What kind of help do I expect from the school's IEP?

[fac]

DD10 has been in the IEP program for 3 years and will be going to 6th grade next year. She started with both Language Art and Math, I requested and successfully moved her out of the resource class for Math in 5th grade, she has been getting Bs in the main class. We will have an IEP meeting soon, I am not sure what kind of help I can ask the school or the program. I hope someone on the board can help me because it seems that in every yearly meeting we just agreed to put her in a smaller class.


I am not sure whether I am being unreasonable. A week ago, her case worker contacted me and told me that as DD has been in the program for 3 years and she should go through the standardized test before continuing to stay in the program, but they felt that she can just skip the test. I told her I have no problem with DD10 staying in the program, but then I think we should have a meeting as I am looking for some ideas to help DD10. For example, I have been helping DD for her Math, I found out that she is forgetful, something I taught her a few times and only to find out she forgot again. She told to me that it is a common characteristic of students in the IEP. I told her it did not sound like a solution, she said they do not give solution, but only suggestions. I pointed out that it is not even a suggestion.


Note that I believe parents have the primary responsibility for the children’s education and I am not staying away from it. I review DD’s Math, I subscribed to the same web site the teachers use, I read the teacher’s manual, I researched different ways to teach a single concept. I have homeschooled text books that I can give her extra exercises. In the last year, I spent thousands to send her to Sylvan and private tutor for Language Art. ( I know there are debates on whether Sylvan is useful, but in DD’s case, I think it helps)


At the beginning of 5th grade, I realized that those kids in the IEP program (at least in DD’s school) do not have a chance to leave the program, as I can see that the gap between the kids in IEP and the main program is getting bigger and bigger. I can pull DD out for Math because I have been working with her every day. For Language Art, except I can spend 3 or 4 times of what we are spending now, I just don’t see how she can move up to grade level. Therefore, the question is what kind of help I can get from the school except to put her in a smaller class.


Thanks for the help.

 

[ajk912]

I guess it depends why she has the IEP to begin with. Does she have learning issues or a learning disability? Has she ever been tested for that? Since you said she would forget something you just taught her I am thinking either it's an attention issue or a memory issue.

But yeah..pretty much all they can do is do pull out classes for more one on one help, when you are doing general education through the regular school.

 

[fac]

I guess it depends why she has the IEP to begin with. Does she have learning issues or a learning disability? Has she ever been tested for that? Since you said she would forget something you just taught her I am thinking either it's an attention issue or a memory issue.

But yeah..pretty much all they can do is do pull out classes for more one on one help, when you are doing general education through the regular school.

When she was in first and second grades, I found out she had difficulties, due to lack of vocabulary, in expressing herself or understanding the lessons. She was not interested in reading, watching TV or movies. I raised my concerns to her K, 1st grade, 2nd grade teachers and was told that may be she was too young. Finally the 2nd grade teacher agreed that she was behind in her grade level, suggested me to raise the issue to the school. Then at the end of 2nd grade, she did very bad in her standardized test as compared to her IQ test, hence she was accepted to the program.

I think the major cause of the problem is that she has attention issues. I had not spent as much time as I should when she was younger. I am working on this as well, say she likes animals, hence I got movie rentals that are about horses, dogs and this year, I can see her finishing watching movies. I got her to read books everyday, but about a chapter or 2 a day.

I understand her problem may not be as severe as other kids in the program, however, I think she, in fact, the other 2 kids in the same resource class, can be helped, but the question is how. I started to send her to enrichment centers for phonics when she was in K, and she has no problem in spelling now even her 2nd grade teacher told me that DD may know how to pronounce a word but not knowing what the word meant.

However, I have been frustrated by the lack of assistance from the school, for example, when I met with the school principal when she was in 2nd grade, I raised my concern on her lack of vocabulary, she basically told me if DD was not interested in even watching TV or movies, there was nothing that she could do. Or probably because I do not know what is available that I can ask.

While searching the old threads, I saw someone asked a very valid question on what do we expect our kids to do after she/he reaches 21 if they were in IEP. It was the same question I raised to the case worker as well. I am concerned, if I am not taking a more active role, that DD would not be able to survive in middle school and high school, she "comforted" me by telling me that they have similar program in middle/high school. May be I work in a different world, I just don't see those are solutions in particular she has a decent IQ.

Yes, I think she, and the other kids in the same program, need the one on one help, but I just don't see how the program in its current form is helpful.
The only usefulness is that they are learning in a slower pace, but it also means that the gap is bigger.

For example when she was in 3rd grade, I got her to know her multiplication table very well, but the other kid did not even know addition, therefore, she was asked not to answer some of the questions during class when in 4th grade. After taking to her 5th grade resource class teacher at the beginning of the year, I do not see the value of keeping her for Math in the resource class. But then I noticed she missed a lot of the concept taught in the regular class and have been working very hard with her.

Should I just give up hope from the IEP program? I don't think they will truely give her one to one help.

 

[ajk912]

I am so sorry you are going through that.

How many grades behind is she? Would repeating a grade possibly help so that she could be able to hold her own with her peers? It sounds like the IEP/special ed class doesn't do a lot of good in her case.

I know for my daughter she has an IEP meeting and they pull her out of the general education class 15 hours a week this year, and 19 hours a week next year, to help reinforce the skills taught in the general education class. She is still expected to pass the tests they have in the general education class, but she gets a little extra help in studying and maybe more advanced study guides or whatnot. Oh, and she gets extra time to do them, and instructions repeated or whatever. But she doesn't go to the next grade unless she passes the grade before it. It almost sounds to me that they are just passing kids who shouldn't be passed in your kid's school. Not necessarily your daughter..but the other kids, fifth grade and still working on addition/subtraction? Around here, IEP or not, you have to get those skills down by 2nd grade or the latest 3rd grade or you WILL be retained.

If it was me, I would check with the pediatrician and tell him your concerns and see what he says. If there is no medical reason she is behind, and she is just behind, I think I would be thinking to repeat the grade so she can just hold her own with no IEP. Because you are right, middle school is coming up and it would be better to do middle/high school on your own. BUT, she may have ADD/ADHD or processing issues (dyslexia, or whatever) and that WOULD explain what's going on, you know? So that's why I would really work on ruling out the medical. good luck!

 

[amid chaos]

In our schools, it is my understanding that at this point (5th and 6th grade) they try to move the kids on IEPs to 504s which are cheaper for the school system. Do you think this is what the coordinator is trying to do?

 

[tw1nsmom]

I'm a little confused here. You're speaking as though Special Education is a place. It's really a set of services and a process.

There's no way for me or anyone else on this board to know what your DD is capable of doing. We don't know her or her abilities. However, I would insist on having her tested. The school is obligated to test her every 3 years and it would seem to be critical at this juncture. It seems as though they are considering her for an IEP diploma track instead of a mainstream diploma one. If that is the only place where she can succeed, then fine. However, services can and should be provided for her in the mainstream classes if that is what she's capable of. Even in the resource room they should be giving her specialized instruction specifically for her. If she's ahead of the other children in the resource room she's either in the wrong grouping or they need to differentiate. She should never be held back from learning at a faster pace.

What is her diagnosis? How far behind is she on specific subjects? If she's capable of doing any of the mainstream work she should be doing it. If she's capable of eventually earning an academic diploma she should. The problem with an IEP diploma is that it holds very little weight. A GED is actually more widely recognized and accepted. There is a possibility that she could go on to some community colleges with one or get some vocational training, but I hate to see the school put her on that track this young.

You need to figure out what your DD is capable of doing. If it takes her longer to get there that's ok, but don't let the school limit her. If she can do the classroom work but needs one-on-one help they should be talking about an aide, not putting her in a lower level class. She can take until she's 21 to finish if need be.

 

[goofy!]

I'm a little confused here. You're speaking as though Special Education is a place. It's really a set of services and a process.

There's no way for me or anyone else on this board to know what your DD is capable of doing. We don't know her or her abilities. However, I would insist on having her tested. The school is obligated to test her every 3 years and it would seem to be critical at this juncture. It seems as though they are considering her for an IEP diploma track instead of a mainstream diploma one. If that is the only place where she can succeed, then fine. However, services can and should be provided for her in the mainstream classes if that is what she's capable of. Even in the resource room they should be giving her specialized instruction specifically for her. If she's ahead of the other children in the resource room she's either in the wrong grouping or they need to differentiate. She should never be held back from learning at a faster pace.

What is her diagnosis? How far behind is she on specific subjects? If she's capable of doing any of the mainstream work she should be doing it. If she's capable of eventually earning an academic diploma she should. The problem with an IEP diploma is that it holds very little weight. A GED is actually more widely recognized and accepted. There is a possibility that she could go on to some community colleges with one or get some vocational training, but I hate to see the school put her on that track this young.

You need to figure out what your DD is capable of doing. If it takes her longer to get there that's ok, but don't let the school limit her. If she can do the classroom work but needs one-on-one help they should be talking about an aide, not putting her in a lower level class. She can take until she's 21 to finish if need be.

What she said ^^^

My daughter just turned 21 so aged out of public school services in December. But we have been doing IEPs for 21 years, so am pretty familiar. My youngest, had a processing delay that sounds much like what your daughter has, his IQ quite high, but behind on reading and vocabulary due to a processing delay. So, we put him on an IEP for a couple of years too till he caught up.

As Tw1nsmom said, an IEP is not a program, it is special services for your particular child. IEP stands for Individual Educational Plan. It is a legal, binding contract, agreed between you and the school to provide certain services and meet certain goals, that the school is legally bound to follow. It should be specific to your child's needs and your child's needs alone. If the Special Education program that is in your school is not working for your daughter, that is what the IEP is for. To individualize it to meet your daughter's needs.

Now, the first thing you have to do is become familiar with your rights. Special Ed is very expensive and schools will often not tell you everything you are entitled to unless you know enough to specifically ask for it. This is one area where the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Read all the articles you can on IDEA, if there is one in your area, join a support group for parents with kids on IEPs. Worst case scenario, you can contact a lawyer for guidance on what to request on the IEP. Know your rights, what your daughter is entitled to, and then advocate fiercely, but reasonably.

As Tw1nsmom said, since it has been 3 years since your daughter has been tested, you need to demand a full evaluation. This is IQ, verbal assessments, etc. Become familiar with the tests and put it in writing that you want your daughter evaluated by x test, y test. Do not let the school tell you she doesn't need it. YOU need the feedback.

Then, sit down and make specific goals you want your daughter to achieve. Nothing broad like she will read at x level. You want a much more specific, measurable goal -

• She will read 4 books at 6th grade level, with 85% comprehension. (You might even want to specify the number of questions if your school is cutting corners)
• She will master 100 vocabulary words with 90% success, being tested with the same words 3 times over a 6 week period.
• She will be provided with a Para Educator for 5 hours per week, working with her in the regular classroom.

These are only examples, but you want goals on your IEP that are measurable, not vague ones where the school can say she is meeting most of the goal but you have no tangible evidence.

If she can do a test, but needs extra time to do finish it due to slower processing, put a specific time in the IEP - Wendy will have 30 extra minutes to complete each test and 15 extra minutes for a quiz.

If she needs a quiet room to take tests, put that in there too.

Also, you are entitled by law to have an outside, independent assessment (paid for by the school district), if you do not agree with their diagnosis and their plan of action. If you are not getting what you want, or your daughter has a vague diagnosis, take them up on this.

But sit down with the professionals and come up with specific goals that are achievable in a school year. You want goals your daughter can reach and feel successful. You want measurable goals so you can see the progress and forces the school to provide the services to reach those goals. Vague goals allows too much leeway in what services your daughter receives.

Don't feel like you are antagonizing the school (even though the administration may fight you to test how serious you are). We had the best run in our district. We had great teachers and a great relationship. But most of that was because they knew that I knew the law, and there was no misunderstandings between us because the IEP was so specific that we were all on the same page of what we all wanted our daughter to achieve.

My daughter (Down syndrome) graduated far beyond what anybody predicted she could achieve 21 years ago. She just won a scholarship for her sports, academics and volunteer work. I attribute it to a great partnership with her teachers, built upon agreement of what we wanted her to achieve. But that agreement has to be built on knowledge of what is available and what is reasonable for your child and for you to be a fierce advocate for your child.

Nobody, not even the school, is going to advocate for your daughter like you can.

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm a little confused here. You're speaking as though Special Education is a place. It's really a set of services and a process.

There's no way for me or anyone else on this board to know what your DD is capable of doing. We don't know her or her abilities. However, I would insist on having her tested. The school is obligated to test her every 3 years and it would seem to be critical at this juncture. It seems as though they are considering her for an IEP diploma track instead of a mainstream diploma one. If that is the only place where she can succeed, then fine. However, services can and should be provided for her in the mainstream classes if that is what she's capable of. Even in the resource room they should be giving her specialized instruction specifically for her. If she's ahead of the other children in the resource room she's either in the wrong grouping or they need to differentiate. She should never be held back from learning at a faster pace.

What is her diagnosis? How far behind is she on specific subjects? If she's capable of doing any of the mainstream work she should be doing it. If she's capable of eventually earning an academic diploma she should. The problem with an IEP diploma is that it holds very little weight. A GED is actually more widely recognized and accepted. There is a possibility that she could go on to some community colleges with one or get some vocational training, but I hate to see the school put her on that track this young.

You need to figure out what your DD is capable of doing. If it takes her longer to get there that's ok, but don't let the school limit her. If she can do the classroom work but needs one-on-one help they should be talking about an aide, not putting her in a lower level class. She can take until she's 21 to finish if need be.

I agree with pretty much all of this. Special education is not one program or a place. An IEP is a legal document that school districts must follow in order to provide the services needed to the child in the least restrictive environment. It also includes goals, tests, modifications...

To the OP, I think that you need to familiarize yourself with your rights as a parent and the rights of your daughter. Here is a link to the NJ Dept of Education and a PDF file of the Parental Rights booklet.

http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/

http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/form/prise/prise.pdf

As a parent of a child with an IEP, I have found that if the school district doesn't think that I know what our rights are, they will try to provide as little services as possible. It is up to me as a parent to advocate and push for the services that my child needs. If we don't do it, no one else is going to.

Here's a link to another great website.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/

I've been doing this for about 12 years now so if there is anything that I can do to help, please let me know!

 

[taylor3297]

If I read the OP concern correctly, the case worker for her daughter said they could skip the 3 year re-evaluation. Did I read that right? 3 year reevals are used to make sure that the child is on track and to see if the services need to be adjusted for the child. I would definitely insist on the reeval and see what data you could get from it. If there is still a 15 to 20 point descripency between achievement and IQ then some services may still be needed. There are many children with whom I have worked with that had a high IQ but their achievement didn't match. So, I would be on the IEP committee so modifications could be decided to fit the child's needs.

If you want to put your child in regular classes but don't want to let go of the IEP, ask for the child to be put on consult. This way the child's progress is monitored and if they are having trouble services can be added. If you totatlly deny services and the child is removed from the program, it is much harder to get the child back in the program. Make sure that if the re-eval is done that the school gets the results back to you within theh 90 day period.

 

[daughtersrus]

If you want to put your child in regular classes but don't want to let go of the IEP, ask for the child to be put on consult. This way the child's progress is monitored and if they are having trouble services can be added. .

A child can still be in a regular ed class and have direct services in the IEP. If you switch to consult, that means that the child will not be receiving direct services but instead the reg ed teacher will be consulting with the special ed teacher.

I would definitely request a full 3 year eval including all areas of testing.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I would reccomend googling 504 accomadations, the documents should give you some ideas of accomadations that can be woven into regular classroom settings. You don't have to take her off the IEP, I suggest it just to understand there are so many options out there to modify a regular classroom to different learning/processing styles.

 

[eduk8r26]

A 504 plan is not a special ed function. It is regular ed only. Often regular ed teachers have so much other stuff to do, they forget about the 504, unless the parent keeps them up on it.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I would reccomend googling 504 accomadations, the documents should give you some ideas of accomadations that can be woven into regular classroom settings. You don't have to take her off the IEP, I suggest it just to understand there are so many options out there to modify a regular classroom to different learning/processing styles.

I just want to reiterate that an IEP does not mean a special class. It's a set of services that often can (and should) take place in a general education classroom.

Some of the services that can be offered in the general education setting through an IEP are...one-on-one Aide, Shared Aide, Push-in Resource teacher, Team Taught Integrated class, Consult Teacher (direct and indirect), and any number of accommodations and modifications. I know I'm leaving other options out as well. All of this can be offered in conjunction with time in the Resource room. Yes, a child can be in a co-taught integrated class or have a consultant teacher and still have time in the resource room.

Oh, and speaking of the Resource room. At the elementary level a teacher can only have 5 students in the resource room at any given time. Additionally, those five students must be on the same educational level. They don't have to be on the same grade level, just the same educational level. They can be within 3 grade levels of each other. So there really is no excuse for not differentiating within the Resource Room setting (or the classroom setting for that matter).

An IEP is what the name says...individual. It should be designed to meet that particular child's needs, not to solely fit that child into preexisting classes and when none exist that fit her needs say "close enough". This is why some schools are forced to pay tuition to private schools for some special needs children. They either aren't equipped to handle educating them or they don't want them there in the first place. Either way, through due process many parents have forced the schools to pay for the education that their child needs and the school refuses to provide.

If a child needs any of the therapies (speech, OT, PT,...) it would have also have to be through an IEP not a 504.

If you already have an IEP, unless your child has made miraculous strides and is completely at grade level in every area, do not agree to declassify her and put her on a 504. Both are federal laws, however an IEP comes with many many more protection under IDEA.

 

[Cindy B]

To repeat others, IEP does not mean special classes only. A student with an IEP could be all regular education classes and just have either inclusion class support, access to or a direct aide (however districts are getting pickier about aides now, the trend in my state is to have access to but not a full aide, which means that an aide shows up the first ten and the last 5 minutes of clsass) or a whole host of other things.

 

[fac]

thank you for all your suggestions. I now have a better understanding of the process and options.

I finished a meeting with the case manager to discuss whether DD should do the re-evaluation. She initially suggested to skip it but changed when I wasn't too happy. While I like to have the re-evaluation within this month, however, I was told that DD cannot take another evaluation in July 2010 because the test will not be valid if taking within a year. If I were to choose, I prefer to have the test next year just before she goes to middle school as it will give me a better indication on what to expect. Am I right?

I also looked into the DD's annual review of the IEP, all the evaluation procedures are based on Teacher Observation, does it sound right?

For example, under the goal
"To write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes"
DD will need to
"write a 6-8 word sentence describing an action or event, evidencing correct application of the following:; with minimal assistance; 75% of the time"
Evaluation Procedure: Teacher Observation

I googled 504 accomodation and noticed that there is an option for tutoring, however, I raised the request on tutoring in the past but was told that there will be no afterhour tutoring. Is it correct?

I like to review the goal and objective of the IEP for next year, hence I asked for a meeting to review, however, I was told that our annual meeting had already been held in December, therefore there will be no more IEP meeting this year. Does it sound right? I looked into the Parental Rights booklet, I do not believe there is a mention of number of meetings.

The reason for the December meeting was that I pulled DD out of the resource class for Math in September 2009, therefore the case manager called for a meeting in December to discuss the progress and summarize as the annual meeting, however, I cannot see how we can decide on the plan of action for her 6th grade while she was in the Fall semester of 5th grade, I brought it up, but she just said we already have the annual meeting.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

[tw1nsmom]

They are completely wrong. A parent can request a CSE meeting at any time. There is no limit to the number of meetings per year. What you need to now do is put it in writing. Write to the head of Special Education in the district requesting a meeting. In it I would indicate that even though you were told you couldn't have another meeting you had looked up your rights and realized that that was wrong. I would also put something to the effect in there that you realize that even though they only have 30 days to hold the meeting after receiving your letter, you can remain flexible and hold off until right before the beginning of school next year (many of the teachers that need to be at the meeting won't be there over the summer). However, in the future when you request a meeting you would expect the time line to be followed. I would either send it registered mail or walk it into the office and insist that they time stamp it. Always keep a copy of all your correspondence and it's also a good idea to have a little notebook where you jot down the summaries of conversations that you have with people along with dates and times. I now tape record all my official meetings in addition to that.

Having said all that, DO NOT agree to go off the IEP and onto a 504! They are jerking you around (at least on some level) and as I said previously, your DD has many more protections under the law with an IEP than she would with a 504.

Also, when it comes to the testing...if they just administered one of the key tests last year they can either include those results in the three year review along with additional testing or they can find an alternative test.

 

[Cindy B]

Afterschool tutoring does not happen in some schools because either 1) the teacher union prohibits it or 2) there is no money in the budget for funding after school tutoring.

However in my school, students are dismissed at 3. Teachers are required by contract to stay until 3:30. Teachers have tutoring from 3-3:30 usually Monday through Thursday. This may be something for you to look into.

As for the goals: quite frankly they are written to be somewhat vague. Of course IEP's are customized but that example is a pretty standard example. I use 80% instead of 75% but that is something pretty standard that I have either recommended, read or such like that.

In my district, IEP meetings are once a year. My district likes to have towards the end of the year (like March on) so it is planned out for the next academic year. However if there is an issue or concern, they have no problem accommodating the parent.

 

[turkeymama]

They are completely wrong. A parent can request a CSE meeting at any time. There is no limit to the number of meetings per year. What you need to now do is put it in writing. Write to the head of Special Education in the district requesting a meeting. In it I would indicate that even though you were told you couldn't have another meeting you had looked up your rights and realized that that was wrong. I would also put something to the effect in there that you realize that even though they only have 30 days to hold the meeting after receiving your letter, you can remain flexible and hold off until right before the beginning of school next year (many of the teachers that need to be at the meeting won't be there over the summer). However, in the future when you request a meeting you would expect the time line to be followed. I would either send it registered mail or walk it into the office and insist that they time stamp it. Always keep a copy of all your correspondence and it's also a good idea to have a little notebook where you jot down the summaries of conversations that you have with people along with dates and times. I now tape record all my official meetings in addition to that.

Having said all that, DO NOT agree to go off the IEP and onto a 504! They are jerking you around (at least on some level) and as I said previously, your DD has many more protections under the law with an IEP than she would with a 504.

Also, when it comes to the testing...if they just administered one of the key tests last year they can either include those results in the three year review along with additional testing or they can find an alternative test.

Yep, I agree with this 100%.

 

[fac]

tw1nsmom and Cindy B

thank you very much. I have been reading http://www.wrightslaw.com/ after my post. I really think that she is jerking me around. I was about to cry because I wasted DD 3 years in not pushing harder.

I read the IEP again and just do not see how they can close the gap between the resource class and the regular class. For example, the goal for reading is "to increase understanding and use of words in written and oral expression". In fact, I do not think that we ever discussed the goals and objectives. Once a year, we have a 30 to 45 minutes meeting to go over some general issues.

I am going to ask for the IEP meeting.

 

[2Kds2K9]

Lots of good advice here. I look at the IEP as a "Safety Net" for my DS. He's had one since first grade and is going into 9th grade next year. We've adjusted his IEP each year according to his needs. Some years it's been minimal, and other's it's been pretty heavy. Right now, I've got him set up for quite a bit for High School. But, I can always reduce it if he's doing fine.

Don't, I repeat, don't ever get rid of the IEP. Once you sign off to get rid of it, you can NEVER get it back. Now, if you want to have the testing redone to see how your child has progressed, you can do that. But don't sign any documents to dismiss the IEP.

This document can be carried through college. My niece carried hers through college and did great. She is currently the primary autisim teacher in a local school. She's been quoted in research and was even voted Teacher of the Year in her school district.

Good luck.