ROLE
OF THE IPRC
The IPRC is responsible for the following:
-
Deciding
whether or not the student being presented to the committee
should be identified as exceptional.
-
Identifying
the areas of the student’s exceptionality according to the
categories and definitions provided by the Ministry of
Education.
-
Deciding
an appropriate placement for the student.
-
Reviewing
the identification and placement at least once in each school
year.
Keep in mind that deciding whether or not your child should be
identified as exceptional is the primary role of the IPRC. You must
also remember that a significant number of children at all grade
levels consistently underachieve in school. Your child may be one of
those underachievers but he may not qualify for special education
programs or services. In fact, studies have concluded that a rather
large number of children who have difficulty with school do not
qualify for special education assistance, so the IPRC will not
simply “rubber-stamp” all students who are brought before them
for consideration. There are many budgetary and resource constraints
in place today that are forcing the IPRC to turn away a lot of “underachievers”
who do not qualify as being exceptional. That being said, before a
pupil is brought to an IPRC for consideration, there is usually a
great deal of evaluation and investigation that has gone on
beforehand. Your child's classroom teachers will have done their own
testing and evaluation, in consultation with the principal, before
recommending an IPRC. Therefore, most students who come to an IPRC meeting
usually meet the criteria in some manner.
If your child is identified as exceptional, then the committee must
designate one or more categories of exceptionality. This is
necessary for the development of an appropriate special education
program of instruction for your child.
The IPRC has several options available with respect to placement.
-
Your
child may simply remain in a regular class for the entire day
and be given indirect support by the classroom teacher who often
receives some special consultation on best practices that may be
effective with your child.
-
Your
child may remain in the regular class all day long and be given
specialized instruction from a qualified special education
teacher, either individually or in a small group, within the
classroom for a small part of the day.
-
Your
child may remain in the classroom for most of the day and
receive specialized instruction outside the classroom for less
than 50% of the school day from a qualified special education
teacher. These are usually for short periods of 20 to 40 minutes
each day or several times a week. These sessions may consist of
one-on-one instruction or there may be a small group of up to 4
or 5 students with similar needs in the room at once. There is
usually a designated “special education room” where the “resource
withdrawal” students receive their instruction.
-
Your
child may be placed in a self-contained special education
classroom for at least 50% of the day and then integrated into
the regular class for at least one instructional period of each
day.
-
Your
child may be placed in a self-contained special education
classroom or school for the entire school day in more severe
cases.
Once the placement is made, the IPRC must meet “at least” once per
year to review the placement and determine if there are any
adjustments to be made to the student’s program. These “annual
meetings” are often held during the last couple of months in the
school year for elementary school children who have been previously
identified by an IPRC. Therefore, if your child has already been
identified and is receiving a special education program under an IEP,
you may be familiar with the annual review meeting. By holding the
review meetings at this time of the year the principal is better
able to organize his classes so that they are more conducive to the
special education needs of his identified students for the following
school year which begins in September. Several days of IPRC meetings
may be held at this time of year so that the students can all be
reviewed at the same time. For a school of 400, this may require
meetings for anywhere from 40 to 60 students.
In
some cases the IPRC meeting is held at the beginning of the school
year. This is usually the case with students who will likely
continue in similar special education programs from year to year
without much change. Even though, I would recommend to parents that
they make every attempt to hold the IPRC meeting in the spring or in
June so that you can discuss your child's placement and program for
the following school year. It makes for a much less stressful summer
vacation if you know exactly what your child can expect on the first
day of school in September.
HOW DOES THE IPRC PROCESS BEGIN?
There are two situations in which the principal of your child’s school
MUST request an IPRC meeting for your child.
YOU
CAN REQUEST THE MEETING:
If you feel that your child may benefit from special
education services, then you have a right to make a written request to the
principal for an IPRC to make a determination. If you deliver such a
request in writing to the principal, it sets the whole process in
motion.
Within 15 days (these are actual calendar days) of receiving your
request, the principal will usually contact you by phone to let you
know that you will be receiving a written letter acknowledging your
request, giving you an approximate date when the IRPC will meet, and
providing you with a copy of the board’s Parents’ Guide to
Special Education. When the principal phones you it is a good opportunity for you to ask for a
day and time that would be most convenient to your schedule and also to let the
principal know that you would like the classroom teacher to be
present. It is easier to make the changes before the letter is
written by the principal, so this is a courtesy on your part that
will be appreciated by the principal.
The Parents’ Guide is designed to help explain the process to you
and also to let you know about your rights as guaranteed under the
Education Act. You can usually find a copy of the Parent’s Guide
on the board web site, so you should check it out even before you
make the request to the principal. That way you will know how the
process works. When I represent parents in these matters I like to
come into the picture before the letter is written by the parent so
that we can plan our approach together.
Unfortunately, there is no requirement as to how soon the IPRC must
convene. The principal will need time to gather relevant material
from the classroom teacher and also to have his special education
teachers get involved in some of the initial evaluation. This may
also include some testing at the board office. Some parents also use
the time to have their children assessed by independent
professionals who will provide their report that will be submitted
to the committee. When the IPRC does meet it will have to take into
consideration all of the available information in making the
determination. Therefore,
do not be surprised if the approximate date for your IPRC meeting is
quite vague. You may be told that the meeting will be held some time
during the next couple of months, or you will be given a range of
dates. In some cases, this is a good thing because you want as much
information available as possible so that the IPRC can make an
informed decision. Your written request puts everything in
motion.
Notwithstanding the above, if it is agreed by you and your child’s
principal that your child could indeed benefit from special education
services, then the principal may make arrangements to provide those
services pending the IPRC meeting. This is important for you to
remember in case there is some delay in holding the IPRC meeting.
For example, if the IPRC meeting is not going to occur for several
months, then you may be able to arrange for some interim services
that will at least help your child a bit while you are waiting.
Depending on budget and staffing constraints, the school may be able
to accommodate your requests. It is your responsibility as the
parent to try to get as many services as possible for your child, so
do not take this option lightly.
Remember, that it is best to "suggest" an
interim consideration rather than just sit back and let your child
continue to experience problems in school. When I work with a parent
on this matter I like to discuss what the parent feels she would
like to see implemented while we are waiting for the meeting to take
place. This suggestion can also be spelled out in the original
letter. For example, by simply requesting an IPRC, and by suggesting
services that you would be satisfied with for your child, you may be
surprised with the result. As long as you are not asking for the
"moon" the principal may decide to comply with your
requests voluntarily without the need to go through the IPRC
process.
Quite
often when a parent requests an IPRC it is because the teachers and
principal have not felt that your child would qualify as an
exceptional student. As a parent, you may feel you want certain
services, but the school may not feel it is necessary. Rather than
go through the trouble of setting up an IPRC, the principal may
simply find it much easier to comply rather than oppose your
request. After all, your concern is for your child. You do not want
an IPRC meeting if you don't need one. That is why I like to get
involved before the parent sends the letter requesting the IPRC. We
may be able to achieve our goals much faster and with much less
difficulty simply by asking.
THE
PRINCIPAL CAN REQUEST THE MEETING:
If
your child’s teacher or teachers believe he may
benefit from a special education program they will discuss their
recommendation with the principal. If he/she agrees with their
recommendation, then the principal will send you, the parent,
written notification that an IPRC will be held. Once again, within
15 days of the principal giving you this notification, you will
receive the approximate date of the meeting as well as the Parent’s
Guide.
This notification is usually provided so that the principal may
initiate special testing procedures on your child which will be used
to help the IPRC make their determination when they meet. A
principal will very seldom subject your child to this special
testing without notifying you or at least receiving your permission
for the testing to take place. Let me state that it is in the best interests of your
child to allow the testing to take place, so unless there are
extenuating circumstances I usually advise my clients to let the
testing go ahead as desired by the school board.
Keep in mind that the principal will most likely give you a phone
call to discuss his desire to schedule an IPRC meeting for your
child. That phone conversation will have a significant impact on
whether or not he goes ahead with the process. In most cases, this
phone call will not be a surprise. As parent, you may have some
indication that the call was coming.
This is where I usually come
into the picture. A parent will get a phone call explaining that the
school would like to hold an IPRC meeting for their child. The
parent then calls me to get some direction and advice. We then
examine all of the pros and cons of giving permission to begin the
process. Keeping in mind, that the principal does not need your
permission to initiate the IPRC process. However, principals do not
like confrontation so they will usually accede to your wishes if
they are reasonable.
NOTIFICATION OF THE IPRC MEETING
At least ten (10) calendar days prior to the
meeting, the chair of the IPRC (usually the principal) will provide
you with written notification of the date, time and place of the
meeting. As the parent you will be “invited” to attend and you
will be asked to indicate if you will in fact be attending. Note,
that this is a notification of when the meeting will be held and an
“invitation” to you as the parent to attend. Your attendance is
not mandatory and you may not be consulted beforehand about when it
will be held.
NOTE: I always advise my
clients that if they would like to attend the IPRC meeting and if
there are days and times when you will be unavailable, then you
should send a written letter to the principal informing him that you
would like to attend and then provide him with the dates and times
when you will be available. By doing this you will be providing the
principal with valuable information that will have to be taken into
consideration when the IPRC meeting is arranged. If the IPRC meeting
is scheduled on a date and time when the principal knows beforehand
that you will not be available, it raises questions with respect to
whether the board is doing everything it can to allow you as parent
to attend this very important meeting. Therefore, you will usually
find the IPRC is quite cooperative in meeting your request for a
change of time and/or date.
Therefore, do not wait for the principal to tell you when the IPRC
meeting will be held. Instead, you send the information about your
preferred date and time well ahead of time so that he knows your
preferences.
Before the IPRC meeting occurs, you will
receive a written copy of any information about your child that the
chair of the IPRC has received. This may obviously include the
results of assessments or a summary of information of special
testing. It should also include evaluations about your child that
have been provided by the classroom teachers or special education
teachers.
NOTE: I always advise my
clients to contact the chair of the IPRC immediately upon receipt of
the notification of the meeting date to request this written disclosure
of information if it is not already included in the package. It is
quite possible that the information will be included as a package
when the notification of the meeting is provided. However, if not,
you want to make sure that you receive the information as well in
advance of the meeting as possible. It is not satisfactory for you
to be given the information while you are in the waiting room just
before the meeting is to commence. You want to have a chance to
review the information and to be prepared to get involved in the
discussion with the IPRC.
NOTE: I also advise my clients
to send the chair of the IPRC any information you can provide the
committee that may be relevant to the decision in advance. This
includes any assessments you may have obtained, or any professional
reports you may have already gathered. It is always best if all
participants of the meeting are well informed and prepared in
advance so that fruitful discussion can take place at the meeting.
Quite often there are time constraints on the participants and
decisions must be made quickly. Unexpected information that is
presented by the parent at the meeting is not going to speed up the
process, or worse, it may result in a hasty decision that may end up
not being in your child’s best interest.
NOTE:
If you cannot attend the IPRC meeting make sure the principal
knows about this. Soon after the meeting you will receive the IPRC’s
written statement of decision of the identification and placement as
well as any recommendations regarding special education programs and
services for your child. You will be asked to review the decision
and sign it.
WHO MAY ATTEND THE IPRC MEETING?
The IPRC meeting is a very important event in the life of your child.
This is not the same as an ordinary parent-teacher interview. That
is why the parents as well as the pupil, if he is 16 years of age or
older, may be present at and participate in all committee
discussions that deal with the student. You as the parent are not
just an observer at the meeting. You may get involved in the
discussion and ask as many questions as you wish. You are also
entitled to be present when the committee makes their identification
and placement decision.
Besides the chair and the two other official members of the IPRC, there
are a number of others who may attend the meeting. Please note, that
in each case below, the key word here is that they MAY attend the
meeting. Unless they happen to be designated as one of the official
three (3) members of the IPRC they do not have to be in attendance.
-
If
your child’s principal is not one of the members of the IPRC,
he may still attend the meeting;
-
Your
child’s classroom teacher;
-
Special
education staff from the school if they are not already part of
the committee;
-
Board
support staff such a superintendent of special education or a
board consultant;
-
A
representative of an agency who may be able to provide further
information or clarification, such as Children’s Aid, Social
Services, etc.;
-
Any
other person may attend at the request of your child’s
principal. For example, there are times when your child’s
future principal may be requested to attend the meeting or your
child's previous teacher;
-
Any
other person at the request of the parent or student 16 years of
age or older. There may be people you wish to bring to the
meeting to support information you are about to present.
PLEASE
NOTE
that you, as parent, are also permitted to be accompanied by a
representative who may provide support OR speak on your behalf
during the meeting. This is a very important consideration that most
parents either ignore or of which they are unaware.
It is my professional opinion that it is advisable that you be
accompanied by a representative who may speak on your behalf during
an IPRC meeting. It is one of the services that I provide through
The Learning Clinic Education Centre and one that I strongly
recommend to all parents who are going through this process. It is
not very expensive when you realize just how important the IPRC
process actually is with respect to the future of your child.
The reason a representative is helpful is that a lot of information about
your child will be discussed by professional educators who have many
years of experience with the IPRC process. The process can be quite
intimidating if you are sitting in the room by yourself without any
support or representation, facing three to six educators who are
making decisions on behalf of the future of your child. Having the
services of a professional advisor representing you who is fully
knowledgeable about the procedure and who has had a chance to
examine all of the documents in advance will prove invaluable to you
in the end. You will at least have the assurance that someone will
be able to interpret for you what went on during the meeting and
moreover that you have someone with you who will certainly be able
to ensure you’re your child was in fact given due consideration. As
your representative I am in a position where I can ask the committee
to "clarify" certain points that are made, or be more
specific about assistance. In a lot of cases the terminology is kept
vague so that there is more leeway when it comes to developing the
IEP.
PRELIMINARY MEETING
Although
there is no requirement for this to take place, there are times when
you will be contacted by the principal or someone else on staff to
come in for a preliminary meeting. Some school boards encourage this
meeting so that the parent can review the results of any assessments
that have been done and go over the format for the IPRC meeting.
Quite often the parent will be advised of the recommendations that
will be made by the school staff during the IPRC meeting. It is a
chance for the parent to ask questions about her rights under the
Acts and Regulations and also to be informed of the possible or most
likely outcome of the meeting.
While this is not part of the official IPRC process, if you are going to
be bringing along a person to represent you at the IPRC, it is
advisable that you bring that representative along to this meeting
as well. There shouldn’t be any surprises during this preliminary
meeting since there is already a requirement for you to receive full
disclosure of all of the information that is to be discussed or
presented to the IPRC. This may be the way the school “discloses”
the information. It is always a much appreciated courtesy when you
have a chance to speak to a staff member in advance of the meeting
in an informal setting, so you should attend. It also gives you advance warning of any
particular information to which you may not be in agreement. Having
an opportunity to discuss the information beforehand makes the
actual IPRC meeting much less stressful.
Your
representative may notice things that are missing or that require
further clarification during this preliminary meeting. By asking the
questions, the person from the school who is attending the meeting
can rely the inquiry to the principal so that he can have the
answers ready for the IPRC meeting. It just saves a lot of time.
Just
a note that you should always request to see your child's OSR folder
when you attend one of these preliminary meetings. The OSR will
contain copies of all reports that have been made on your child in
the past and they may contain pertinent information that you can use
during the IPRC meeting.
THE MEETING
Because this is a procedure that is legislated under the Education Act,
the meeting will appear somewhat formal at times. Nevertheless, once
the chair introduces everyone and explains the purpose of the
meeting all available information about your child will be reviewed.
This will include some or all of the following, whichever is
available:
·
an
educational assessment;
·
a
health or psychological assessment conducted by a qualified
practitioner if they feel that such an assessment is required to
make a correct identification or placement decision;
·
If
it is felt that one would be useful, and with your permission if
your child is less than 16 years old, they will conduct an interview
with your child. This is always an interesting situation. In most
cases the interview will have taken place beforehand and the results
simply recorded and provided at the IPRC meeting. Usually this would
occur in some other context, but if it is going to be recorded as
part of the IPRC hearing, then you may be asked to attend the
interview. However, it is
possible, depending on the circumstances, for your child to be asked
to answer a few questions in front of the committee. Keep in mind
that you also have a right to request that your child provide
information at the meeting. However, you should also keep in mind
that as stressful as an IPRC meeting can be on you, the parent, it
can be much more traumatic on your child. Therefore, bring your
child into the process only if you are absolutely convinced that it
will be in his best interests and will support a point you are
trying to make with the committee. We will discuss this very
carefully in advance of the meeting.
·
They
will consider any information that you wish to submit about your
child;
·
The
committee may discuss any proposal that you may wish to suggest
about a special education program or special education services for
your child.
·
You
are encouraged to ask questions and join in the discussion at any
time. This is also where you would utilize the services of a
representative who will be able to ask some pointed questions of
clarification about some of the issues discussed at the table.
·
During
the meeting information will likely come up that includes not only
the academic performance of your child, but also behaviour, attitude
and potential responses of your child to any changes that result
from the decision of the IPRC.
·
Once
all of the information has been presented and considered, the
committee will make its decision. You will be present while
they make their decision.
NOTE: There is no legal requirement under the Education
Act for anyone to keep a written record of what is said during an IPRC
meeting. Most people in attendance keep their own notes, however,
there is no official record unless discussed with the chair and all
those present, and it is agreed that someone will keep official
notes. From my own point of view, I would discourage official
records so that all parties may speak freely about your child. After
all, we want to end up with a decision that is in the best interests
of your child, and when people know that they are being recorded,
they are sometimes intimidated about speaking freely.
THE
DECISION
After
all of the information is presented, the committee will make its
decision. You will be part of this decision making discussion.
The
IPRC will then render its decision in writing, usually right at the
meeting itself. As is often the case, notes are being taken during
the discussion and these notes usually form the summary of the IPRC
meeting. There is usually place on a special form for all of the
items that will form part of the statement of decision so it is
often just a matter of photocopying the notes and signing the
document.
The written statement of decision will include:
·
whether
the IPRC has identified your child as exceptional. In other words,
the first thing that must be decided upon is whether or not your
child is exceptional;
·
If
your child has been deemed to be exceptional, then the IPRC must
indicate the categories and definitions of any exceptionalities so
identified, as they are defined by the Ministry of Education;
·
the
IPRC’s description of your child’s strengths and needs;
·
the
IPRC’s placement decision; and
·
the
IPRC’s recommendations regarding a special education program and
special education services;
·
where
the IPRC has decided that your child should be placed in a special
education class, the reasons for that decision must also be
indicated.
NOTE: Before the IPRC can consider placing your child in
a special education class, it must consider whether placement in a
regular class with appropriate special education services will meet
with your child’s needs and be consistent with your preferences.
This simply means that the IPRC must give full consideration to your
wishes when rendering its decision. This is why it is so important
for you to make your wishes understood during the discussion
portion. The IPRC realizes that if it makes a decision that goes
against your wishes, they may end up in an appeal process which is
never desirable. This almost becomes somewhat of a negotiations
session with the IPRC to satisfy your requests. If your child is to
remain in the regular classroom, then the decision will include
recommendations regarding the amount of in-class support services,
resource withdrawal services, etc.
AFTER THE DECISION
IF
YOU AGREE
with the IPRC decision, you will be asked to sign your name to the
Statement of Decision to confirm that you agree with the
identification and placement decisions made by the IPRC.
The Statement of Decision may be signed at the IPRC meeting or you may
exercise your right to take the statement home and return it after
you have had a chance to examine it more closely. Even if you feel
you agree with the decision, I would advise you that it never hurts
to take the Statement of Decision home with you so that you can have
a good look at it before signing it. You have up to 15 days to bring
it back signed if you are still in agreement with everything in the
Statement of Decision.
If the IPRC has identified your child as an exceptional pupil and you
agree with the IPRC identification and placement decision, the board
will immediately notify the principal of the school at which the
special education program is to be provided. This may mean that the
principal of another school will be thus notified so that he knows
he will need to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the
student.
This is why the IPRC meeting is usually held in May or
June for students who are going to be going to another school in the
fall.
IF
YOU DO NOT AGREE
with either the identification or placement decision made by the
IPRC, you have the right to appeal, subject to some time-line
restrictions that are outlined below:
1.
Within
15 days of receipt of the decision, you may request that the IPRC
hold a second meeting to discuss your concerns. Note that this means
15 days from the day of the IPRC meeting at which time you were
given the Statement of Decision to sign. That is why it is very
important for you to bring the Statement of Decision home with you
to read before you sign it. You may find one or two statements or
points of information that you would like to change or delete. You
may also have been a bit intimidated and forgot to bring out a
couple of suggestions during the meeting. If that is the case it may
simply be a matter of making a “friendly amendment” to the
Statement of Decision that the principal may be able to make without
the need to call for a second meeting.
NOTE:
If you do request a second meeting, you should have some additional
information or points to present to support your objections. This is
not simply a chance to repeat everything that was done during the
first meeting, but an opportunity to “change” something about
the original decision with which you have a concern.
2.
If you feel that a second meeting will not resolve
the matter, you can appeal directly to the secretary of the board
within 30 days of the receipt of the original decision. Your notice
of appeal will clearly indicate the decision with which you disagree
and it will include a statement that sets out your reasons for
disagreeing. If you do decide to go through the appeal process, I
would strongly recommend that you get someone to represent you.
3.
If the IPRC holds a second meeting and you are still
not satisfied with the statement of decision, you have 15 days after
the receipt of the second statement of decision to file a notice of
appeal to the secretary of the board.
NOTE: If you do not sign your consent to the IPRC
decision and you do not appeal the decision within the stated time
line, the board will instruct the principal to implement the IPRC
decision. You cannot simply ignore the statement of decision and
hope that it goes away. If you do, the next time you will be in a
position to request a review of the decision will be three months
after your child is in the special education program.
APPEAL PROCESS
If you initiate the appeal process by submitting a written notice of
appeal to the secretary of the board, the following steps will
ensue:
1.
The board will establish a special education appeal
board to hear the appeal. The appeal board will be composed of three
persons who have no prior knowledge of the matter
under appeal. You will be allowed to select one of the persons on
the appeal board. Normally, the board will select one of the other persons. The two selected persons will agree on a person to act as
chair. Once again, the parties forming the appeal committee should
have no prior knowledge of the case.
2.
If you file an appeal, the decision of the IPRC will
not be implemented, unless both you and the principal/board agree to
a temporary placement pending the results of the appeal. For
example, rather than doing nothing during the time of the appeal,
you and your child’s principal may agree on a temporary placement
so that your child is receiving at least some of the services that
may end up getting following the appeal.
3.
The chair of the appeal board will then arrange a
meeting to take place at a convenient time and place, but no later
than 30 days after he or she has been selected (unless parents and
board both provide written consent to a later date). Remember that
this 30-day clock starts the day the chair has been selected, so if
the two representatives selected by you and the board have
difficulty agreeing upon a chair, then the appeal will be delayed.
4.
The appeal board will receive the material reviewed
by the IPRC and may interview any persons who may be able to
contribute information about the matter under appeal.
5.
You and your child, if he is 16 years old or over,
are entitled to be present at, and to participate in, "all"
discussions. Once again, remember that you have a right to bring
along a representative who may speak on your behalf.
6.
The appeal board must make its recommendation within
3 days of the meeting ending. This is where it is a bit confusing.
You are entitled to be present and to participate in all discussions
involving the appeal, therefore, it would stand to reason that the
decision would have to be made in your presence. That means that the
decision should be made at the appeal hearing. It is something that
can be questioned if the appeal committee indicates that it will
need more time to discuss the matter.
The appeal board may:
a.
agree with the IPRC and recommend that the decision
be implemented; or
b.
disagree with the IPRC and make a recommendation to
the board about the student’s identification, placement, or both.
7.
The appeal board will report its recommendations in
writing, both to you and to the school board, providing the reasons
for its recommendations.
8.
Within 30 days of receiving the appeal board’s
written statement, the school board will decide what action it will
take with respect to the recommendations. At this point it is
important to note that school boards are not required to follow the
appeal board recommendation.
9.
You may accept the decision of the school board, or
you may appeal once again by writing to the secretary of the Special
Education Tribunal. Information about making an application to the
tribunal will be included with the appeal board’s decision.
NOTE: Very few appeal cases ever make it to the Special
Education Tribunal stage. Most will be resolved at the board level
because it is obviously not in the best interests of your child to
continue to fight over placement. Most cases that end up at the
Tribunal are due to the fact that the parent wants something that
the board simply cannot justify. In addition, prior to taking the
case to the Tribunal, there is usually a “mediation” step that
can be considered where you and the board will be able to come up
with a satisfactory resolution to the issues.
PLACEMENT REVIEW ANNUALLY
Once
your child has been placed in a special education program through
the IPRC, a review meeting will be held once during every school
year thereafter. The review IPRC will examine the same type of
information that was originally considered and will decide whether
to continue the placement or whether a different decision is
warranted. The IPRC will also, with the parent’s written
permission, consider the progress the student has made in relation
to the IEP.
It is important that you attend this review meeting. Therefore, even if
you are given the opportunity to waive your right to this annual
review, you should still insist on it taking place. Legally, you, as
parent, are the only person who can dispense of the annual review if
you provide the principal with written notice of such.
As the parent, you also have the right to request a review IPRC meeting
any time after your child has been in a special education program
for a minimum of three months. You would only do this if conditions
have changed or if you were originally not fully endorsing the
decisions made by the IPRC in the first place. You may only request
a review once in any three month period.
The school principal, upon written notice to you, is also permitted to
request a review meeting after the three month period has expired.
This may happen if he feels that conditions have changed.
Finally, the Director of Education may also request a review meeting in
cases where the board is required to purchase service from outside
the board.
CHAPTER
THREE
Individual Education Plan (IEP) |
When an Identification, Placement, and Review
Committee (IPRC) identifies a student as an exceptional pupil, the
principal must ensure that an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for
that student is developed and maintained.
According to the Ministry of Education, "An IEP is a written
plan describing the special education program and/or services
required by a particular student. It identifies learning
expectations that are modified from or alternative to the
expectations given in the curriculum policy document for the
appropriate grade and subject or course, and/or any accommodations
and special education services needed to assist the student in
achieving his or her learning expectations. The IEPs of students who
have no modified or alternative expectations will focus only on
accommodations and services."
There are only three reasons for the development of an IEP, and
the reason for your child's IEP must be stipulated on the form
According to the Ministry of Education, an IEP will be developed
for one of the following reasons:
- An IEP "MUST" be developed for every student who has
been identified as an "exceptional pupil" by an
Identification, Placement, and Review Committee;
- An IEP "MAY" be developed for a student who
has not been formally identified as exceptional, but who has
been deemed by the board to require special education programs
or services in order to attend school or to achieve curriculum
expectations and/or whose learning expectations are modified
from or alternative to the expectations set out for a particular
grade level or course in a provincial curriculum policy
document.
- An IEP "MUST" be developed, as supporting
documentation, if an Intensive Support Amount (ISA) funding
claim is submitted by a school board on behalf of a student who
has not been identified as exceptional by an IPRC, but who is
receiving a special education program and services.
Therefore, whether your child has been identified as exceptional
by an IPRC, or the principal has decided that your child could
benefit from a special education program or services in order to
achieve the normal curriculum expectations, or if your child's
learning expectations have been modified in some way, you will
expect to see an IEP developed for him. Generally speaking, if your
child is receiving any kind of special education services, even if
those services are being provided by the classroom teacher, and your
child's learning expectations have been modified from the normal
curriculum, your child will have an IEP.
THIRTY
SCHOOL DAY REQUIREMENT
An IEP must be developed within thirty “school
days” of the placement of an “exceptional” pupil in a
particular program. This means that once your child has been
identified by an IPRC, thirty school days after his first day in the
new program the principal must make sure that an IEP is completed
for him.
If the IPRC was an annual review and your child will be continuing
in the special education program, it means that the principal must
make sure that within 30 school days after the beginning of the school year, (or
semester for secondary school students), the IEP that was already in
place for your child is reviewed and updated if necessary. If there
are any significant changes to the IEP, you should be consulted.
However, with a “review” of an IEP, there are many things that
must be changed, such as annual goals, so you should be very careful
about reading everything over again.
For example, when the teachers feel that, based on
their evaluation and monitoring of your child’s progress,
adjustments are needed in your child’s special education program,
they may decide to make some changes to the IEP. These changes may
involve new strategies and resources, increasing or decreasing the
level of support, or adjusting expectations. If there are going to
be “significant” changes to the IEP, and the key word here is
“significant”, then you must be consulted before the changes are
implemented. If you notice that your child’s program has been
changed, and if you feel the changes are significant, then you
should contact the principal for more information. It is quite
possible that what you feel is significant was not considered such a
big deal by the school. In any event, the date of all revisions to
the IEP must be recorded in the IEP, so the next time you have a
chance to review the IEP for your child, look to see if there have
been any revisions.
This
thirty day requirement applies to all students who receive a special
education program, including those who have not been identified as exceptional
but who are still receiving special education services. Remember
that under the legal definitions in the Education Act, students who
have not been “identified” as exceptional, are not “really”
in a special education program. You may be receiving similar
services, but you are not necessarily guaranteed the same level of
protection or rights.
Nevertheless, the time limits still apply with respect to the IEP.
Out of an abundance of caution, I would call the
principal of your child’s school, or drop in to see your child’s
teacher some time during the month of September and ask about the
IEP. You should ask to see a copy of the IEP and get the teacher to
show you where there have been any changes. There should always be
some changes since the annual goals are only for one year at a time.
PREPARING
AN IEP
Developing
an IEP for your child is not an easy process. While the Principal is
ultimately responsible for “signing off” an IEP, he usually
delegates the responsibility of developing the IEP to one of his
special education staff members and that person in turn will lean
heavily on the classroom teacher. It is the classroom teacher’s
responsibility to initiate effective planning and implementation of
the IEP.
Information
must be gathered from a variety of sources to establish a basic
profile of your child. The recommendations of the IPRC are very
important in this process, but other sources of information that
should be reviewed include:
- Your child’s
Ontario Student Record (OSR) which will include previous report
cards and the previous IEP if your child had an IEP in the past;
- classroom
observation;
- Your child’s
current work;
- information
provided by you, your child; school and board staff who have
previous experience working with your child, and, other
professionals and paraprofessionals, and, with your permission,
information provided in various types of assessment reports and
through diagnostic tests;
- results of further
assessments, if needed, undertaken in consultation with you.
In
addition, a list of all of the information sources used in
developing and updating your child’s IEP must be provided. Therefore,
when you, as the parent, look over your child’s IEP, you should
see a list of all of the sources of information that were used to
prepare the IEP and also all of the sources that were used to update
the IEP if your child was already in a special education program.
Take a good look at this list. It will tell you a lot.
As
you can see, it takes a lot of work to develop an IEP for the first
time. Once an IEP is prepared, it doesn’t require much more effort
to update it since this is usually simply a matter of “adding”
any changes or revisions. However, with up to 15% of all students
with an IEP today, this means that an average class will have up to
4 students who are in a special education program with an IEP. It is
not unusual for some teachers to have 8 or more students in their
class with an IEP, which has huge implications with respect to
accommodating their needs.
You
will see just how much work is involved in preparing an IEP as you
read the next section.
AN IEP MUST INCLUDE
When
you look over your child’s IEP you may feel a bit overwhelmed. It
will be multiple pages in length and it will be filled with a great
deal of highly sophisticated vocabulary and technological terms.
Since you will be asked to sign a document stating that you approve
of the IEP, you MUST read it carefully. The next section is an
attempt to familiarize you with what you should be looking for. Some
of the things are more critical than others.
(A) ESSENTIAL
INFORMATION
First
of all, the IEP is a legal document and as such it must include some
basic information. Make sure that all of the information is correct
and check the spelling and dates. It is embarrassing to look back at
an IEP and see that you misspelled your child’s name or put down
the wrong date of birth.
- Your child’s full
name must appear
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Student
identification number (if applicable)
- Current school
year
- Name of the school
and principal
- Date of your child’s
most recent IPRC.
NOTE:
If your child is receiving an IEP, and you are certain that he
has not been identified as exceptional, then you may or may not
have had an IPRC meeting. However, if you have attended an IPRC,
or if an IPRC meeting was held to consider whether your child
was exceptional, then there must be a date in this space that
indicated when the last IPRC meeting was held. Remember that an
IPRC meeting must be held for all exceptional children at least
once per school year. Most children who have an IEP have at least had one IPRC, so if the
date is more than a year earlier, then your child is likely not
identified as exceptional. You will see that on the next line.
If your child is exceptional, then you want to make sure that
there was an IPRC meeting within the last school year, or that
you waived the meeting.
- Your child’s
exceptionality
NOTE
#1: This is a very important section. If your child has
been identified as exceptional by an IPRC, then the description
of his exceptionality must be consistent with that provided in
the IPRC’s statement of decision. In other words, you should
always examine the IEP while you have the IPRC statement of
decision by your side so that you can check one against the
other.
NOTE
#2: If your child has not been identified by an IPRC,
then you will see written somewhere on the IEP a statement
describing the characteristics of your child that make the
provision of special education services necessary. This is a
very important section, so make sure you understand what is
written in this space and make sure it is consistent with the
IPRC statement of decision.
- IPRC placement
decision
NOTE#1:
This section will indicate the placement options that are to be
provided to your child. Once again, this information must be
consistent with the IPRC statement of decision. The main options
available may include placement in a regular class with or
without withdrawal support provided by a qualified special
education teacher; placement in a special education class with
partial integration in regular classes; and placement in a
special education class for the entire school day.
NOTE
#2: You may also notice that this section is blank if
the IPRC did not identify your child as being exceptional. In
some cases students are merely given services by the regular
classroom teacher and do not require support from special
education teachers.
- Your child’s
current grade and/or special education class placement
- Subjects or courses
to which the IEP applies
- Relevant medical
conditions
This will include any medical conditions affecting your child’s
ability to attend school or to learn must be listed, along with
any related specialized health support services that your child
requires on a constant or intermittent basis. This only applies
to the most severe cases.
- Relevant assessment
data
NOTE
#1: This is where you will find a complete list of all
of the sources of information that were used to assess your
child. We looked at how the IEP is put together above. This is
where all of that information is listed.
- Elementary school
program exemptions or secondary school compulsory course
substitutions
NOTE
#1: The IEP may recommend that your child be exempted
from specific courses, such as Oral French. It is possible that
your child may need to substitute other courses in place of the
normal classroom program. Not only must these exemptions and
substitutions be listed, but the educational rationale behind
the decisions must be supplied. It is important that you take a
good luck at the educational rationale and that you be
comfortable with those statements.
(B) DESCRIPTION
OF STRENGTHS AND NEEDS
The
IEP must also contain a description of the strengths and needs of
your child.
If
your child has been identified by an IPRC as being exceptional, then
this description will be included in the IPRC statement of decision
and what you find in the IEP must be consistent with that statement.
The
description of strengths and needs in the IEP should, however,
contain more detail and elaborate on the specific strengths as well
as the specific needs of your child, especially if there are
additional assessments and/or observations that have been made by
teaches since the IPRC. This is a place where teachers may be able
to be “less formal” in their descriptions.
The
description of the strengths and needs of your child will obviously
be reflected in other places of the IEP,
namely with respect to the description of your child’s
current level of achievement, the learning expectations and the
special education strategies, accommodations and resources being
used to meet your child’s needs.
(C)
CURRENT
LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT
This
is where you will find the “baseline” position of your child.
Here you will find information about your child’s current level of
achievement in “each” of the subjects, courses, or skill areas
to which the IEP applies. It is what will establish the starting
point for your child and will be what is used to measure the
progress of your child toward the achievement of his specific
learning expectations. Therefore, when you attend the annual IPRC
review meeting, the committee will look at the “baseline”
position, examine the latest assessments and evaluations, and decide
if the special education program has been successful in moving your
child closer to the learning expectations outlined in the previous
meeting.
When
you receive copies of your child's IEP during every reporting
period, you may notice that the "Current Level of
Achievement" has not changed. This is because the summary
formed the "baseline" or starting point for the IEP and
was written when the IEP was developed in the first place. Each
reporting period you will receive a summary of how your child has
progressed in relation to the current level of achievement.
This
section will be different for your child if this is his first IEP
than if he has had previous IEP’s.
If
you look at your child’s report card, you will see some indication
on the report that will tell you if the letter grade or mark your
child received in a specific subject was based on accommodated or
modified curriculum expectations as per the IEP. If the program
includes modified expectations, then the report card will indicated
that your child has an IEP. Modified programs of study include
expectations that are above (if gifted) or below your child's
age-appropriate grade level. In other words, if you look at the math
mark on the report card and your child received a "B", but
there is an indication that he has an IEP, then it means that the
"B" was based on expectations that were below normal
grade-level expectations. Subjects which were not modified will not
be indicated with an IEP.
In
some cases a student's needs are so severe that his program must be
modified so much that the Ontario curriculum policy documents no
longer apply. In this case the program contains
"alternative" expectations. Examples of this are in the
areas of life skills.
Some of his
subjects may require no accommodations or modifications. The
subjects or courses in which your child will receive instruction
will be classified accordingly.
Accommodated
only (AC)
The term accommodations is used to refer to
the special teaching and assessment strategies, human supports,
and/or individualized equipment required to enable a student to
learn and to demonstrate learning. Accommodations do not alter the
provincial curriculum expectations for the grade. Accommodated
only (AC) is the term used on the IEP form to identify subjects
or courses from the Ontario curriculum in which the student requires
accommodations alone in order to work towards achieving the regular
grade expectations.
Modified
(MOD)
Modified (MOD)
is the term used on the IEP form to identify subjects or courses
from the Ontario curriculum in which the student requires modified
expectations – expectations that differ in some way from the
regular grade expectations. Generally, in language and mathematics,
modifications involve writing expectations based on the knowledge
and skills outlined in curriculum expectations for a different
grade level. In other subjects, including science and
technology, social studies, history, geography, and health and
physical education, and in most secondary school courses,
modifications
typically involve changing the number and/or
complexity of the regular grade-level expectations. The
student may also require certain accommodations to help him or her
achieve the learning expectations in subjects or courses with
modified
Alternative
(ALT)
Alternative expectations are developed to help
students acquire knowledge and skills that are not represented in
the Ontario curriculum. Because they are not part of a subject or
course outlined in the provincial curriculum documents, alternative
expectations are considered to constitute alternative programs
or alternative courses (secondary school courses).
Examples of alternative programs include: speech remediation,
social skills, orientation/mobility training, and personal care
programs. For the vast majority of students, these programs would be
given in addition to modified
or regular grade-level expectations from the Ontario
curriculum. Alternative programs are provided in both the elementary
and the secondary school panels.
Alternative courses,
at the secondary school level, are non-credit courses. The course
expectations in an alternative course are individualized for the
student and generally focus on preparing the student for daily
living. Examples of alternative courses include Transit Training and
Community Exploration (KCC), Culinary Skills (KHI), and Money
Management and Personal Banking (KBB). Alternative (ALT) is
the term used to identify alternative programs and alternative
courses on the IEP form.
(D) ANNUAL
GOALS
This
is another extremely important section of the IEP.
What
you will find here are statements that describe what your child can
reasonably expect to accomplish by the end of the school year in the
subjects, courses or skill areas to which the IEP applies. This
means that if your child’s learning expectations are modified from
the Ministry curriculum guidelines, then you should see a statement
that takes into account your child’s strengths, needs and current
level of achievement to describe realistic and “observable”
achievements. The key word here is “observable”. The goals must
be written with “measurable and observable objectives” so that
it will be clear to determine the growth that is being exhibited in
your child.
For
example, instead of saying that one of the goals is to have your
child become better at memorizing his multiplication tables, you
would expect to see, “The student will be able to correctly answer
16 out of 20 multiplication questions using digits from 2 through 9,
in a period of 5 minutes.”
If
your child has an IEP and for some reason the curriculum
expectations are not modified, annual goals are not required. This
may be in the case if your child is gifted, in which case he is only
required to meet the Ministry expectations to begin with. Also, your
child will not require annual goals for subjects in which there are
no accommodations or modifications.
(E) LEARNING
EXPECTATIONS
The
IEP must also contain learning expectations that describe the
specific knowledge and skills that your child should be able to
demonstrate during the course of the year. These are short-term
objectives or stages that your child will have to demonstrate as he
is progressing from his current level of achievement to his annual
goals. It will give everyone a chance to determine how well your
child is progressing towards his annual goals. The key here is that
the learning expectations statements must describe specific,
realistic and observable achievements. They must also be clearly
identified as modified expectations.
Furthermore,
these expectations must be reviewed at least once every reporting
period and updated as necessary. You must be advised of any such
updates which are entered and dated in the IEP.
When
your child is under an IEP, youi will often receive a copy of the
updated IEP once every reporting period. This may or may not
coincide with the receipt of the report card. The only thing that will change
each term will be the "Learning Expectations" section
which will indicate progress your child has made from his
"current level of achievement" towards his "annual
goals". It may not look as if much has changed in the IEP,
since this is the only section where there will be changes made.
However, if your child has accomplished some or all of the learning expectations
for the previous term, then the teacher will be required to set up
new learning expectations for the upcoming term. This will be
clearly indicated in the IEP.
(F) STRATEGIES,
ACCOMMODATIONS AND RESOURCES
The
IPRC likely will have made recommendations for the special education
services needed to facilitate your child’s learning, and as a
result specific strategies, accommodations and resources required
must be identified in the IEP. Further, they have to be listed in
the following categories:
·
Teaching
strategies and accommodations;
·
Human
resources; and
·
Individualized
equipment
Teaching
strategies that are listed in the Ministry guidelines include:
·
using
special resources such as reading material that is consistent with
students' reading levels and learning styles, and videotapes,
audiotapes, and other audio-visual materials that give learning
experiences greater breadth and depth
·
using
learning resources that provide direct experiences of seeing and
touching (i.e., tactile materials)
·
providing
enrichment units, additional readings, and other opportunities
(e.g., problems to solve) that extend learning
·
using
a variety of teaching and learning strategies, such as special
interest groupings for research projects; peer partners,
collaborative groups, and cross-age tutoring; mentorship programs;
and independent study plans
·
collaborating
with resource teachers, teacher-librarians, and other professionals
·
simplifying
the language of instruction
·
providing
opportunities for performance in areas of special talent
·
providing
all students with strategies for understanding and accepting
exceptional students and integrating them into the regular classroom
Individualized
accommodations listed in the Ministry guidelines include:
·
giving
students extra time to complete classroom assignments
·
allowing
students to complete tasks or present information in alternative
ways (e.g., through taped answers, demonstrations, dramatizations,
role play)
·
allowing
students to tape lessons for more intensive review at a later time
·
providing
a variety of learning tools, such as adapted computers for
completing writing tasks and calculators for completing numeracy
tasks
·
providing
for the use of scribes
·
using
pictorial schedules to assist students in making transitions
Human
resources include both teaching staff and non-teaching support
staff.
Your
child may require the attention of special education teachers who
provide direct instruction in a regular class, in a
resource-withdrawal classroom, or, where required, in a special
education class. Special education teachers also provide
consultation services for regular classroom teachers and other
school and board staff (e.g., guidance counsellors or psychologists)
to assist them in developing programs that are appropriate for the
student. The IEP must indicate the type of assistance provided by
special education teachers as well as the initiation date and
planned intensity of the services. There must also be an indication
as to where the special education teachers will be working with your
child. i.e in the regular classroom or in a special education
classroom.
Your
child may also require the attention of non-teaching support staff
such as professional and/or paraprofessional special education
support staff who provide developmental, corrective, and other
support services (e.g., support as teaching assistants; support
services in the areas of speech pathology, audiology, psychological
assessment and counselling, physical and occupational therapy,
recreation, social work, medical services). As is the case with the
teaching staff, the support staff involved with the student, and the
type, initiation date, planned frequency or intensity, and location
of the services they provide, must be identified in the IEP.
With
respect to individualized equipment, this category includes any type
or item of equipment or any electronic product or system
commercially produced, modified, or custom-made to maintain,
increase, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with
disabilities
Examples
of individualized equipment listed in Ministry guidelines include
the following:
- speech analysers
- FM systems
- print enlargers for
students with poor vision
- amplification
systems
- computer hardware
and software
- individually
modified desks or work tables
- adjustable desks or
computer tables
- Braille writers
- symbol or letter
voice translators
- insulated booth and
study carrels
- communication aids,
such as speech synthesizers
- positioning devices
for sitting, standing, and lying down
If
your child requires the same types of strategies, accommodations,
and resources in all subjects, courses, and skill areas, the
information may be grouped in the IEP in a separate section.
However,
if your child’s needs relate to particular subjects, courses, or
skill areas, the information relevant to each may be included under
individual program area headings.
(G) ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AND STRATEGIES
Your
child’s IEP will contain information about the methods by which
his achievement of learning expectations will be assessed. It is
quite likely that some accommodations will have to be made to the
regular classroom achievement procedures in order to give him an
opportunity to demonstrate his achievement of the expectations. All
accommodations must be suited to your child’s particular strengths
and needs.
Some
of the methods and accommodations that you may see indicated in this
section include:
- administering tests
individually or in small groups
- providing a quiet
environment in which assessment may take place
- allowing extra time
for students to write tests or complete assignments
- permitting oral
responses to test questions
- providing for the
use of scribes
- simplifying the
language of instructions and questions used in tests
- encouraging student
self-evaluation
CONSULTATION
The
principal is required by law to make sure that you (and your child
if he is 16 years of age or older) are consulted in the development
and review of your child’s IEP, and that a copy of the IEP is
provided to you on its completion.
There
will be a place on the form that listes the consultations that are made with
you. It will be attached to the IEP and will contain the following
information:
- the date of each
consultation
- the outcome of each
consultation
You
(and your child if he is over 16) will be asked to sign this form
and to indicate whether:
- you were consulted
in the development of the IEP;
- you declined the
opportunity to be consulted;
- you have received a
copy of the IEP;
- any comments you
provided are noted on the form.
STAFF INVOLVEMENT IN PREPARING THE PLAN
Your
child’s principal is responsible for ensuring that an IEP is
developed for each student who has been identified as exceptional.
He is also responsible for ensuring that the IEP is developed
collaboratively by school and board staff members, who are familiar
with your child and who, as a team, possess the knowledge and
qualifications necessary to develop the most effective plan possible
for your child.
This
is very important. It means that everyone who has anything to do
with your child will have a common understanding of his strengths,
interests, and needs. They are each expected to bring important
information to the IEP development process so that the IEP will
contain the kind of instruction and support necessary to facilitate
your child’s learning.
In
elementary schools, the principal or vice-principal is expected to
coordinate and oversee the work of the special education team, which
may include the special education teacher, the classroom teacher,
the teacher-adviser, and support staff, in developing, monitoring,
and reviewing each student's IEP.
Because
of the size and organizational structure of secondary schools, the
principal may designate a vice-principal or a staff member to act on
her or his behalf in coordinating and overseeing the development of
the IEP. In some secondary schools, a special education teacher will
be assigned to prepare a draft framework for the student's IEP and
to bring it forward for discussion with the student's classroom
teachers, including his or her teacher-adviser or guidance
counsellor, as appropriate, and with support staff. In other
secondary schools, the student's classroom teachers may be more
directly involved in the initial development of the student's IEP.
It is also expected that secondary school students will be given the
opportunity to provide input about their strengths, needs, and
interests and the accommodations and special education services they
feel are necessary to help them learn and succeed at school.
You
should pay particular attention to this section of the IEP. Each
member of the team involved in the development of the IEP must be
identified in the IEP. This will give you an indication of the
different people who had some input into your child’s IEP.
The
principal must ensure that, collectively, the team members:
- have knowledge of
your child and, wherever possible, experience teaching your
child;
- have knowledge of
the Ontario curriculum;
- are qualified to
provide, or supervise the provision of, special education
programs and services to meet the needs of your child;
- have knowledge of
the special education strategies and resources available in the
school board.
Although
the IEP is developed collaboratively, the principal is ultimately
responsible for each student's plan. The principal must sign the IEP
to indicate his or her assurance that the plan is appropriate to
your child’s strengths and needs and that it meets all of the
standards outlined in this document. If you have any questions,
therefore, you may address them to the principal.
IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING
The implementation and monitoring of your child’s IEP will be an
ongoing process. It is important that your child’s progress be
measured on a regular basis in order to ensure that he is meeting
the goals and expectations of the IEP. You should find information
in the IEP that addresses the implementation and monitoring plan.
REVIEWING & UPDATING THE IEP
During the course of the year your child’s progress will be
evaluated and monitored. If it is found that he is not meeting, or
is exceeding the expectations described in the IEP, then the teacher
must try to determine why this is the case. If the cause is related
to your child’s exceptionality, then the IEP must be adjusted
accordingly.
Changes
to the IEP may include:
- altering the
strategies and resources used in instruction, or the level of
support the student receives;
- developing new
expectations, if learning is proceeding at a faster rate than
had been anticipated by the plan;
- breaking
expectations down into smaller steps, if learning is proceeding
at a slower rate than had been anticipated by the plan.
If
revisions of the IEP result in significant changes in your child’s
learning expectations and/or in the level of special education
accommodations and services to be provided, you “must” be
consulted before the changes are implemented.
It
is very important that you give full consideration to any of the
changes that are made to your child’s IEP. If you are not
satisfied in any way, then you “must” make your feeling known to
the principal. I would advise that you should first of all give the
principal a phone call to see if your issues can be resolved to you
satisfaction. If you are still not satisfied after speaking with the
principal, then you “must” put your comments in writing on the
form that will be attached to the IEP. This form is kept with the
IEP and will be looked over he next time you have an IPRC for your
child. You “must” sign the form to indicate that you have been
consulted and that you have seen a copy of the IEP, but if you do
not put your comments in writing, then it will be simply determined
by default that you are satisfied with everything about the IEP.
There is nothing wrong with putting you comments in writing on the
form. When you meet for the annual IPRC review, you will be able to
point out your concerns to the committee.
Also,
if the change to the IEP is such that you simply cannot condone,
then you have the option of requesting an IPRC meeting if it has
been three months since the last one.
TRANSITION PLAN FOR OLDER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
If your child is 14 years of age or older, and he
has been identified with an exceptionality other than giftedness,
then the IEP must include a plan for his transition to an
appropriate post-secondary school program that will be suited to his
strengths, needs and interests. For example, he may not be able to
follow the regular curriculum, so the IEP must indicate how the
school is going to ensure a relatively smooth transition. The goal
is to help your child eventually make the adjustment to the
workplace, further education or community living. so it is crucial that the development of life
skills is included.
A transition plan must be included in the student's IEP.
The plan must include the following elements:
- specific goals for the student's transition to postsecondary
activities. The goals must be realistic and must reflect the
strengths, needs, and interests of the student;
- the actions required, now and in the future, to achieve the
stated goals. The actions identified must build on the student's
identified strengths, needs, and interests;
- the person or agency (the student, parents, educators,
providers of specialized support and services, community
agencies) responsible for or involved in completing or providing
assistance in the completion of each of the identified actions;
- timelines for the implementation of each of the identified
actions.
It should be noted that the goals and actions outlined in the
student's annual education plan should support those identified in
the transition plan. |