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Student-Led IEPs. A Guide for Student Involvement. Why?. Student’s don’t fully understand their exceptionality – their individual strengths and weaknesses or what accommodations they need for post secondary success. Student’s have not developed self-advocacy skills. Why not?.
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Student-Led IEPs A Guide for Student Involvement
Why? • Student’s don’t fully understand their exceptionality – their individual strengths and weaknesses or what accommodations they need for post secondary success. • Student’s have not developed self-advocacy skills
Why not? • Student’s become better self-advocates • Person centered planning leads to greater self-determination • Student’s understand their exceptionality and what will enhance their educational lives
5 Stages to Success • Develop a Student Led IEP Program • Help students to understand their IEPs • Engage students in the IEP process • Prepare students to participate in and/or lead their IEPs • Monitor ongoing self-advocacy
Develop a Student-Led IEP program • Involve Administrators • Involve Parents • Select Students • Ensure Confidentiality • Determine Instructional Goals • Plan lessons • Schedule time
Involving Administrators • Student participation • Parental Notification • Confidentiality • Student access to their IEPs • Scheduling
Parental Involvement • Explain the process • Ensure rights will not be violated • Parents participation still valued and needed • Answer their questions
Selecting Students • ALL students can benefit • If you need to start small, start with those you predict will have a high probability of success • Start with those who already demonstrate leadership skills • Choose how each student will participate
Determining Instructional Goals • The student will understand the purpose of an IEP and be familiar with its parts • The student will gather information from the educational team prior to the IEP • The student will prepare PLP, Transition Input to present at the IEP • The student will co-present or lead his/her IEP
Planning Lessons • Identification • Present Level of Educational Performance • Annual Goals • Accommodations • Services
Scheduling Time • Group lessons • Individual lessons
Helping Students to Understand their IEP • Purpose • Rationale • Parts of the IEP • Where are you now (PLP) • Where do you need to be a year from now? (Annual Goals) • How are we going to help you get there? (Services, Modifications, etc)
Activities • What does my IEP look like? • What does it mean to be gifted in NM? • Study of the law • How do I learn? • Easiest • Hardest • Helps me to learn • Hinders my learning • What do others do to help me learn • How do I transition to Adult Life (14 and up)
Student Glossary • Identification – exceptionality – disability • Present Level of Performance • Transition Planning • Annual goal, objectives, benchmarks • Special Factors • Positive Behavior Intervention • Accommodation/Modification • State and District Testing • Extended School Year • Specially Designed Instruction • Related Services • Supplementary Aids and Services • Placement • Least Restrictive Environment • Confidentiality
Engaging Students in Developing IEPs • Helping Students Access their IEPs • Review each section • Ask clarification questions • Highlight statements that you disagree with • Add your own ideas for things you think need to be added
Reviewing Goals and Objectives • += completed goal/objective • - = incomplete goal/objective • ?=disagreement with goal/objective • Be able to give evidence of success • Get input from other sources
Reviewing the Service Plan • + = successful accommodation • - = unsuccessful accommodation
Suggestions for Transition Aged Students • Informal and/or formal interest inventory • Career Exploration • Scholarship Opportunities • College Entrance Exams • College Exploration • Transfer of Rights
Helping Students Write their IEP • PLP-Describe exceptionality in your own words • PLP-Develop a list of strengths and educational needs • Goals - add based on the educational needs identified in PLP • Accommodations – review an accommodations checklist • What do you think you should be doing to get ready for next year
Preparing Students to Participate in their IEPs • Preparing for the meeting • Start with an agenda • Provide Students with prompts • Give instruction in listening, asking questions, stating disagreements in an appropriate way • Taking notes
Preparing Students to lead their own IEPs • Greeting • Introductions • Review Ground Rules • Review Agenda • Deal with differences of opinion • Summarize • Thanks
Agenda • Introductions • Ground Rules • Where is the student now? (PLP) • Where does the student need to be a year from now? (AG&OBJ) • How are we going to get him there? • Considerations/Accommodations/ • State and District Wide Assessment • Services • ESY • LRE • Debrief the IEP
Ground Rules • The IEP will start and end on time. • Don't interrupt when another participant "has the floor." (This includes no “sidebar” conversations.) • Don't criticize the ideas of others. (No put downs) • Build on the ideas shared by others. • Remain open-minded and non-judgmental. • Everyone participates, no-one dominates. • Complaints are okay when they come packaged with a solution. • Make compromises when necessary. • Stick to the Agenda and time frames. • The Facilitator is empowered to enforce ground rules.
Setting up the Meeting • Formal Notice • Reminder
Train other staff members • Look at the student when he/she is talking • Use the student’s name • Do not refer to the student in the third person, refer all comments about the student to the student • Ask the student questions first • Always allow the student to finish speaking • Restate what you heard the student say
Provide Support During the IEP Meeting • Although the student is facilitating, you must have an IEP record keeper • Acknowledge the preparation that the student did for the meeting • When discussing difficult topics, keep the focus on student strengths • Create a visual signal for the student to use if he/she becomes overwhelmed • Use the time-out technique to intervene
Time-Out • Acknowledge the issue • Provide an alternative means to address the issue • Restate IEP expectations • Empower to help
Debriefing the Meeting • Praise the student’s participation • Encourage student to send thank-you notes to the participants • Evaluate the student’s participation
Participation Criteria • Led the IEP • Described their exceptionality and impact • Described present level of performance including strengths and weaknesses • Reported test results • Described current problems in class • Described transition plan • Recommended IEP goals • Described needed accommodations • Described legal requirements
Resources • Student-Led IEPs, A guide for Student Involvement, Marcy McGahee, CEC, • www.cec.sped.org