A Quality IEP Process for PreK Programs

1. A Quality IEP Process for PreK Programs Session 1

2. Agenda

3. Purpose of Training • To provide guidance to early childhood professionals in writing and implementing quality IEPs, in accordance with the requirements of IDEA 2004. • To integrate evidence-based practices into the IEP process, including the Division of Early Childhood/Council for Exceptional Children Recommended Practices. http://www.dec-sped.org/ • To support the inclusion of children with disabilities to learn, play, and grow along side their typically developing peers.

4. Purpose of the IEP Handout 1 – Your district’s IEP form KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

5. Linked System

6. Membership of the IEP Team Required members: • One or both of the child’s parents/legal guardians • General education teacher of the child • Special education teacher/provider of the child • An administrator/district representative who has the authority to make commitments on behalf of the school district • Any member of the school staff, other than the child’s teacher, who is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of specially designed instruction • An individual who can interpret the instructional implication of evaluation results Optional members: • Other individuals whose expertise may be desired by the family or school, with parent consent

7. Parent Perspectives on the IEP Accessible IEPs for All

8. 8 Developing the IEP

9. The IEP: A 6-Step Process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

10. 10 1. Gathering Information and Developing Present Level Statements “What is the child doing now?”

11. Before We Get Started • Commitment to working together as a team • Knowledge of child development (CDC Checklists ) • Understanding of IDEA 2004, the Florida Statutes, and State Board of Education Rules • Florida Early Learning Standards www.flbt5.com • Curricula adopted by the program and aligned with standards • A well-planned, organized, developmentally appropriate classroom environment Idaho State Dept. of Education

12. Developing Knowledge of the Child KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

13. Gathering Information Handout 3 – Resources for Developing IEPs Where do we develop this knowledge? The team should gather information about the child from: • Significant people in the child’s life • Developmental and medical history • Informal, portfolio, authentic assessment data and observations conducted in natural settings • Appropriate standardized and curriculum-based measures and checklists KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

14. Resource for Gathering and Sharing Information • Florida’s Transition Project Forms (www.tats.ucf.edu) • “Getting to Know Me” – parents share information about their family, their child’s preferences, self-help skills, communication skills, what works when child is upset, etc. • “Teacher to Teacher” – information exchanged between sending and receiving teachers

15. Discussing Key Elements KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

16. Special Factors to Consider for Providing Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) www.nichy.org

17. Special Factors to Consider for Providing FAPE www.nichy.org

18. Gathering InformationHandouts 3 and 4– (Case Study 1 and Getting to Know Me/BDI-2 ) JOSÉ

19. Jacks Activity Handout 5 • Divide into groups of 3-5 people. • Each group should have a set of jacks and a Jacks Activity Handout. • Identify a leader to read the instructions to the group and complete the activity. • When completed, the groups will share their charts, PLAAFP, and MAG. • How important were the baseline data in creating your PLAAFP and MAG?

20. PLAAFP – Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance • A summary statement which describes the child’s current academic achievement and functional performance in the areas of need identified from the evaluation and all information gathered. • The purpose is to identify and prioritize the specific needs of a child and to establish baseline performance in the general curriculum which is used to develop individualized, meaningful, and measureable goals. • For preschool children, the PLAAFP should state how the disability affects the child’s participation in appropriate activities. KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

21. The PLAAFP Should: Handout 6 and 7 – Standards and CDC Checklist KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

22. 4 Components of PLAAFP • Based on: Current child performance, work samples, observations, assessments, parent input, anecdotal records, etc. • Child’s Strengths as they Relate to Possible Interventions: Including a description of specific skills, how frequently the child uses the behavior, baseline data, etc. • Effects of the Disability on Child’s Progress in Appropriate Activities: Specific prerequisite skills the child is lacking, learning or processing difficulties, communication needs (assistive technology) or impulse or behavior concerns that impede learning, including frequency and duration (consider skills and behaviors of typically developing peers). • Priority Educational Need: Using the child’s strengths and identifying what skills are needed to be successful in school and life. Written in broad terms that should lead to the annual goals. KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

23. Florida’s Five IEP Domains FL DOE, 2000

24. Alignment of IEP Domains, Standards, and BDI-2

25. Sample Baseline Data Statements KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

26. Linking the PLAAFP to Early Learning Standards To link the PLAAFP to standards: • Compare the PLAAFP with the developmental content areas listing individual standards, benchmarks, and indicators • Look for future skills that might be required • Ask: “How is the disability keeping this child from mastering that indicator or standard?” and “What is needed to enable this child to master the goal?” Goosens, 2008

27. Sample PLAAFP Independent Functioning Based on: structured observation, work sample analysis, and parent input Child Strengths: Katie is a 4 year old who imitates other children, actively participates, is independent (in preparing and cleaning up), shares materials, and enjoys art. Effects of the Disability: Katie has difficulty holding writing utensils between her thumb and forefingers and is unable to copy lines, circles, and simple figures. In art, Katie paints with her brush by only using down strokes.Katie’s fine motor control prevents her from being able to make representational artwork like that of other children her same age. 4-year-olds begin to draw a person, with a circle for a head and two vertical lines for legs, minimally. Priority educational need: Katie needs to use a 3 point grasp to hold writing utensils to create numbers, letters, pictures, and shapes. KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

28. Sample PLAAFP COMMUNICATION - PARAGRAPH FORM Based on a language sample, informal observation, and parent input, 3-year-old Emily uses single words, signs, and a few two and three-word combinations to communicate her wants and needs at home and at school. She initiates social interactions with her peers and labels objects in her environment. During a 20 minute play period with peers, Emily used 18 single word utterances (5 utterances also included a sign) and 1 two-word combination (“my shoe”). When 2-word combinations were modeled for Emily, she imitated only the last word of the phrase. Typically, children Emily’s age use 3 to 5 word sentences to communicate. Emily’s parents would like her to increase the length of her sentences so that more adults and children in Emily's life better understand her wants, needs, and thoughts. KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

29. What do you think of this PLAAFP? KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

30. Writing Present Level StatementsHandouts 3 and 4– (Case Study 1 and Getting to Know Me/BDI-2 ) JOSÉ

31. The IEP: A 6-Step Process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

32. 32 2. Writing Measureable Annual Goals “What should the child be doing a year from now?”

33. Some Problems with IEP Goals: • Goals are failed test items • Goals are restatements of curriculum objectives or indicators from standards • Goals divide the child’s needs by discipline rather than written holistically for the child. • Goals don’t facilitate the use of an embedded learning approach during routines, daily activities, and play • Goals don’t reflect skills necessary to function in the daily environment • IEPs don’t follow recommended practices and IDEA 2004 regulations Grisham-Brown, J., & Hemmeter, M.L. (1998).

34. Measureable Annual Goals KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

35. Method to Prioritize IEP Goals

36. Method to Prioritize IEP Goals (cont.) • Are the skills related to or aligned with the general curriculum and state early learning standards? • Will intentional and individualized instruction be provided throughout the day (across activities, materials, and staff) for the child to acquire and use the skill? • Do the skills provide a scaffold for the child’s progress to reach long term goals?

37. Components of Measureable Goals KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

38. Sample Goal KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

39. Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument (R-GORI) Handout 8 - R-GORI Checklist Pretti-Frontczak, K. and Bricker, D. 2000

40. Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument (R-GORI) Pretti-Frontczak, K. and Bricker, D. 2000

41. Measurability Examples

42. Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument (R-GORI) Pretti-Frontczak, K. and Bricker, D. 2000

43. Functionality Examples

44. Which of these are functional goals? • Four year old Talisha will verbally respond to another child who asks her a question. • Five year old Robin will string 5, 1” beads on a string, by herself. • Five year old Justin will follow 2-step directions provided by a familiar adult. • Three year-old Rafi will stack 6, 1.5” blocks, by himself. Dinnebeil & McInerney - April, 2010

45. “So What?” Test • To determine if a goal is meaningful, the team asks, “What will the ability to accomplish the goal do for this child?” • If the team is unable to provide a good answer to the “So what?” test, then the goal is not functional and another goal should be selected. • Example: In 12 months, Abbie will respond to the initiations of others (i.e., stay on topic, ask pertinent questions, make related statements) for 2/3 opportunities during daily activities such as circle time and small groups, as measured on 5 consecutive structured observations. • So what? KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006

46. Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument (R-GORI) Pretti-Frontczak, K. and Bricker, D. 2000

47. Generality Examples

48. Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument (R-GORI) Pretti-Frontczak, K. and Bricker, D. 2000

49. Examples of Instructional Context

50. Stranger Test • Goals should be written so that anyone who is working with the child, including the parents, can understand the goal and use the information to develop appropriate intervention plans and monitor and report the child’s progress. • Example: In 12 months, Abbie will respond to the initiations of others (i.e., stay on topic, ask pertinent questions, make related statements) for 2/3 opportunities during daily activities such as circle and small groups, as measured on 5 consecutive structured observations. KITS Technical Assistance Packet - 2006