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Dear Arizona Promising Practices Subscriber,
Welcome
to another online addition of the Arizona Promising Practices forum. For those
new to this service, each issue, which will now be sent to you on a regular
basis, will focus on: (1)
Recommended National Educational Websites; and (2) One
promising practice article in condensed form. We welcome your recommendations
for improvement to this forum or suggestions on future topics (these will be
wide ranging so if nothing in this update interests you, hold on for future editions!) The Arizona Promising Practices Forum and website, www.azpromisingpractices.com
is a FREE resource of the Arizona Department of Education. In
this issue the Promising Practices Forum we have been asked to address the topic of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and students.
Many educators have experience in visiting with parents, teachers, and
administrators about the IEP, but
often students can be left out of fully understanding this process. The
following guide, developed by teach-nology.com, provides a comprehensive list to
address when talking to a student about their IEP. National
Website of Importance – If
you are looking for information on reading literacy, check out the Arizona State
Improvement Grant’s Goal 3 website on literacy. This resource allows you to
see what is happening across Arizona, as well as the opportunity to submit
questions to experts on the literacy subject. Check them out at - http://www.azsig.com/sig3web.htm
A
note from Reading Rockets - When news of the horrific tsunami broke, Reading Rockets wanted to find a
way to help. But how?
We’re not a news agency, international aid society or counseling
service. Our expertise is literacy
and children’s books. Then we hit
upon the idea of creating a list of picture books that parents and teachers
could use to help children grasp the human aspect of the disaster in a
non-threatening way. For more information, click on www.readingrockets.org
Promising
Practice Research and Teaching Tips Discussing
an IEP with a Student What is an IEP?1. What
is an IEP? IEP stands for Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP is a written document that describes the educational plan for a student with a disability. Among other things, your IEP talks about your disability, what skills you need to learn, what you'll do in school this year, what services your school will provide, and where your learning will take place.
First, it's the law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each student with disabilities who receives special education services to have an IEP an educational program written just for him or her. Second, the IEP helps the school meet your special needs. It also helps you plan educational goals for yourself. That is why it is called an IEP because it is an individualized education program.
The purpose of the IEP is to make sure that everyone you, your family, and school staff knows what your educational program will be this year.
The IEP is developed during an IEP meeting. The people who are concerned with your education meet, discuss, and develop your IEP goals for the next year.
Certain individuals will help write your IEP. We've listed these below. Some are required by law to come to the meeting. (In the list below, we've written these people in bold letters.) Others, such as you and your parents, must be invited to take part in the meeting. It's your choice to attend or not. (We've listed these people without any bolding of the letters.) All of the people listed below work together as a team to write your IEP. So who might you see at the meeting? · You · Your parents · At least one of your regular education teachers, if you are (or may be) taking part in the regular education environment · At least one of your special education teachers (or special education providers) · Someone who can talk about your evaluation results and what they mean, especially what kind of instruction you need · Someone from the school system who knows about special education services and educating students with disabilities and who can talk about what resources the school system has this person may be your principal, a school counselor, or someone else from the school system · People from transition service agencies (such as vocational rehabilitation), if you're going to be talking about what you plan to do after leaving high school and what you need to do now to get ready · Other people who know you your strengths and needs very well and who can help you plan your educational program
The law requires that your IEP is reviewed and, if necessary, revised at least once a year. This means attending at least one IEP meeting each year. However, you, your parents, or the school can ask for more IEP meetings, if any of you think that it's necessary to take another look at your IEP.
Approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour.
It's your educational program everyone will be discussing in the meeting. Your opinions are an important part of this discussion.
There are five basic steps: 1. Talk to your parents and teachers. 2. Review last year's IEP. 3. Think about your strengths and needs in school. 4. Write your goals for this school year. 5. Practice what you want to say at the meeting. |