Develop IEPs to Access and Connect IEP Objectives to the General Education Curriculum

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Develop IEPs to Access and Connect IEP
Objectives to the General Education Curriculum

• Lanett Willis Brailey
• Education Specialist
• Virginia Department of Education
• August 2003

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Why?the General Education Curriculum?
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Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

• Emphasizes the integration of supplementary
  services and instructional supports within
  general education classrooms to ensure that
  students have access to challenging and
  stimulating learning environments. (access to the
  general education curriculum)
• Requires the participation of students with
  disabilities in all large-scale assessment
  activities.

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IDEA

• Provides that students with disabilities are to
  be educated with children who are not disabled,
  to the maximum extent appropriate, and that
  removal of children with disabilities from the
  regular educational environment occurs only when
  the nature or severity of the disability is such
  that education in regular classes with
  supplementary aids and services cannot be
  achieved satisfactorily.
• Each public agency shall ensure that a continuum
  of placements is available to meet the needs of
  children with disabilities for special education
  and related services.

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Placement Continuum

• General education classroom
• General education classroom consultation
• General education classroom supportive services
• Special classes (resource/self-contained)
• Special day school
• Hospital/home services
• Residential school

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Why a Continuum of Services?

• Is the law
• The general education classroom may also be
  stigmatizing
• General education teachers are not prepared for
  full inclusion
• General education classrooms may not have
  sufficient resources
• Research evidence does not support the
  superiority of full inclusion

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Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

• Literacy Skills

• Science

• Math

• Oral Language

• Reading

• Written Language

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• Mathematics

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

• Literacy Skills

• Science

• Math

• Learning Strategies

• Critical Thinking

• Study and Test
• Taking Skills

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• Organization

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

• Problem Solving

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

• Literacy Skills

• Science

• Math

• Learning Strategies

• Interpersonal Skills

• Social Skills

• Social Skills

• Self-Advocacy

• Behavior
• Competencies

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

• Literacy Skills

• Science

• Math

• Learning Strategies

• Course of Study

• Social Skills

• Social Skills

• Transition

• Career Development

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• Interagency
• Responsibility or
• Needed Linkages

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• Non-Academic
• Activities

• Educational
• Related
• Settings

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

Aids Services

• Literacy Skills

• Science

• Math

• Learning Strategies

Accommodations
Staff Supports

• Social Skills

• Transition

Assistive Technology

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

• Extracurricular
• Activities

• Educational
• Setting

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• Non-Academic
• Activities

• Educational
• Related
• Settings

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

Aids Services

• Science

• Math

Staff Supports
Accommodations
Assistive Technology

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

The IEP

• Extracurricular
• Activities

• Educational
• Setting

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM

• Non-Academic
• Activities

• Educational
• Related
• Settings

• English

• Foreign
• Languages
• Electives

• Physical
• Education
• Health

The IEP

• Science

• Math

• Fine
• Arts

• Practical
• Arts

• History/
• Social
• Sciences

• Extracurricular
• Activities

• Educational
• Setting

Virginia Department of Education - 8/99
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Connecting IEP Objectives to the General
Curriculum
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Objectives

• Review Individualized Educational Program
• Process
• plan
• Evaluate critical components of IEPs
• Present level of educational performance
• Measurable annual goals, short term objectives
  and benchmarks and measuring progress

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IDEA Expectations

• Goal is for the student to make progress in the
  general curriculum
• Progress is reported
• student report cards and progress in meeting
  goals in the general curriculum
• school report cards

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IDEA

• Assessment tools and strategies
• Gather information to enable the child to be
  involved and progress in the general curriculum
• IEP
• How the childs disability affects involvement
  and progress in the general curriculum

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General Curriculum

• Same curriculum used with children without
  disabilities adopted by the school for all
  children from preschool through secondary school
• Schools curriculum that is based on the
  Standards of Learning

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What is an IEP?

• Cornerstone of special education program
• Binding agreement
• Communication tool
• Placement document
• Access to curriculum

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IEP

• Where is the student now?
• Where will the student be in a year?
• How will the student get there?

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IEP Content

• Where is the student now?
• Demographic information
• Present level of Educational Performance

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IEP Content

• Where will the student be in a year?
• Measurable Annual Goals, Short term
  objectives/Benchmarks
• Measuring and reporting progress

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IEP Content

• How will the student get there?
• Accommodations/Modifications
• Participation in Assessments
• Special Education and Related services
• Least Restrictive Environment
• Placement
• Prior Notice/Consent

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Additional Content, as needed

• Factors for IEP Team Considerations
• Strengths of student, parent concerns
• Evaluation results, behavior
• Braille instruction, assistive technology
• Communication needs
• Transition
• Age of majority
• Extended School Year

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Factors to be Considered in Developing PLEP/PLOP
for the areas affected by the disability

• Students strengths
• Parent concerns
• Evaluation results
• behavior

• Language needs
• Braille instruction
• Communication needs
• Assistive technology

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Present Level of Educational Performance

• Strengths of the student
• Areas of concern
• Instructional needs
• Style of learning
• Assessment information
• How the disability affects involvement and
  progress in the general curriculum

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Data Sources

• Standardized tests
• School records
• Checklists skills, behavior
• Teacher observations and records
• Student work samples, portfolios
• Parent/student input

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Reporting Test Scores on PLEP

• Full name of the test, level, form, and date
  administered
• Do not abbreviate
• List all the subtests
• Percentiles and standard scores
• Grade and age scores only if percentiles and
  standard scores are not available
• Compute based on age norms

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Documenting Data Sources

• Classroom observation (10/15) confirmed...
• Interviews with parents and other teachers from
  9/27-9/29 indicated...
• A review of completed homework assignments
  (10/13-10/30) revealed...
• From an administration of the Woodcock-JohnsonTest
  s of Achievement, Revised given March 10, ...

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Sample of Section of PLEP
Jay appears to have two friends with whom he eats
lunch and converses during free time (teacher
observation 10/15-1/27). He enjoys basketball,
and asks to talk with the coach about once a
week. Jay reports being bored in school (student
interview, 1/27). While in class, Jay talks out
on an average of 8 times per 50 min. period in
academic subjects. Approximately half of these
talk-outs consist of profane or aggressive
statements (teacher observation,12/1-12/23). He
has been suspended on 4 of the last 9 days for
talking out, using profanity, and making verbal
threats toward teachers (referrals 1/8-1/27).

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Evaluation Activity 1Present Level of
Performance
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Translating PLEP into Goals

• Projected student progress for one school year
• Based on students documented needs that
• enable involvement in general curriculum
• result from the students disability
• are priorities
• advance the vision
• Reasonable number
• Measurable

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SOLs in IEPs?

• Address the skills the student needs to
  participate and progress in the general
  curriculum, but do not replicate the curriculum
  goals. The IEP goals describe the additional or
  unique needs that are to be addressed in order
  for the student to achieve the curricular
  goals/standards.
• (Individualized Education Program IEP Process
  The Corner Stone of Special Education, 1998)

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Literacy Skills(Overlap With Primary Curriculum)

• English
• Oral Language
• Reading/Literature
• Writing
• Research
• Math

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Learning Strategies

• Memorizing
• Critical thinking
• Study skills
• note-taking, organizing materials and time,
  completing assignments and projects, staying on
  task
• Test-taking
• studying for tests, testing strategies
• Problem solving

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Daily Living Skills

• Managing finances
• Selecting and managing a household
• Caring for personal needs
• Raising children and meeting marriage
  responsibilities

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Daily Living Skills

• Buying, preparing, and consuming food
• Buying and caring for clothing
• Exhibiting responsible citizenship
• Utilizing recreational facilities and engaging in
  leisure
• Getting around the community

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Transition

• Transition Planning (by age 14)
• Course of study
• Plan transition service needs

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Transition

• Transition Services (by age 16)
• Career development
• Higher education or training
• Employment/career exploration
• Interagency responsibilities and linkages
• Adult services
• Independent living
• Taking part in the community

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Annual Goal Content

• The learner
• Skill or behavior
• Criteria
• Quantity words
• Present level and target level
• Time reference if the skill is to be completed
  before the end of the IEP

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Sample Measurable Annual Goal

• Learner
• Behavior
• Criteria
• Time
• reference

Jay will use appropriate language in interacting
with adults in a school setting as indicated by
zero referrals for profanity or threats by
April 1.
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Procedures for Measuring Annual Goals

• Curriculum/teacher-made tests/quizzes
• Criterion-referenced tests
• Teacher/therapist observation
• Checklists
• Written performance
• Oral performance
• Demonstration/project
• Running record/informal reading inventory
• Classroom Participation/Homework

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Identify the Annual Goal Parts

• Ginny will increase silent reading of fiction
  passages of her choice from 0 to at least 20
  minutes daily as documented by teacher
  observation by April 1.
• Joshua will increase appropriate (by raising his
  hand and being recognized by the teacher before
  speaking) class participation from one to at
  least 4 times weekly as measured by a
  self-checking system during social studies
  classes.

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Miserable to Measurable

• Norman will increase reading skills.
• Norman will answer comprehension questions
  based on 8th grade texts with at least 70
  accuracy.
• Sangeeta will work more independently.
• Sangeeta will increase assignment completion
  from three to ten written assignments per week
  with two or fewer prompts per assignment by
  January.

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Miserable to Measurable

• Rewrite at least two of these goals so that
  they are measurable. You have 5 minutes.
• Tomika will strengthen her writing skills.
• Louis will make measurable progress in math.
• Tres will behave better.
• Andre will increase his articulation.
• Blake will do better on tests.

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Evaluation Activity2Miserable to Measurable
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Short Term Objectives and Benchmarks

• Measurable intermediate steps or milestones
  between the PLOP and the annual goal
• Provide a way for teachers, parents, and
  students to understand whether the student is
  making progress toward the goal
• May mix STOs and benchmarks in an IEP but not
  within a goal

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Short Term Objectives Content

• Learner
• Skill or behavior
• Procedures How will I measure?
• Schedule How often will I measure?
• Criteria How well is the student
• expected to do?

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Sample Short Term Objective

• Learner
• Skill or
• behavior
• Procedures
• Schedule
• Criteria

• Sam
• will record all assignments using a daily planner
  
• as measured by teacher observation daily.
• on 4 out of 5 days
• all

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Identify the Short Term Objective Parts

• Dennis will copy correctly formed cursive letters
  at the rate of 20 per minute as documented on
  precision timings once a week.
• Sabetha will solve up to three step word problems
  with at least 90 accuracy on teacher-made tests
  weekly.

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Benchmark Contents

• Who
• Skill or behavior
• Criteria
• By when

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Sample Benchmarks

• Sam will comply with teacher directions without
  arguing 60 of the opportunities by October 15.
• Sam will comply with teacher directions without
  arguing70 of the opportunities by January 30.
• Sam will comply with teacher directions without
  arguing 80 of the opportunities by April 15.

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Identify the Benchmark Parts

• Frank will increase writing fluency from 6 to 10
  words per minute by October 15.
• Jeffrey will increase assignment completion rate
  from 3 to 8 per week by November 30.
• Karla will respond to written writing prompts
  with at least two complete paragraphs by December
  15.

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STO Benchmark

• 5 parts
• Learner
• Skill/behavior
• Schedule
• Procedures
• Criteria
• developing different skills

• 4 parts
• Learner
• Skill
• Criteria
• Date
• increasing accuracy or rate of same skill

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Resources

• Bateman, B., Linden, M. (1998). Better IEPs
  How to develop legally correct and educationally
  useful programs (3rd ed). Longmont, CO Sopris
  West.
• Council for Exceptional Children. (1999). IEP
  team guide. Reston, VA Council for Exceptional
  Children.
• The Administrators Role in the IEP Process
• Carolyn Ito, M.Ed., Ed.S.

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Free Resources

• Virginia Department of Education. (1998).
  Individualized education program IEP process The
  cornerstone of special education Richmond
  Virginia Department of Education.
• IEP Tool Kit - www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/
  Sped./toolkit-main.html

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T/TAC Resources

• William and Mary T/TAC
• Http//wm.edu/ttac
• Quarterly Newsletter Link Lines
• Considerations Packet - The Heart of the IEP

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VDOE Sample IEP

• The Present Level of Educational Performance
  describes the effect of the students disability
  upon the students involvement and progress in
  the general curriculum and area(s) of need. This
  includes the students performance in academic
  areas (reading, math, communication, etc.) and
  non-academic areas (behavior, social skills,
  daily life activities, mobility, extra-curricular
  activities, etc.) in objective terms. Test
  scores, if appropriate, should be
  self-explanatory or an explanation should be
  included. For preschool students this section
  should include how the students disability
  affects the students participation in
  appropriate activities. There should be a direct
  relationship between the present level of
  educational performance and the other components
  of the IEP.

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PLEP Activity

• Read the PLEP.
• Use the checklist for Present Level of
  Performance Descriptions to evaluate the PLEP.
• Find 3 good features to share.
• Find at least one feature that needs to be
  improved. Be ready to suggest how.

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PLEP to Annual Goal to Benchmarks

• PLEP Peter follows adult directions within 5
  seconds 45 of the time.
• Goal Peter will follow appropriate adult
  directions within 5 seconds without negative
  comment or facial expression.
• Benchmark 1 Peter will follow appropriate adult
  directions in 75 of the opportunities for 3
  consecutive days by 2/15.
• Benchmark 2 Peter will follow adult directions
  in 90 of the opportunities for 5 consecutive
  days by 3/15.

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Making the Connection