Claudia Battle, General Education Teacher
Malena Casteel, Autism Program Manager
Tiffany Cook, Speech-Language Pathologist
Holly Van Meeteren, Occupational Therapist
Anna Zavala, Resource Specialist Teacher
Tustin Unified School District
August, 2013
IEP and Collaboration in the
General Education Classroom
 Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
 IEP Team Members
Roles and Responsibilities
Case Carrier
 Roles and Responsibilities
General Education Teacher
 Roles and Responsibilities
 Supporting the General Education Teacher
Student Study Team (SST)
504 vs. IEP
Implementing the IEP
Inclusion, Collaboration and Co-Teaching
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Inspiration for inclusion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Alt2DssYc
Individualized Education Plan
Definition –
A plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a
disability identified under the law and is attending an
elementary or secondary educational institution receives
specialized instruction and related services.
Individualized Education Plan
The IEP must include the following:
 A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and
functional performance.
 How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress
in the general education curriculum.
 A statement of measurable annual goals (academic, functional).
 For children with disabilities who will take alternative assessments to
align with their achievement standards need a description of
benchmark or short-term objectives.
 A statement of the special education and related services and
supplementary aids and services.
Individualized Education Plan
 A statement of the program modifications or supports for
school personnel.
 A statement of any individual appropriate accommodations
that are necessary to measure the academic achievement
and functional performance of the child on State and
district wide assessments consistent with section 612(a)(16)
of the Act;
 The projected date for the beginning of the services and
modifications described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section
and the anticipated frequency, location and duration of
those services and modifications.
Individualized Education Plan
Laws:
 Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
-To the maximum extent appropriate, children with
disabilities, including children in public or private
institutions or other care facilities are educated with children
who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling,
or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular
educational environment occurs only when the nature or
severity of the disability of a child is such that education in
regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and
services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Individualized Education Plan
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)
 Law ensuring services to children with disabilities
throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and
public agencies provide early intervention, special
education and related services.
IEP Team Members
IDEA defines the “IEP team” as a group of people who
are responsible for developing, reviewing and revising
the IEP for a student with a disability.
By law, these people include: general education teacher,
special education teacher, representative of the local
education agency (administrator), parent, student as
appropriate, someone who can interpret and other
people the parent or school have chosen to invite.
IEP Team Members
 The child’s
 Provider of related
 The general education
 Interpreter
parent/guardian
teacher
 The special education
teacher
 LEA representative
(administrator)
services
 Others
IEP Team Members
List of possible team members –
California Department of Education (CDE)
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Adaptive physical education (APE)
Assistive technology (AT)
Audiology
Behavior management
Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH)
Education Technology
Group counseling
Health and nursing
Home and hospital teacher
Individual /small group instruction
Individual counseling
www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/aa/ap/index.asp
 Itinerant services
 Language and speech (LAS)
 Occupational therapy (OT)
 Orientation and mobility
 Parent counseling
 Physical therapy (PT)
 Psychological services
 Social services by a social worker
 Specialized physical health care
 Specialized service for lowincidence disabilities
 Transportation
 Vision services
IEP Team Members Need to Know:
 The student.
 Available services.
 External and internal sources of assistance.
 The IEP process.
Roles of Team Members:
Related Service:
Behavior Management
-Autism program manager and school
psychologists
-help to make environmental changes and
changes in response to behavior
-reduce maladaptive behaviors and increase
adaptive behaviors
Roles of Team Members:
Related Service:
Language and Speech (LAS)
The focus of school-based speech language pathologists is the
communication abilities of students .The school-based speech-language
pathologist’s goal is to remediate, improve, or alleviate student communication
and swallowing problems within the educational environment .
To meet this goal, school based speech-language pathologists:
(a) prevent, correct, improve, or alleviate articulation, fluency, voice, language,
and swallowing impairments
(b) reduce the functional consequences of the communication and swallowing
disabilities by promoting the development, improvement, and use of functional
communication skills;
(c) provide support in the general educational environment to lessen the
handicap (the social consequence of the impairment or disability) by facilitating
successful participation, socialization, and learning
Roles of Team Members:
Related Service:
Language and Speech (LAS)
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Role: Provides pre-referral
consultations and involved in various
initiatives including RtI
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Identification: Serves as member of
team for any students with suspected
speech-language deficits
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Evaluation: Conducts a
comprehensive assessment to
determine the existence of a disability;
Identifies child’s communication
strengths and weaknesses; Prepares
evaluation report; Presents speechlanguage assessment results at team
meeting
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Eligibility: Describes the student’s
functional speech and language skills
as they relate to the student’s ability to
access the curriculum and progress
•
Individualized: Drafts parts of present
level of performance, IEP goals and
objectives/benchmarks related to speechlanguage impairment; Provides intervention
appropriate to the age and learning needs of
the individual student
•
Caseload Management: Employs a
continuum of service delivery models in the
LRE; meets federal and state mandates as
well as local policies in performance of job
duties
•
Collaboration: Contributes to the literacy
achievement of students; Addresses the
linguistic and metalinguistic foundations of
the curriculum
Roles of Team Members:
Related Service:
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Provides assessment and identification of student needs
in the area of neurological and orthopedic disorders and
fine motor and sensory integration deficits.
 Support a child’s ability to gain access to and make
progress in the school curriculum.
 Support a child’s engagement in participation in daily
occupations which include activities of daily living,
education, prevocational work, play, rest, leisure and
social participation (American Occupational Therapy
Association, 2008)
Roles of Team Members:
Related Service:
Occupational Therapy (OT)
 Pre-referral services and supports as
part of general education process.
 504 referral and services as part of
general education.
 Special education referral and
request for assessment.
 Special education assessment in the
areas of perceptual motor skills,
motor coordination, sensory
development, muscle strength and
activities within the context of the
child’s curricular activities, routines
and environment.
 IEP planning.
 Transition planning and services.
 Intervention planning and
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implementation of IEP services
consistent with a continuum of
services within the child’s LRE.
Documentation of student progress.
Liaison to communicate with other
team members.
Staff development and support
through in-service training.
Program management for
coordination of school-based OT
services.
Roles of Team Members:
Resource Specialist Service
The role of the Resource specialist is to implement academic
goals. This is done through several models:
 Pulling a student out of class for a specified amount of
time.
 Collaboration, the RSP teacher goes into the general
education and supports staff.
 The RSP teacher consults with the general education staff
in regards to implementing student’s IEP.
 RSP can also be used as a resource for struggling students.
Case Carrier Roles and
Responsibilities
The Case Carrier is the Resource Service Provider, the Speech
Pathologist, or the Special Education Teacher, depending upon the
placement and eligibility of the student.
The Case Carrier:
 Schedules the IEP meetings and notifies IEP team members.
 Develops agendas for IEP meetings.
 Sends out SE-2 (Assessment plan).
 Parent contact and team member liaison for communication
about student.
 Organizes services
 Organizes IEP documents and tape records if an attorney or
advocate attends.
*Information taken from SEIS document library and modified for presentation.
Case Carrier Roles and
Responsibilities (cont)
 Makes corrections into SEIS after the IEP
 Gathers work samples and evidence of progress
 Develops draft goals and benchmarks with team
 Sends IEP and reports to the district office and to IEP team
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members.
Files reports and maintains student’s confidential file.
Calls additional IEP’s if necessary.
Completes and sends special education progress reports at
the report card periods.
Related service types and minutes vary with each student.
General Education Teacher Roles
and Responsibilities
 To the extent appropriate, participate in the
development, review, and revision of the child’s IEP,
including assisting with:
 Determination of appropriate behavioral interventions
and strategies for the child
 Determination of appropriate supplementary aids and
services, program modifications, and supports for
school personnel that will be provided for the child.
 Must be a member of the IEP team and if they are
not participating, the case carrier must notify the
parent in writing and the parent must approve.
General Education Teacher Roles
and Responsibilities
To be an effective part of the IEP process, general
educators will also need to:
 Know how to communicate effectively.
 Know how to observe special education students and
record their behaviors objectively.
 Describe a student’s performance and behaviors to
emphasize the student’s strengths.
 Convey an acceptance and willingness to actively
participate.
 Be willing to try new approaches.
 Be flexible with the schedule.
 Be willing to ask for additional assistance.
General Education Teacher Roles
and Responsibilities
Correspondence with parents inside the IEP.
 Be honest, objective and kind and speak positively without
bias.
*See handout for a list of verbs and phrases that may help you
to prepare positive, descriptive statements for an IEP.
*See handout for “What a teacher can do to prepare for an
IEP”.
 What to say and what not to say.
*See handout for the Do’s and Don’ts.
General Education Teacher Roles
and Responsibilities
Correspondence with parents outside the IEP.
 Be honest, factual and professional.
 Keep opinions out of the interactions.
 Always support your team and school district in the eyes of
the parent and share concerns with the case carrier and
team before entering the IEP.
 Support staff need to relay all communication through the
teacher, case carrier or Autism Program Manager, if
applicable.
Special Education Monthly
Meetings
 Check your school site as most special education
teams meet monthly to schedule IEP’s and discuss
student progress.
 Review of student IEP’s.
Supporting the General Education
Teacher
 When you have a student who you feel is struggling in
their academics due to, but not limited to: behavior,
attention, social, communication, auditory, visual
there are several options for support:
 1. Start collecting data on the areas of need and current
interventions in place.
 2. Review and collect all information accessible to you.
 3. Contact the Student Study Team (SST) Coordinator
for your school site and complete the SST paperwork.
Support for the General Education
Teacher (cont)
 4. Discuss and document all concerns with the SST
Coordinator so that all necessary professionals for the
team may attend.
 5. Do NOT promise the student and family support as
services are recommended only after a student has
qualified.
Student Study Team (SST)
 A pre-referral action plan process for intervention.
 A regular education responsibility that MUST be
considered prior to an IEP.
 Required team members for meeting: parents, SST
coordinator, classroom teachers and administrator.
 Additional team members for meeting: related service
providers as needed.
 Necessary documentation and information to be
brought to the meeting.
Student Study Team (SST)
 During the meeting all present representatives will
summarize the student’s strengths and concerns in the
classroom.
 After the review of all documented information a plan
is developed.
 If the plan is successful for the student – YEAH!!
 If the plan is unsuccessful for the student a follow-up
meeting is scheduled within 4-6 weeks to repeat the
SST process.
Student Study Team (SST)
 What if the revised plan is unsuccessful for the
student???
 The student may qualify for more structured
accommodations/modifications that are part of either a
504 Plan (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) or an
Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Reference material:
*See handout for Student Study Teams.
http://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/Page/646
504 Plan vs. IEP
504 Plan
 Function of General Education
 Offers all children equal access
to an education.
 Document with a written plan.
 Specific timelines do not exist.
 No required team members for
meeting, only recommended
team members.
IEP
 Function of Special Education
 Only for students who require
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special education services.
Individualized program to meet
a student’s unique needs.
Must provide educational
benefit.
Document with specific
language and sections.
Specific timelines.
Requires specific team members
– administrator, general
education teacher, special
education teacher.
504 Plan vs. IEP
Implementing the IEP
 **The case carrier is the primary contact with any
issue regarding the IEP**
 The case carrier will provide a copy of the IEP to the general
education teacher.
 A complete special education confidential file is available
at the school site.
 Full student IEP is available on SEIS – see the case carrier
for access.
Implementing the IEP
 Key areas of focus in the IEP.
1. Accommodations and Modifications
*See handout for “Typical Special Education Accommodations”
2. Supplementary Aids and Services
3. Testing
4. Goals
5. Grades
Implementing the IEP
Accommodation
Modification
 A change that helps a student
 A change in what is being
overcome or work around the
disability.
 Ex: Allowing a student with
difficulty writing to verbally
dictate answers.
 It is imperative for the general
education teacher to
implement with support for
the special education case
carrier.
taught or expected from the
student.
 Ex: Altering the content of an
assignment to make it
“easier” or more appropriate
for their learning grade level.
 It is imperative for the general
education teacher to
implement with support for
the special education case
carrier.
Implementing the IEP
Implementing the IEP
Supplementary Aids and Services –documented
throughout the IEP in various locations
 Adaptive equipment.
 Assistive technology.
 Training for staff, student and parents.
 Peer tutors.
 A one-on-one aide, ex: extra classroom support, special
circumstance aide, Para behavior interventionist (PBI)
 Adapted materials.
 Collaboration/consultation among staff, parents and other
professionals.
Implementing the IEP
Testing
 IDEA requires students take part in state and/or district
testing.
 A student on an IEP must have all accommodations and/or
modifications needed for testing included in the IEP.
 The IEP team decides what tests are appropriate for the
student.
 The general education teacher must know the tests the
student will be taking and all accommodations and
modifications.
Implementing the IEP
Goals
 IEP goals are written by the service providers with input
from the IEP team members.
 The service providers (special education) send home
progress reports in sync with general education report
cards.
 The general education teacher is responsible for supporting
the IEP goals.
Implementing the IEP
Grades
 Elementary students may receive a “P”, below grade
level but making progress.
 If a “P” is given to a student it does NOT need to be
documented in the IEP.
 The appropriate accommodations/modifications need
to be in the IEP.
Inclusion, Collaboration and
Co-Teaching
 Why inclusion at TUSD?
 Laws - IDEA, LRE
Definition of Inclusion
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Being a part of what everyone else is in
Maximizing a person’s quality of life
Belonging with the support needed
Adaptations are made to support the child
Team work, interrelate and function together – diversity is
valued
“Inclusion teaches compassion, understanding and patience for
typical children and gives special needs children self-esteem and
friendships.”
Gloria Jean Bass, Special Needs Coordinator
Definition of Collaboration
 Share decisions, goals
and classroom
instruction (teacher with
special education team)
 Teachers as equal
partners
 Joint planning, combine
expertise to meet the
needs of all learners
Definition of Co-teaching
 Joint planning between teacher and special education
team
 Support
 Teaming together to provide appropriate curriculum,
assessment and adaptations to the day
Suggestions for implementing
the model
 Whole class
 Acceptance of
 Small group
diversity
 Opportunities to
master concepts by
teaching and
practicing
 Respect for all
 All types of instruction
 Increases peer role
models for academic
and social skills
 Increases IEP goals
 Higher expectations
are modeled
Thank you for attending!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZZTr_ToF44