Rationale
Participation with Peers (Section X of IEP)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who is responsible for rationale?
What is meant by rationale?
When is the rationale considered?
Where do I document the rationale?
Why must I provide a rationale?
How do I write a legally defensible rationale?
What should I learn?
• Caseload Manager
responsible for
composing
rationale
• Documents
reasoning/consensu
s by IEP team
members
Who?
• Definition of Rationale: “Underlying reason.”
• What is the underlying reason why this service must be
provided in a separate setting?
• Why does the student need to be “segregated” from other
typical peers in order to receive this service?
What?


• Do not let the Heading of this section (Participation with
Peers) fool you!
• Focus on the wording under the heading,
“The explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with peers
without disabilities in the regular class and/or in nonacademic and extracurricular
activities:”
• Key word here is Explanation (Rationale, underlying
reasons)
• One of most critical areas of IEP in litigation
• Focus of Special Education Monitoring statewide
Be Careful!
• Section X must always be filled in for every IEP.
• If all services are occurring in the general education
setting, then you may use the canned statement provided
in the Look Up List (magnifying glass icon).
• Rationale must be provided for ANY service that is
occurring outside of the general education setting.
• This also includes related services or supportive services
such as speech, OT, PT, special transportation, etc. which
are delivered in a pull-out setting.
When?

Where?
• Required to provide services in the Least Restrictive
Environment by federal regulations.
• Must provide a justification for any removal from general
education setting.
• May consider student progress and disruption to learning
of others in the decision-making process.
Why?
• Extremely disruptive behaviors that interfere with the learning of other students.
• Student has extreme trouble with distractibility and cannot focus on instruction in a
large group setting.
• Student requires instruction on pre-requisite academic skills that are far below current
grade level and will not be covered in the general ed curriculum.
• Student requires instruction on skills that are not taught in the general ed curriculum.
(example: Braille, sign language, how to use assistive tech equipment, etc.)
• Student has not shown progress on critical skills in a less restrictive setting and needs
more intensive direct instruction.
• Student needs specialized instruction or interventions (ex. stuttering therapy) which
might disrupt classroom instruction or cause peer attention/ridicule.
• Student requires specialized instruction on functional life skills and works on an
access/entry level on the core curriculum; needs instruction in a variety of settings to
transfer learning.
• Student has special medical, safety, or health needs.
Factors that might justify removal
to a separate class setting
Document:
• Characteristics of disability that result in an
• Impact on educational performance causing a need for
• Specialized Instruction/supports/services that cannot
be feasibly provided in the general education setting.
• Rationale: Why not?
Rationale =
Poor:
“The IEP team determined this was the least restrictive environment for
Susie.”
Good:
“Due to her Other Health Impairment (ADHD)
•characterized by limited attention and distractibility, Susie is
•frequently off-task in a large group setting. She
•requires a quiet, less distracting environment with frequent feedback in
order to remain focused on instruction.
•This level of differentiation is not feasible in the general education
setting.
Therefore, she needs small group instruction in a separate class setting
in the critical skill areas of math and language arts.”
How? (underlying reason)
Poor:
“Susie will receive 3 segments a day of separate class instruction in
reading, math, and language arts.”
Good:
“Due to her specific learning disability characterized by
•deficits in visual processing, Susie often
•has trouble distinguishing between look-alike words, reverses
letters/words/numbers, has difficulty copying accurately, and is
functioning far below grade level in reading, math, and language arts.
She needs
•specialized intensive instruction using alternative materials and
techniques incorporating different modalities. She also requires
instruction on pre-requisite academic skills not covered in the general
curriculum for her grade level.
•This level of differentiation is not feasible in the general education
setting.
For these reasons, she will be provided instruction in a separate class
setting in the critical skill areas of reading, math, and language arts.”
How? (underlying reason)
Poor:
“Johnny will be with typical peers during Connections and any extracurricular
activities during the school day. He will be in a self-contained BD class for all
academics.”
Good:
“Due to his Emotional/Behavioral Disorder characterized by
•thoughts and feelings that are inconsistent with actual events, situations, or
interactions, Johnny frequently
•loses self-control (yells, throws objects, gets out of his seat) and fails to
respond to teacher corrections. His maladaptive behaviors result in a need for
•frequent and intrusive behavioral interventions which are disruptive to the
learning of others. He needs specialized instruction to learn alternative
behaviors to replace his maladaptive behaviors.
•This level of differentiation is not feasible in the general education setting and
his behaviors are disruptive to the learning of other students at this time.
For these reasons, he will receive instruction in a separate class setting.”
Good:
“Due to his diagnosed MOID characterized by
•delays in cognitive, academic, and adaptive behavior skills,
•Johnny takes longer to learn new concepts and has trouble transferring
what he has learned from one setting or type of activity to another. He
also has trouble understanding abstract concepts/vocabulary and has
trouble learning functional skills that typical peers learn through
incidental learning.
•He requires direct specialized instruction on functional life skills not
covered in the general curriculum for his grade level. He also needs
practice in a variety of community settings in order to transfer his
learning.
•This level of differentiation is not feasible in the general curriculum.
Therefore, he needs instruction in a separate class setting.”
How? (underlying reason)
Good:
“Due to his Speech/Language Impairment, characterized by
•severe articulation difficulties (multiple omissions/substitutions),
•Teachers and peers have trouble understanding what Johnny is saying.
He is quiet and reluctant to participate during classroom discussion and
has to repeat himself multiple times to make himself understood.
•He requires specialized instruction by an SLP in a quiet, distractionfree environment so that he can hear the models provided by the speech
therapist and receive immediate feedback.
•This level of differentiation is not feasible in the general education
environment.
For these reasons, he requires separate class services during speech
therapy.”
How? (underlying reason)
Good:
“Because of Susie’s specific learning disability characterized by
•processing deficits in phonological awareness,
•she has trouble identifying unfamiliar words using phonetic analysis or
syllabication.
•She is currently more than two years below her present grade placement.
•Due to her lack of progress toward her goals in the critical area of reading,
•she needs more intensive interventions in a small group setting using
highly specialized instructional techniques.
•This level of differentiation is not feasible in the general education
environment.
For these reasons, she will receive separate class services in the critical skill
area of reading.”
How? (underlying reason)
Good:
“Due to her medical condition characterized by
•fluctuations in blood oxygen levels,
•Susie’s blood oxygen levels can drop dangerously low, presenting a
safety risk for her health and life.
•She needs special transportation services, providing oxygen and a
trained bus aide to monitor her medical needs.
•This level of support is not available on a regular bus.
Therefore, she will be provided special transportation services. ”
How? (underlying reason)
• Who?
• Special Ed Caseload Manager
• What?
• Underlying reason.
• When?
• Every IEP.
• Where?
• Section X of IEP Services page.
• Why?
• Required by law.
• How?
• Explain or justify the underlying reasons*.
Rationale


Questions?