep communication open for Dominic's success.

Takeaways

📝 The meeting is an annual review of Dominic's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
👨‍🏫 Dominic's special education teacher, Sandra Miller, is acting as the IEP team coordinator.
📋 A staff member, Diane Woods, is assigned to take notes and ensure all paperwork is completed.
👦 Dominic is eligible for special education due to a specific learning disability in written expression and reading comprehension.
🌟 Dominic's strengths include being a team player, getting along with peers, drawing well, being strong in math, and having good verbal skills.
👨‍👩‍👦 Dominic's parents, Ally and Stan Peterson, express concerns about his progress and his ability to keep up with his written homework.
🎓 The transition to middle school next year is a special factor that needs to be addressed in Dominic's IEP.
📈 A writing goal is proposed for Dominic to improve his ability to write detailed and logically organized essays.
🖥️ Assistive technology, such as using a computer for writing, is considered to support Dominic's learning.
📊 Progress will be measured using work samples and writing assessments, with weekly data tracking.
🏫 Special education services are discussed, with a debate on the appropriate amount of time Dominic should spend in the resource classroom.
📅 The team will outline Dominic's school day, including accommodations and supports, and determine how progress will be reported to his parents.
📝 The final IEP will document attendance, participation, and provide parents with meeting notes and a prior written notice of changes.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the meeting described in the transcript?
-The purpose of the meeting is to conduct Dominic's annual review of his Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Who acts as the IEP team coordinator in this meeting?
-Dominic's special education teacher, Sandra Miller, acts as the IEP team coordinator.
What roles do the team members have in the meeting?
-The team consists of Dominic's special education teacher, regular education teacher, parents, the student himself, school psychologist, a representative from the middle school, a note-taker, and the assistant principal representing the local school district.
What are Dominic's strengths according to the notes made by the team?
-Dominic's strengths include being a team player, getting along well with peers, drawing well, being strong in math, liking to use a computer, and having good verbal skills.
What concerns do Dominic's parents express about his education?
-Dominic's parents express concerns that he is not meeting his goals, getting further behind, getting frustrated, and struggling with written homework.
What is the proposed writing goal for Dominic in his IEP?
-The proposed writing goal is for Dominic to be able to write a three to five paragraph essay with independent use of graphic organizers upon request, that is well-organized and adequately detailed, on four out of five trials.
Why is assistive technology considered for Dominic despite only having a learning disability?
-Assistive technology is considered because it can help Dominic with his writing and journaling, as he tends to perform better when using a computer.
How will Dominic's progress toward meeting his IEP goals be measured and reported?
-Dominic's progress will be measured using work samples such as journaling essays and computer work, as well as the results of writing assessments. Progress will be reported to his parents with weekly data on his performance.
What accommodations might Dominic need during testing and assessments?
-Dominic might need accommodations such as extra time or taking his tests in a separate room.
What special education services will Dominic receive, and how long will the sessions be?
-Dominic will receive special education services in the resource classroom for 45 minutes a day.
What is the final step in the IEP meeting process described in the transcript?
-The final step is documenting the meeting attendees and participation, providing the parents with copies of the meeting notes and the revised draft of the IEP, and a document called prior written notice describing changes to Dominic's educational program.

Outlines

00:00

📚 IEP Team Meeting for Dominic's Annual Review

The script describes an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting for Dominic's annual review. The team includes Dominic's special education teacher, regular education teacher, mother, father, school psychologist, a representative from the middle school, a note-taker, and the assistant principal. The meeting starts with introductions and moves on to discussing Dominic's strengths, such as being a team player, good at math, and having good verbal skills. His parents also mention his athletic abilities and creativity. The team then discusses Dominic's challenges, particularly with reading and writing, and his future aspirations. The meeting also addresses concerns from Dominic's parents about him falling behind and getting frustrated with his academic progress. Transition planning for Dominic moving to middle school is also discussed, with the middle school representative offering support.

05:02

📝 Developing Dominic's IEP Goals and Transition Planning

This paragraph focuses on the development of Dominic's IEP goals, particularly in the area of writing. The team discusses his current writing abilities, noting that with assistance, he can write a loosely organized paragraph. The proposed goal is for Dominic to independently use graphic organizers to write a detailed, logically organized essay. The team debates the ambition of the goal but decides to aim high. They also consider the use of assistive technology, such as computers, to aid Dominic's writing. The paragraph covers the measurement of progress through work samples and assessments, and the team discusses accommodations and modifications for Dominic's school day. The team also addresses the provision of special education services, with a debate on the appropriate amount of time Dominic should spend in the resource room. The paragraph concludes with the team agreeing on the services and accommodations, and the documentation process for any changes to Dominic's educational program.

10:03

🤝 Encouraging Parental Involvement and Advocacy

The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of ongoing communication between home and school and encourages parents to actively participate in their child's education. It advises parents to regularly check on their child's progress and to raise any concerns early with the teacher or IEP team. The script also highlights the need for parents to use good advocacy skills to resolve disagreements and to remember that the ultimate goal is to prepare the child for their future. The paragraph concludes with a hopeful note that the DVD, which presumably contains the video script, will provide parents with the knowledge and skills to effectively participate in the development of their child's IEP.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡IEP

IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. It is a personalized plan for each student with a disability that is designed to meet their unique educational needs. In the video, the IEP team is working together to write Dominic's IEP, which includes his strengths, challenges, and goals for improvement. The script mentions 'write the IEP' and 'Dominic's annual review of his IEP,' emphasizing the importance of this document in planning his education.

💡IEP team coordinator

The IEP team coordinator is a key member of the IEP team who organizes and facilitates the meetings, ensuring that all participants are informed and that the process runs smoothly. In the script, Sandra Miller, Dominic's special education teacher, is acting as the IEP team coordinator for the meeting.

💡Special education

Special education refers to specially designed instruction and support to help students with disabilities succeed in their education. Dominic is eligible for special education services due to his specific learning disability. The script discusses his category of eligibility and the team's efforts to tailor his educational plan to his needs.

💡Learning disability

A learning disability is a neurological condition that affects a person's ability to process or understand information. Dominic has a specific learning disability in written expression and reading comprehension. This is a central theme in the video as the team discusses his challenges and how to support him.

💡Regular education teacher

A regular education teacher is responsible for teaching students who do not have special needs in a general education setting. In the script, Michele Atkins is Dominic's regular education teacher and is part of the IEP team, indicating the collaboration between special and regular education to support Dominic.

💡Student profile

A student profile is a summary of a student's strengths, interests, and areas of need. It helps guide the development of an IEP. The script mentions the team looking at Dominic's strengths, such as being a team player, getting along well with peers, and having good verbal skills, which are part of his student profile.

💡Transitions

Transitions refer to the process of moving from one educational setting or phase to another, such as from elementary to middle school. In the video, the team discusses Dominic's upcoming transition to middle school and how to address it in his IEP to ensure a smooth change.

💡Assistive technology

Assistive technology is any tool or device that helps individuals with disabilities to perform tasks more easily. The script discusses the possibility of Dominic using a computer for writing tasks, which is an example of assistive technology that could help him overcome his learning disability in written expression.

💡Progress measurement

Progress measurement involves tracking a student's improvement over time to determine if they are meeting their IEP goals. The script mentions using work samples and writing assessments to measure Dominic's progress, which is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of his IEP.

💡Accommodations

Accommodations are adjustments made to the learning environment or testing conditions to help students with disabilities participate fully in education. The script discusses potential accommodations for Dominic, such as extra time or separate testing rooms, to support his learning.

💡Prior written notice

Prior written notice is a document that informs parents about proposed changes to their child's educational program. It is part of the procedural safeguards that ensure parents are involved in decision-making. The script mentions providing this document to Dominic's parents, highlighting the importance of keeping them informed and involved.

Highlights

IEP team members gather for Dominic's annual review of his IEP.

Dominic's special education teacher, Sandra Miller, acts as the IEP team coordinator.

Introductions are made, including Dominic's parents and his regular education teacher, Michele Atkins.

Dominic's strengths are discussed, such as being a team player, good at math, and having good verbal skills.

Dominic's parents share their thoughts on his athletic abilities and creativity.

Dominic is encouraged to participate in the IEP process and shares his favorite school subject is math.

Dominic's future aspirations are discussed, including his interest in working at a video store.

Dominic's parents express concerns about him meeting his goals and getting frustrated with schoolwork.

The team discusses the transition to middle school with the help of Rosa Lopez from the middle school.

Dominic's writing goal is proposed, aiming for him to write a detailed and logically organized essay.

The use of graphic organizers is introduced as a tool to help Dominic with his writing.

Assistive technology is considered for Dominic to improve his writing and journaling skills.

The team decides on the frequency and duration of special education services for Dominic.

Dominic's parents suggest increasing the time for special education services to meet his needs.

The team agrees to keep the special education service time at 45 minutes per day.

The team discusses accommodations for Dominic during testing and assessments.

The IEP form is finalized, documenting the meeting attendees and the decisions made.

Dominic's parents are provided with meeting notes, the revised draft of the IEP, and prior written notice.

The DVD's aim is to equip parents with the knowledge to participate effectively in their child's IEP development.