Education Support Package - Individual Education plans

Developing an Individual Education Plan

All students, regardless of their disabilities, are able to learn. However, students with special needs may learn at a slower rate than their non-disabled peers. Planning and programming for these students needs to be individualised. The process of developing individualised education plans is discussed in this chapter.

What is an Individual Education Plan?

An Individual Education Plan (lEP) is a way of establishing educational goals recognising that a student has highly individual needs. Requirements vary in different settings.

An IEP is a document that identifies the student's academic, physical, social and emotional needs. It outlines a continuing plan to meet the student's needs and specifies the resources required.

An lEP is critical for the successful education of a special needs student. An IEP is a realistic practical plan that is uncomplicated and can be understood by teachers, assistants, parents and specialists.

Individual Education Plan

STUDENT OUTCOME STATEMENTS

IEPS may include:

• an assessment of the student's present level of educational achievement; statement of priorities;
• specific educational objectives;
• names of those responsible for the respective parts of the program;
• monitoring of the student's progress; and
• review date.

Where to start

Before designing an Individual Education Program you will need to identify what the student can do.

• What are the student's strengths?
• What is the student's level of functioning in key areas?
• What is the student's level of independence?
• How does the student conform? (e.g. on-task behaviours, classroom behaviours).
• What is the student's particular disability and how does it affect performance?

Relevant information may be obtained from:

• Observation of the student;
• Enrolment records/placement procedure observations;
• Assessment of the student­

  o First Steps Continua

  o standardised tests

  o developmental checklists

  o teacher-developed tests

  o work sample file

  o criterion-based assessment

  o Outcome Statements;

• Student files and reports;
• Parent interviews/questionnaires;
• Consultation with associated agencies (see chapter on Sources of Help);
• Consultation with therapists;
• Discussion with previous school/teacher;
• Discussion with student; and
• Previous IEP.

Considerations

What can you expect to achieve within your timeframe?

• Teaching time available
• Number of students in class
• Range of students' abilities
• Number of objectives selected
• Teacher assistant time available

What resources are available?

• Personnel (e.g. teachers, teacher assistant, therapists, parents, volunteers)
• Facilities in and around school community
• Equipment
• Is the skill applicable across a range of activities and will it be frequently used by the student? (e.g. writing own name, greeting people).

The IEP meeting

At this stage, an IEP meeting should be arranged. An IEP meeting (Individual Education Plan meeting) is a meeting between parents and the teacher, and can also include visiting teachers, the principal, specialists, teacher assistants and the student, as relevant. An IEP can be used to:

• share information about the student;
• identify priority goals for the student's education;
• formulate objectives;
• generate a list of objectives which arise from these goals; and; formulate an Individual Education Plan.

Planning the meeting

• Send home letters to inform the parents about the meeting (see example). You may consider sending a list of questions as a guide for parent input (see examples).
• Inform relevant persons of IEP meeting details.
• Organise the venue.
• Allow sufficient time (approximately 45 to 60 minutes ).

The meeting place

• should be:
• comfortable;
• private;
• free from interruption;
• sufficiently furnished; and
• provided with a means of recording information, (e.g. whiteboard).

What to do at the meeting

• Welcome everyone

• Make introductions

• Briefly review the purpose of the meeting

• Emphasise the value of parent input

• Review the student's current performance
  

• Open meeting up for discussion, invite participants to contribute
  

• From discussion, generate a list of goals for the student

• Prioritise goals (see box)

• Establish measurable objectives that may be achieved within the next programming period
  

• Delineate areas of responsibility

• Write up the IEP during the meeting and arrange to send participants a copy (see example)

• Set a review date

Implementing the IEP

Once the objectives have been established by the IEP process, the teacher implements an instructional program. When planning the program the teacher will need to consider:

• Time tabling - regular, modified, individual. Remember, do not plan programs which limit the student to working alone for the whole day - the student needs time to be part of the class.

• Resources - specialist advice, budget, human resources (scribe), furniture, materials, computers and communication aids.

• Strategies - select appropriate and purposeful strategies that involve teaching the skills in 'real situations' where each student spends the maximum time actively learning. Students need varied repetition and time to generalise skills across different situations.

• Learning Environment - regular, withdrawal (within or outside class), buddy class, community, home. Some objectives will need to be implemented and practiced in more than one learning environment.

• Instruction - teacher (regular, support, specialist), teacher assistant, volunteer, therapists, peers and parents could all be involved in instruction.

Evaluation

Evaluation - the monitoring process should indicate whether the student's needs are being met and ensure that there is a close match between student long term/priority goals and the plans and program devised. The student's progress needs to be continually monitored, reviewed and evaluated.

Some effective methods for monitoring and evaluation include:

• collecting data on the Objectives;
• anecdotal information;
• First Steps continua
• criterion referenced Assessment;
• checklists; and
• Student Outcome Statements.

The IEP should be reviewed regularly - this may be as frequent as once/twice per term ­but the number of IEP meetings held for a student in anyone year will vary according to factors such as the student's progress and individual school policies.

Review each objective with a written comment on the IEP to indicate the achievement of an objective or to identify the need to rewrite or modify an objective. Set learning objectives for the student to work on for the next teaching/learning cycle. Strategies may also need to be reviewed if an objective has not been achieved.

Reporting

In order to report using SOS teachers will need to establish links between what students have achieved and Student Outcome Statements. An IEP is a written plan which can be used for school reporting, and the priority goals and objectives may be linked to the Student Outcome Statements. The existence of Foundation Outcome Statements takes into account the achievements of students who are performing prior to Level 1. Student Outcome Statements are therefore inclusive of the full range of students in schools, and may be used for reporting on all students.

See sample of student report.

SAMPLES

The following are samples of IEP formats, letters and questionnaires.

Please note that these are samples only.

Dear Parents,

During First Term you met with me to discuss your child's educational program and at that meeting we decided jointly on several priorities for your child to work on during First and Second Terms. It is now time to review your child's progress on the objectives we set, so I need to arrange to meet with you again.

At our meeting we will look at the plan made in First Term and discuss your child's progress. We will then decide together whether we should set new objectives or continue with these set in First Term.

If you have any preferences for what you want your child to work on we can also discuss these at a meeting.

I am enclosing a set of dates and times when I am available for meetings. Can you please nominate a suitable time and return the sheet to me.

Yours sincerely,

Individual Education Plan Parental Questionnaire

1. How does your child communicate?

2. What communication skills would you like your child to learn? (e.g. talking in single words/sentences, communicating choices, responding to others, writing ...)

3. What mathematical skills would you like your child to improve on?

(e.g. counting, exploring, money)

4. How independent is your child in everyday activities?

(e.g. dressing, eating, hygiene, movement skills, interacting with the environment, home skills, stranger danger ...)

5. Does your child use any special equipment to move or communicate?

What are they? (e.g. wheelchair, Macaw, standing frame…)

6. What other equipment would you like your child to use?

7. How does your child socialise with people?

8. What motivates your child to perform at their best? (e.g. food,

computer games ...)

9. What are your child's favourite activities?

a) at home

b) in the community

10. What activities would you like your child to be doing in the future?

11. What are the most important things for your child to learn this year?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your contributions will enable us to develop an individual education plan which meets the needs of your child both at home and at school. We look forward to discussing your child's program with you at your parent-teacher interview.

Parental Questionnaire IEP Meeting

NAME :

SCHOOL :

PARENTS :

DATE :

Please complete before the IEP meeting scheduled for:

School staff appreciate the support and interest of Parents. We believe it is important to work together as a team to help your child's development. To do this we need to understand those areas and skills which you as a parent see as important.

1 Please list two or three outcomes you would like * to achieve in the LONG TERM (e.g. end of year one, end of primary school):

2. For the next semester, please list two/three concise goals:

3. Which skills do you see as a priority for *? (number in order of

priority):

• functional academics
• communication
• basic skills and concepts personal care
• life skills
• social development behaviour

4. What do you believe to be * 's strengths?

5. What do believe to be * 's weaknesses?

6. What areas of * 's behaviour cause concern to you?

7. What methods have you found to be effective in rewarding * ?

8. How does * show likes/dislikes?

9. How does * communicate with other people?

10. How does * tell us what s/he wants?

11. How does * choose to do things?

12. What does * do to care for him/herself?

13. What activities can * do using hand/finger skills?

14. What sort of activities does * do at a table/desk?

15. To what extent does * mix with children in the neighbourhood?

16. What leisure things does * enjoy at home?

17. Are there any problems at home that we could assist with at school?

18. Any other information that would be valuable for discussion?

At the conclusion of our meeting a consensus should be reached on prioritising goals and establishing/reviewing objectives for the IEP.

It is the responsibility of the teacher/school to determine the teaching strategies, methodologies and instructional materials to be used in the educational programme. The school will provide you and any other appropriate person with a copy of the IEP

Thank you for your input.

NAME:

SCHOOL:

TEACHER/S:

DATE:

Please complete before the IEP meeting scheduled for:

1. Please list two or three outcomes you would like * to achieve in the LONG TERM (i.e. end of primary/secondary school):

2. For the next semester, please list two/three concise goals :

3. Which skills do you see as a priority for *? (number in order of

priority):

4. Issues I Concerns

5. Any other information that would be valuable for discussion?

At the conclusion of our meeting a consensus should be reached on prioritising goals and establishing/reviewing objectives for an IEP.

Thank you for your input.

Educational Profile for

SEMESTER. . . . . . . . . 1997

Individual Education Plan for . . . . .

Individual Education Plan

Action Key: A = Achieved

M = Maintained

C = Command

Name:_________________ Date:_____________

DATE REVIEWED: ___/___/___

Educational Programme

Area: Health and Physical Education

Date: Semester 2, 1997

Mid Year Report/Review

STUDENT :

TEACHER :

DATE :

The following key has been used to monitor your child's progress:

(NPG) - No Progress Gained: The skill was programmed for but has not been addressed due to time, current ability or other considerations. The skill will be considered for the next program.

(EM) - Emerging: The student demonstrates basic awareness that a skill or response is required of them. They approach the task with some anticipation of their role even though they are heavily reliant on all forms of prompts and cues to participate in the task or skill.

(C) - Consolidating: The student participates more actively in the task/skill. Their understanding of the response required is more developed although they are still reliant on prompts and cues to partially complete the task/skill. The skill requires practice in order for co-operation/progress to develop.

(EST) - Establishing: The student requires minimal non-intrusive prompts or cues to complete the task in a specific setting or routine (e.g. people, places, materials).

(G/A) - Generalised/Achieved: The student completes the skill across a minimum of three different settings and routines (e.g. school, home community, different classrooms, various people etc.) with minimal non-intrusive prompts.

Educational Report

Area: Health and Physical Education

Date: Semester 2, 1997

Individual Education Plan 200_ Special Education Student Summary

Individual Education Plan

Name:______________________ Date:____________

Priority Goal: ______________

• Achieved
• Maintained
• Continuing
• Deferred

Child's Name: ____________________ Date of Birth :____________ Year Level:_____

E.C.S.Teacher ____________

Individual Education Plan

• Define Classroom Teacher
• Consider, Discuss and State the Teaching Strategy to Meet the Objective.