Ministry of Education, 2009

1. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) 101 Slide Deck No. 2 Ministry of Education, 2009

2. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) 101 Purpose: This deck provides an overview of the process for developing effective IEPs. All of the components of the IEP are discussed. Links to other resource documents and websites are included.

3. Special Education Overview What is an IEP? Guidelines for planning, developing and implementing effective IEPs. Questions and Discussion IEP 101 PresentationIntroduction of the IEP

4. Special Education OvervewMinistry of Education Strategic Directions • Overall Goals • High levels of student achievement • Reduced gaps in student achievement • Increased public confidence and support for public education Goals for Special Education Improved outcomes for students receiving special education Increased capacity of schools to effectively meet the needs of a variety of learners in settings ranging from regular to self-contained classrooms Improved balance between a focus on teaching and learning, and the need for appropriate process, documentation and accountability More cooperative connections between schools and families of students facing learning challenges; promoting a positive environment

5. Categories and Definitions of Exceptionalities BEHAVIOUR INTELLECTUAL MULTIPLE EXCEPTIONALITIES Behaviour Giftedness Multiple Exceptionalities Mild Intellectual Disability Developmental Disability COMMUNICATIONPHYSICAL Autism Physical Disability Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Blind and Low Vision Speech Impairment Language Impairment Learning Disability

6. Provincial Statistics In the 2006/07 school year, 198,385 students (96,341 secondary) were identified as “exceptional” by Identification, Placement and Review Committees (IPRCs).

7. Provincial Statistics (cont.) • In 2006/07 school boards reported that 13.92% of the total student population, or 292,968 students were receiving special education programs and services. • Approximately 79% of all students and 82% of secondary school students receiving special education programs and/or services are placed in regular classrooms for more than half of the instructional day.

8. Special Education Programs and Services Special education programs: primarily consist of instruction and assessments that are different from those provided to the general student population. Special education services: typically refer to supports such as assistance with instructional programming, personal care and behavioural management, and may involve additional human supports such as teachers’ assistants.

9. Knowing your StudentsPersonalization is…. • Knowing your students • Knowing where they are at in their learning • Knowing where they need to go in their learning • Knowing how to get them to where they need to go in their learning

10. Knowing Your Student: Continuous Assessment Process • The assessment process is multi-disciplinary and occurs in a continuous cycle that is fully integrated in to the teaching-learning process • Accurate assessment and evaluation are critically important to teachers who are committed to including all students in regular classrooms, including those with special education needs

11. Knowing Your Students Assessments, Strategies and Interventions

12. Universal Design and Differentiated Instruction Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction (DI) are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any groups of students.

13. What is an IEP? AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN IS… • A relevant working document that outlines the special education programs and services to be provided to the student • A plan for a student’s progress through the Ontario curriculum and/or alternative programs or courses • Based on assessment and student areas of strength and need • Linked to the Provincial Report Card • Reflective of parent and student consultation

14. Reasons for an IEP • Required to outline the special education programs and services provided for students identified as exceptional by an IPRC • Not mandatory, but recommended, to outline the special education programs and services provided for non-identified students • Required to document EQAO accommodations

15. IEP Parent / Student Consultation Report Card Curriculum An Effective IEP

16. Key Connections within the IEP • Assessment Data → • Areas of Strength and Areas of Need → • Accommodations → • Program (modified and/or alternative): • Baseline Level of Achievement → • Annual Program Goal → • Learning Expectations

17. Relevant Assessment Data • Current and relevant assessment information, e.g., behavioural, psycho-educational, educational, medical, as appropriate • Succinct results in plain language • Documentation of need for special education program and/or services in IEP

18. Areas of Strength and Areas of Need • Consistency with assessment data • Areas of strength – focus on preferred learning style/modality, processing skills and/or previously acquired learning skills, e.g., excellent visual memory skills • Areas of need – focus on broad cognitive and/or processing challenges or skill deficits, e.g., organizational skills

19. Accommodations • Logical flow from areas of strength and areas of need • Key strategies, supports, individual equipment/technology that enable student to learn and demonstrate learning • IEPs should reflect teaching strategies and accommodations that are different from those used with other students in the class

20. Accommodations (continued) • Instructional Accommodations refer to changes in teaching strategies that allow the student to access the curriculum • Environmental Accommodations refer to changes that are required to the classroom and/or school environment • Assessment Accommodations refer to changes that are required in order for the student to demonstrate learning, including accommodations for EQAO testing

21. Subjects or Courses • Accommodated only • Modified • Alternative

22. Accommodated Subjects/Courses • Accommodations do not alter the provincial learning expectations for the grade level. • Subjects that are accommodated only do not require annual program goals or learning expectations. • Student progress must be recorded on the Provincial Report Card. The IEP box is not checked and the statement referring to learning expectations in the IEP should not be used.

23. Modified Subjects/Courses • Refers to the changes made to the grade level expectations for a subject or course to meet the needs of the student • Includes: • Expectations from a different grade level • Significant changes (increase or decrease) to the number and/or complexity of the learning expectations

24. Evaluation and Reporting to ParentsSubjects/Courses with Modifications • Student progress is based on the independent demonstration of learning, given the provision of appropriate assessment accommodations • Student progress must be recorded on the Provincial Report Card • IEP box must be checked and include the appropriate statement “The grade/mark is based on achievement of the expectations in the IEP, which vary from the Grade __ expectations.”

25. Is it an Accommodation or a Modification?

26. Refer to learning related to skill development in areas not represented in the Ontario curriculum policy documents Expectations should represent a specific program designed and delivered to the student Possible skill areas include: Orientation and mobility Personal care Anger management Social skills Alternative Learning Expectations

27. Student progress is based on the independent demonstration of learning, given the provision of appropriate assessment accommodations Student progress should be reported through anecdotal comments on an alternative report For alternative courses, no mark should be provided unless it is beneficial to the student Alternative report to accompany the Provincial Report Card Evaluation and Reporting to ParentsSubjects/Courses with Alternative Expectations

28. Program Section Components for Modified and Alternative Subjects/Courses

29. Current Level of Achievement • Starting point or benchmark from which to determine current annual program goal and measure future progress • Modified subjects/courses – letter grade/mark and curriculum grade level from previous June Provincial Report Card • Alternative skill areas – comment from previous June alternative report • Unchanged for duration of school year or semester

30. Annual Program Goal • Clear indication of what the student is expected to achieve by end of school year or semester • For language, mathematics and alternative skill areas – stated in observable and measurable terms • For other subject/course areas – stated in observable terms

31. Learning Expectations on an IEP include: • Measurableperformance tasks, leading to assessment/ evaluation/reporting by term • Modified subjects/courses – distilled by teachers from learning expectations of Ontario curriculum policy documents • Notation of curriculum grade level/course • Alternative skill areas – specific tasks • Revisions by term

32. Teaching Strategies • Must be linked to learning expectations and differ from strategies used other students in the class • Must be linked to assessment methods

33. Assessment Methods • Variety of appropriate assessment methods • Direct alignment with each learning expectation • Specific to performance tasks

34. Transition Plan • Plan for all students with IEPs 14 years of age or older unless identified solely as gifted • Long-range cumulative plan for transition to post-secondary activities • Recommended for other significant transitions for some students • Collaborative involvement of student, parent(s), school and community partners

35. Parent/Student Consultation • Engagement of parents (and students) in a consultative role inIEP process • Outcomes and/or feedback from parent/student recorded in IEP

36. Questions and Discussion ???

37. Supports for the Development and Implementation of Effective IEPs • Education Act, Regulation181/98 • Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation (2000) • The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide (2004) • IEP Collaborative Review2006/07 Provincial Report: Common Trends • Provincial Electronic IEP Template (2007) • Shared SolutionsA Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students with Special Education Needs(2007) • Sample IEPs (2008/09) • LDAO parent/student IEP website (2009)

38. Related Websites • Ontario Ministry of Education, Special Education http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/speced.html • Sample IEPs - http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/IEP-PEI/index.html • IEP Template https://iep.edu.gov.on.ca/IEPWeb/ • EQAO Guide for Accommodations, a Special Provision and Exemptions http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/08/Accom_Guide_ENG_Gr36_2008_web.pdf • Special Education Advisory Committee Information Program http://seac-learning.ca