After the Student Has Been Found Eligible for Special Education Services
Preparing to Learn
After the Student Has Been Found Eligible for Special Education Services
Before discussing the process for students after they have been found eligible to receive special education services, complete the assessment below to check what you already know, what you need to unlearn, and what you might be interested in exploring further.
Step 5: An IEP Meeting is Scheduled
At this stage, the school has determined that the student is eligible for special education services, but an Individualized Education Program still needs to be developed. Based on the student’s academic needs and their disability type reflected in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, an Individualized Education Program must be developed to fit their needs.
But before this can happen, the school must schedule a time for the student’s support team to meet with the student’s parent or guardian to discuss what this program will look like and work to develop it.
Individualized Education Programs Versus Individualized Family Service Plans
According to the IRIS Center at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Individualized Education Programs and Individualized Family Service Plans include the following components (IRIS Center).
Step 6: The IEP Meeting is Held, and the IEP is Written
After the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting has been scheduled, the student’s support team meets with the student’s parent or guardian to discuss the student’s needs and to develop an IEP. Remember, the student’s support team includes professionals from the student’s school and their parent or guardian. The purpose of this meeting is for everyone to discuss what the student needs to be successful in their education.
To ensure that the student is being properly placed and supported, a parent or guardian needs to be part of the conversation since they know the student and their abilities. Additionally, parents and guardians are an integral part of the IEP process and must provide the school with consent before the student can receive special education services.
When an IEP is developed, the student’s support team must consider the child’s strengths, areas of concern, results of evaluation/assessment, academic, developmental, and functional needs, and special factors (e.g., limited English skills, communication needs, assistive technology needs).
Practice
Label the Parts of an IEP
Step 7: Services are Provided
Once an Individualized Education Program (IEP) has been developed, the student can begin receiving special education services. It is important for the IEP to be fully developed before providing students with special education services, as an IEP is a legally binding document that lists everything that needs to be in place for the student to thrive, including who will be involved in providing services, what services will be provided, where they will be delivered, and for how long. Because it is a legally binding document, all services documented in the IEP must be delivered as specified.
Practice
Knowing the 10 Steps of the Special Education Process
Step 8: Progress is Measured and Reported to Parents
The student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) identifies specific goals for the student to accomplish within that academic year. To see how well a student with an IEP is performing, it is important to monitor their progress by measuring and assessing their performance and comparing that to their IEP. This will provide a snapshot of how well the student is working to achieve their annual goals. Additionally, schools need to share this progress with the student’s parent or guardian so they are aware of the student’s performance and are able to advocate for the student where needed. Schools must legally provide progress updates to the parents and guardians of students with IEPs as often as parents and guardians of non-disabled students are provided progress updates, like report cards.
Step 9: The IEP Is Reviewed
The student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be reviewed every 12 months as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), though the student’s parent or guardian can request to review it at any time. During the review process, the student’s parent or guardian can provide feedback on the IEP and request changes to better support the student. If the parent or guardian does not agree with the IEP or placement, they may file a complaint at the state’s educational department.
Step 10: The Child is Reevaluated
Every three years, students receiving special education services must be reevaluated. This is an important step in the process because a student’s educational needs may shift over time or no longer fall under one of the 13 disability categories identified by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Therefore, rather than viewing this step-by-step process as linear, it should instead be viewed as a cyclical process that continues throughout the student’s academic journey.
Knowing the Difference Between Accommodations and Modifications
Students who qualify for an Individualized Education Program or a 504 Plan will be eligible for accommodations or modifications to help them succeed in the classroom, depending on their needs. However, the terms accommodations and modifications have different meanings, so you will want to be sure to know the difference between the two. According to Understood, “An accommodation changes how a student learns the material. A modification changes what a student is taught or expected to learn” (The difference between accommodations and modifications). While accommodations do not impact what students learn, they do impact how they learn the material. On the other hand, modifications allow the material to be adapted so that students can successfully learn.
Understood provides a list of common accommodations and modifications that students receive. Some common accommodations are related to the scheduling of assignments, the timing of assignments, and the settings in which they learn. Some common modifications are related to the assignments and curriculum; if a student needs to approach the material in a different way, then the teacher may need to make alterations to the assignments so that the students can understand.
Practice
Accommodations Versus Modifications
Transition Plans
New educators may not realize that special education services not only set students up for success in K-12 education but also guide how students can be successful following high school. Schools are required by law to provide students with Individualized Education Programs and a transition plan to help them transition from high school to adulthood. Transition planning must be started by the time the student is 16, or younger if determined by the IEP team (What is IEP transition planning?). A transition plan aims to identify students’ post-high school goals and ways they can achieve those goals (Transition to Adulthood). Students play an active part in the development of transition plans.
Curious about transition planning? Wondering what role families and students play in developing one? Read Preparing Students With Disabilities for Life Beyond School to learn more.
Knowledge Check
After the Student Has Been Found Eligible for Special Education Services
