Abstract
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is one of the most important elements in the education of a student with special needs. The IEP is both a document and a process; and, to succeed must be developed and implemented under a framework of team cooperation. This guide is intended to assist educational teams through the IEP process.
Keywords: Individualized Education Program (IEP)
A Guide for Planning and Implementing Individualized Education Programs
This guide is intended to assist educational teams to jointly determine the special needs of a student with a disability, and to develop and implement an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to meet the student’s needs. The various players in the IEP educational team include local educations agencies, families, related staff and services, administrators, general education teachers, and special education teachers.
Duties of the IEP Educational Team
Local Education Agencies
A person chosen to represent a local education agency in an IEP meeting must be qualified to establish guidelines for long-term and short-term educational goals, know the general education curriculum, and have the authority to commit any available resources for the successful implementation of the IEP. The representative should also be prepared to address any other academic or functional disability-related needs and evaluate the tools used to monitor progress toward meeting the goals of the IEP (Kupper 2000).
Families
Families are the most important members of the IEP team; the success of the child increases when parents attend and actively participate in all meetings. Before the meeting, parents should review past IEPs, prepare any relevant documentation, and communicate with the child’s teachers. At the meeting, parents should say whether they agree or disagree with the recommendations of the IEP educational team. Ask questions: Is your child making progress? Are there are any behavioral issues that impact your child’s learning? Is your child ready to participate in extracurricular activities?
Related Staff and Services
In addition to services and support programs that help a student with special needs achieve the goals of the IEP, there are also programs designed to meet the student’s post-graduation needs, including disabilities’ rights groups that educate and help each other. These groups can help students with disabilities with any needed transition services related to continuing education, employment, functional vocational evaluation, and daily living skills (Storms et al. 2000).
Administrators
The administrator’s role is to direct the focus of the team on the student and to ensure that all voices are heard, especially that of the parent. It is also the role of the administrator to evaluate the IEP for the student for the current school year, in order to determine placement and whether any other services are needed (Kupper 2000).
General education teachers
General education teachers have valuable insight to offer on the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance in the general education curriculum. The general education teacher should come prepared to answer any questions the parents or other team members may have. To what extent does the student’s disability affect overall performance in class? Does the student need any special accommodations?
Special education teachers
Special education teachers play a central role in IEP planning and implementation. They assess the impact of a particular disability on the student’s developmental and educational progress, provide data to guide the educational team, make recommendations about teaching methodology, help the school integrate the student into extracurricular activities, and serve as the primary contact for all members of the educational team (Kupper 2000).
References
Kupper, L. (2000). A Guide to the Individualized Education Program. Jessup, MD:
ED Pubs.
Storms, J., O’Leary, E., & Williams, J. (2000). The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act of 1997 Transition Requirements: A Guide for States, Districts, Schools, Universities and Families. Minneapolis, MN: Publications Office, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.
