The Individual The Individual Education Plan Education Plan A - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Individual The Individual Education Plan… Education Plan… A Living Document A Living Document Nanaimo Professional Learning Group Professional Learning Group Nanaimo 2004-05 2004-05 http://www.bctf.ca/TeachingToDiversity/BC-projects/IEP-presentation.pdf

The IEP is a living process that has the The IEP is a living process that has the potential to guide assessment, planning, potential to guide assessment, planning, collaborative communication and collaborative communication and teaching. teaching. Participants: Participants: Evelyn Matthews, Cindy Stanley, Barbara Daniels, Evelyn Matthews, Cindy Stanley, Barbara Daniels, Karina Younk Younk, Lisa , Lisa Sunde Sunde, and Jacqueline , and Jacqueline Kellam Kellam. . Karina A joint project sponsored by the BCTF, the NDTA, and SD 68 A joint project sponsored by the BCTF, the NDTA, and SD 68

Purpose Purpose The IEP has three purposes: The IEP has three purposes: • Legal Legal • • Utilitarian Utilitarian • • Empowerment Empowerment • The IEP should determine or frame The IEP should determine or frame instructional strategies and practices utilized (for instructional strategies and practices utilized (for the student) in the classroom. the student) in the classroom.

Key Elements of a Living IEP Key Elements of a Living IEP • Face-to-face shared conversations identify both Face-to-face shared conversations identify both • strengths and needs strengths and needs • Clear, specific support strategies are identified Clear, specific support strategies are identified • and presented on a single page and presented on a single page • Collaborative feedback and guidance is easily Collaborative feedback and guidance is easily • accessed accessed • Students move toward becoming self-advocates Students move toward becoming self-advocates •

Issues interfering with the concept of Issues interfering with the concept of a living IEP a living IEP • Long, cumbersome, technical documents Long, cumbersome, technical documents • • Lack of time for conversations between adults Lack of time for conversations between adults • advocating for student support advocating for student support • Multiple students with different Multiple students with different IEPs IEPs in a class in a class • create challenges for effective incorporation of create challenges for effective incorporation of strategies strategies • Confusion still exists about whether strategies Confusion still exists about whether strategies • are adaptations or modifications are adaptations or modifications

Focus of this Inquiry Focus of this Inquiry Collaboratively create, identify, and pilot an Collaboratively create, identify, and pilot an effective one-page adapted learning plan that effective one-page adapted learning plan that will: will: • Advocate for the student Advocate for the student • • Support teachers in their daily practice Support teachers in their daily practice • • Highlight clear, concise, effective strategies. Highlight clear, concise, effective strategies. •

Process Highlights Process Highlights The team: The team: • Reflected on existing IEP documents Reflected on existing IEP documents • • Explored adaptation strategies in Explored adaptation strategies in IEP Writer IEP Writer • • Created collaborative adapted learning plans Created collaborative adapted learning plans • • Piloted these adapted learning plans Piloted these adapted learning plans • • Compared elementary/secondary delivery models Compared elementary/secondary delivery models • • Identified the additional challenges large school settings Identified the additional challenges large school settings • present present

Specific Issues and Concerns at the Specific Issues and Concerns at the Elementary Level Elementary Level • Students requiring adaptations are generally Students requiring adaptations are generally • being well-supported, as these adaptations are being well-supported, as these adaptations are often incorporated in regular “good practice for often incorporated in regular “good practice for all” classroom practices all” classroom practices • Students requiring modifications present a Students requiring modifications present a • greater challenge when creating, implementing, greater challenge when creating, implementing, and overseeing their IEP and overseeing their IEP • Transition plans for students moving from Transition plans for students moving from • elementary to secondary organizational settings elementary to secondary organizational settings

Specific Issues and Concerns at the Specific Issues and Concerns at the Secondary Level Secondary Level • Students requiring modifications are generally being Students requiring modifications are generally being • well-supported through specific programs well-supported through specific programs • Communications regarding students requiring Communications regarding students requiring • adaptations are more challenging adaptations are more challenging • Multiple classroom settings often require course- Multiple classroom settings often require course- • specific adaptations specific adaptations • Students who can be successful with a single teacher at Students who can be successful with a single teacher at • the elementary level may have difficulty adapting to the elementary level may have difficulty adapting to multiple teachers and expectations multiple teachers and expectations

Elementary – Secondary Transitions Elementary – Secondary Transitions • The most challenging time for students requiring The most challenging time for students requiring • IEPs outlining outlining adaptive adaptive strategies occurs during strategies occurs during IEPs the transition from elementary to high school. the transition from elementary to high school. • Student needs do not become apparent as easily Student needs do not become apparent as easily • or as quickly. or as quickly. • Teachers are often initially unaware of the Teachers are often initially unaware of the • adapted strategies that were used in the adapted strategies that were used in the elementary school. elementary school.

Recommendation #1 Recommendation #1 To ensure teachers have a realistic opportunity To ensure teachers have a realistic opportunity to become familiar with the IEP strategies for a to become familiar with the IEP strategies for a specific student, it is recommended that there be specific student, it is recommended that there be a one-page adapted learning plan provided for a one-page adapted learning plan provided for the student and discussed with all teachers of the student and discussed with all teachers of this student. this student. • N.B.: IEP Writer Program N.B.: IEP Writer Program has has the ability to the ability to • create these one-page adapted learning plans. create these one-page adapted learning plans.

Recommendation #2 Recommendation #2 For the learning plan to become comfortable For the learning plan to become comfortable daily practice, meaningful conversations and daily practice, meaningful conversations and common understandings must occur between common understandings must occur between students and their advocates (teachers, support students and their advocates (teachers, support staff, and parents). staff, and parents).

Recommendation #3 Recommendation #3 Ongoing conversations and collaborative Ongoing conversations and collaborative revisions of the Adapted Learning Plan revisions of the Adapted Learning Plan strategies are essential. strategies are essential.

Recommendation #4 Recommendation #4 The process of sharing the adapted learning plan The process of sharing the adapted learning plan with teachers through meaningful conversations with teachers through meaningful conversations must be included in the “Year-at-a-glance” must be included in the “Year-at-a-glance” district checklist. district checklist.

Recommendation #5 Recommendation #5 Further implementation of the IEP strategies so Further implementation of the IEP strategies so they become: they become: - comfortable daily practice for teachers comfortable daily practice for teachers - - a comfortable part of a student’s planning a comfortable part of a student’s planning - - and, ultimately an intrinsic part of the self- and, ultimately an intrinsic part of the self- - advocacy by the student and later as an adult. advocacy by the student and later as an adult.

Areas requiring further study: Areas requiring further study: • Clear differentiation between adapted and Clear differentiation between adapted and • modified strategies modified strategies • Ongoing in-service and support for classroom Ongoing in-service and support for classroom • teachers to promote the living IEP teachers to promote the living IEP – as a process rather than as a document as a process rather than as a document – – as a link between the legal function and the human as a link between the legal function and the human – function of the document function of the document – as a means to move toward the ultimate goal of as a means to move toward the ultimate goal of – student self-advocacy. student self-advocacy.