Creating Individual Education Plans for Special Education Students

Creating Individual Education Plans for Special Education Students
Each public school child who receives special education services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This legal document is an education plan that addresses the specific needs of student with disabilities. The important thing to note about an Individualized Education Plan is, it is *individualized* for each student’s needs.
The IEP is considered one of the most critical elements in ensuring effective teaching and learning for children with disabilities.
More than 700 Bartlesville Public School students have an IEP in the 2003-2004 school year. The school district is legally responsible to implement the IEP effectively and is accountable to the U.S. Department of Education of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in doing so. OSEP regularly monitors all states for compliance with federal education laws and to see if states show progress in meeting goals for IEP students. Creating an IEP for a student is a process. First, students identified as possibly needing special education services are tested to see if they meet the federal law standard as “having a disability”. Once these results are processed, a team of professionals including a special education teacher, classroom teacher, school psychologist, school administrator, and parents meet to determine eligibility and write the IEP. The schools provide these evaluations and tests at no cost to a student or student’s family. Parental involvement in the IEP process as well as the continued education is critical. Parents can give input about a child’s background and offer emotional support to students at home. It’s important to note that at all times parents may access their child’s records and progress reports. When a Special Education student reaches 18 years of age, that information then goes directly to them. Parents are also encouraged to bring any concerns to their child’s school counselor to allow adjustments to be made. It is the goal of Bartlesville Public Schools to make every effort to contact and evaluate, and to educate, in the least restrictive environment. Also, all information used by the school district regarding the child must be kept confidential. Once the IEP is written, it will put into place modifications Bartlesville Public Schools is required to provide. The type and amount of services to be provided must be stated in the IEP so that the level of the agency’s commitment of resources will be clear to parents and other IEP team members. The student will receive services as soon as possible after the IEP meeting. The IEP is re-evaluated annually so a child’s progress can be measured and the IEP can be modified, if needed. Progress reports are given to parents throughout the year. In addition, every three years, students are re-evaluated to determine if they still qualify within the federal law definition of a “child with a disability”. Done correctly, the IEP should improve teaching, learning and a student’s results, but it’s not just learning and education affected by an IEP. Depending on the needs of the child, the IEP team must consider what the law calls “special factors” such as if the child’s behavior interferes with his or her learning or the learning of others. Then the EIP team will consider strategies and supports to address the child’s behavior. The IEP places certain procedural safeguards in action that the district must follow in the discipline process. That topic will be addressed in our next article in this special education series. Bartlesville Public Schools, Christina Hoskin, Community Relations Supervisor

Bartlesville Public Schools, Christina Hoskin, Community Relations Supervisor