Creating Effective IEPs
A Guide to Developing, Writing, and Implementing Plans for Teachers
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ISBN 978-1-5063-8186-2
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Brief Contents
2 1. Individualized Education Plans and the Law: IFSP, IEP, ITP, and SOPLitigation and Legislation—The Justification of Special EducationServing a PurposeIndividualized Plans Required by IDEA 2004The Individual Family Service Plan and Its ComponentsThe Individualized Education Plan and Its ComponentsThe Individualized Transition Plan and Its ComponentsSummary of Performance
3 2. Stages of IEP Development: Prereferral, Referral, Assessment, and EligibilityPrereferral InterventionActivity 2.1: Intervention PlanningReferral for EvaluationMultidisciplinary Evaluation Team and EvaluationEligibilityActivity 2.2: Explaining the Process to Parents
4 3. The IEP Team MeetingParticipants in the IEP MeetingWriting the IEPPresent Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional PerformanceActivity 3.1: Writing PLAAFPsAnnual GoalsActivity 3.2: Measurable Annual GoalsActivity 3.3: Writing Annual Goals From PLAAFPsStipulation of Special Education and Supplementary Aids and Related ServicesStipulation of Least Restrictive Environment and Placement OptionsStipulation of Participation in State and Districtwide AssessmentsStipulation of Location, Frequency, and Duration of ServicesTransition PlanningAge of MajorityMeasurement of Progress
5 4. The Individualized Transition Plan (ITP)Individualized Transition Plan DefinedPreparing the Individualized Transition PlanTransition IEP MeetingActivity 4.1: Preparing Appropriate Measurable Postsecondary Goals That Address EducationActivity 4.2: Preparing Appropriate Measurable Postsecondary Goals That Address EmploymentActivity 4.3: Resource Guide for Transition Services
6 5. Implementing the IEPEffective Collaboration Between General and Special Education TeachersCollaborative Teaching (Co-Teaching)Collaborative Teaching Planning ToolCo-Teaching Lesson Plan TemplateCo-Teaching Lesson Plan Template—Addressing IEP GoalsInstructional Design to Address IEP Goals and ObjectivesDifferentiated Instruction in Inclusive EnvironmentsKey Elements of Differentiated InstructionDifferentiating Instruction Lesson Plan TemplateActivity 5.1: Differentiating InstructionUniversal Design for Learning and the Inclusive EnvironmentPrinciples of Universal DesignElements of Universal Design for LearningActivity 5.2: Universal Design for Learning Lesson PlanningProgress ReportingAnnual ReviewTriennial ReviewActivity 5.3: The IEP Process—An Interactive ExperienceThe Journey’s End—A New Beginning
7 APPENDIX A: Federal Regulations—Title 34: 300.300-300.328
8 APPENDIX B: State Special Education Websites
9 APPENDIX C: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
10 APPENDIX D: CEC Code of Ethics
11 APPENDIX E: Supplemental MaterialsActivity 2.1: Intervention Planning MatrixActivity 3.1: Writing PLAAFPsActivity 3.3: Writing Annual Goals From PLAAFPsActivity 4.1: Preparing Appropriate Measurable Postsecondary Goals That Address EducationActivity 4.2: Preparing Appropriate Measurable Postsecondary Goals That Address EmploymentActivity 5.1: Differentiating InstructionActivity 5.2: Universal Design for Learning Lesson Planning
Introduction
Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Whereas there was no such document as an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during Franklin’s lifetime, his words still hold true when they are applied to the IEP process. Failure to appropriately plan the educational program each individual student with special needs requires is both unethical and negligent.
Effective educators, both special and general educators, understand the need for planning. They know that without an appropriate plan for instruction, there is little assurance that necessary content or skills will be taught. As educators, each of us knows that good planning is essential not only to our success, but also to the success of the students we teach. We also know that when students struggle, our plans must be flexible enough to change so we can appropriately address the needs of our students.
So—what is it about the development of an IEP that causes so much angst among educators? Perhaps it’s because of an especially difficult experience with writing and implementing IEPs . . . or perhaps it’s because of the paperwork . . . or maybe it is the time required of us . . . or it could be . . . well, it could quite possibly be any number of reasons. The answer can only be provided by those individuals who have been involved in the IEP process from prereferral stages through implementation stages. Since the process typically originates in the general education environment, it is safe to say that most general educators have had at least some exposure to or involvement in the development of an IEP. Consequently, it is imperative that all educators have some level of understanding