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 student eligibility for special education services, but still needs to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) based on the student’s individual academic needs and the student’s Individual Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) disability type.
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 the program’s details and work to further develop it.
Individualized Education Programs Versus Individualized Family Service Plans
According to the IRIS Center at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, IEPs and Individualized Family Service Plans include the following components (IRIS Center).
Step 6: The IEP Meeting is Held, and the IEP is Written
At the IEP meeting, the student’s support team meets with the student’s parent or guardian to discuss what a student needs for educational success and to develop an IEP. Remember, the student’s support team includes professionals from the student’s school and their parent or guardian.
To ensure proper placement and support for the student, the conversation must include a parent or guardian since they know the student and their abilities. In addition, 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 developing an IEP, 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
The student can begin receiving special education services after completion of the IEP. It is important for the IEP to be fully developed before providing students with special education services: A legally binding document, the IEP lists everything that must 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 IEP identifies specific goals for the student to accomplish within that academic year. Monitoring student progress by measuring and assessing performance and comparing that to the IEP helps provide a snapshot of how well the student is doing in achieving annual goals. Schools also 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 when necessary. 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 receive progress updates, like report cards.
Step 9: The IEP Is Reviewed
IDEA mandates a review of student’s IEP every 12 months, 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, schools must reevaluate students who receive special education services, unless the IEP team decides to readjust the evaluation period. A student’s educational needs may shift over time or no longer fall under one of IDEA’s 13 disability categories, making reevaluation an important step in the process. 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 IEP 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 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 adaptation of the material so that students can successfully learn.
Understood provides a list of common accommodations and modifications that students receive. Some common accommodations relate to assignment scheduling, assignment timing, and the learning settings. Some common modifications relate to the assignments and curriculum; if a student needs to approach the material in a different way, then the teacher may need to alter the assignments for the student to understand them.
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 student success following high school. The law requires schools to provide students with IEPs and a transition plan to help them transition from high school to adulthood. Transition planning must start when 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
