Spring 2011 IEP Procedures

1. Spring 2011 IEP Procedures Accommodations Instructional Minutes Supporting Documentation ESYS Presented by Special Education Program Effectiveness Liaisons

2. Accommodation Modification • Accommodations change how students learn and the ways they demonstrate what they have learned by altering the academic setting or environment (extra time, special setting, additional assistance, etc.). • The students are working on the same instructional objectives and curriculum content as the other students. • Modifications are any techniques that alter the work required in some way that makes it different from the work required of the other students in the same class. • A modification does change the work format or amount of work required of the student. Accommodations Pagehttps://serp.doe.louisiana.gov

3. Descriptions and Justifications of all accommodations and/or modifications included in the “Academic, Developmental, & Functional Needs” in the GSI. • Needs=Weaknesses • Data driven documentation must be readily available to support justifications. • Answer the questions listed in the BLUE help pages for the listed section. Justification of Accommodations

4. Academic, Developmental, and Functional Needs: • What areas of the general curriculum is the student having difficulty with? • What are the most important areas of the general curriculum for the student to master? • What are the student's academic needs? • Where is the student functioning developmentally? • What are the student's functional needs? • Functional needs (as defined by IDEA regs) is used to refer to activities and skills that are not considered academic or related to a child’s academic achievement. • For preschool children as appropriate, how the disability affects the student’s participation in appropriate activities; Questions from “Academic, Developmental, & Functional Needs”

5. INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES Where to Put the Minutes : • If the special education teacher goes to the student’s regular education class to provide instruction indicate the minutes “of instruction” in the Regular Class section. Support/supervision without instruction does not count. • Note: A Paraeducator assisting a special education student(s) in the regular education class CANNOT be counted as Special Education Instruction. • If the student is ‘pulled out of the regular class’ to receive services, or receives instruction from the SE teacher in a resource/study skills class, indicate the minutes in the Special Class section. • Comment Section: If the student is being supported by paraeducators in the general education classroom, the following statement will need to be added in the comment section: “The student will receive additional support by assigned school personnel.” Program Services Page

6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION • Medicaid Letter to be completed at each IEP.... • The revised letter that was sent out with the other revised letters on new letterhead (in January) for Medicaid is NOT the form that should be used…the Medicaid form obtained from SER should be printed and completed for each review/re-eval IEP. • DO NOT print and make multiple copies of this form because they often change. Complete and print a new form from SER for each IEP meeting. Placement/Services

7. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • For IEP'S held by phone conference or not attended by parent... • When an IEP is completed via phone conference, the parent can consent or refuse to authorize the Medicaid consent, or if parent did not attend, contact parent via phone for the purpose of getting consent or refusal for Medicaid. Placement/Services

8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • NEW PROCEDURE: On the parent signature line, in addition to writing a statement such as “phone conference”, also write a statement such as “approved by parent" or “denied by parent”, indication must be noted. So, if in a phone conference IEP the parent agrees to the Medicaid consent, the statement could be “Parent participated via phone/consent approved by parent” or “Parent participated via phone/consent denied by parent”. • Indicate on the Medicaid letter if approval or denial was verbalized. • If parent did not participate in the meeting, phone contact should be made to either have consent for Medicaid given or denied---A similar statement to the one above would then be entered on the form---“Parent did not participate in the IEP meeting/consent approved by parent via phone contact” OR “Parent did not participate in the IEP meeting/consent denied by parent via phone contact”. Placement/Services

9. Supporting Documentation • For students requiring an Individual Health Plan... • These forms will be supplied and completed by the nurse. • Additional Information: • The IHP is good for 1 calendar year. • If an IHP is still current at the time that a re-eval/IEP or review IEP is to be held, the nurse decides if a new IHP is needed or if the current IHP is sufficient. • If the IHP expires during the IEP year, the teacher and the nurse shall collaborate to ensure that a new IHP is in place. (This is done through an amendment.) • In the event that new medical information is received, the nurse needs to be notified and an amendment to the IEP & IHP completed, if needed. Placement/Services

10. IEPs will no longer be sent directly to PAC • (exceptions: Pre-K-Daphne Jones and middle & high significant disabilities-Debra Washington) • Immediately following an IEP meeting, the IEP must be made official. • Place a copy of the signed IEP and ALL supporting documents in the designated folder in your liaison’s box. • INITIAL IEPs • Notify the SE Liaison when an initial IEP will be held. New Protocol For IEPs To Be Entered

11. If a student qualifies for ESYS services, the SE teacher must meet with the SE liaison prior to changing anything on the IEP or sending the ESYS notification letter home to the parent. • IMPORTANT DATES: • April 21, 2011-Final date to mail home letters of eligibility and ineligibility. • May 10, 2011-Final list of students qualifying for ESYS are sent in Free Mail to PAC. • May 20, 2011-ALL ESYS IEPs completed on or prior to this date. • May 24, 2011-Free mail the required forms to PAC • May 27, 2011-IEP folders, materials, &/or equipment delivered to school site in which student will attend ESYS by 12:00 noon. REFER TO ESYS PACKET DATED JANUARY 24, 2011 ESYS