8. THE INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION (IEP) |
Individual Education Plan
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written plan. It is a working document that describes the strengths and needs of an individual exceptional pupil, the special education program and services established to meet that student’s needs and how the program and services will be delivered. It also describes the student’s progress.
In Bluewater District School Board, Individual Education Plans may also be prepared for students who are receiving special education programs and services, but who have not been formally identified as exceptional. We adhere to the policy document Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation 2000, to ensure that this work is carried out in a manner that is consistent with Regulation 181/98.
IEP’s are based on a thorough assessment of the student’s strengths, interests and needs. They identify specific goals and expectations for the student and explain how the special education program will help the student achieve the goals and expectations set out in the Plan. The special education program and services the IEP describes are modified as necessary by the results of continuous assessment and evaluation. The IEPs of students who have no modified or alternative expectations will focus only on accommodations and services. The IEP reflects the school board’s and the principal’s commitment to provide the special education program and services, within the resources available to the school board, needed to meet the identified strengths and needs of the students.
The Elements of Individual Education Plans
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a student’s IEP is developed, implemented, and monitored in a collaborative manner. It is an accountability tool for the student, his or her parents and everyone who has responsibilities under the plan for helping the student meet his or her goals and expectations. |
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it is a summary of the student’s strengths, interests and needs and of the expectations for a student’s learning during a school year that differ from the expectations defined in the appropriate grade level of the Ontario curriculum; there is specificity regarding knowledge and skills to be assessed each term. |
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it is a written plan of action prepared for a student who requires modifications of the regular school program or accommodations; extraneous information is avoided. |
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it is a tool to help teachers monitor and communicate the student’s growth which has been developed, implemented, and monitored by school staff. |
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Individual Education Plans are flexible, working documents that can be adjusted as necessary. |
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it is an ongoing record |
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it is a document that ensures continuity in programming to be used in conjunction with the provincial report card. |
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the program area of the IEP is linked to the Ontario Curriculum; its components are interdependent and is clear regarding any alternative program delivery expectations |
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the IEP provides individualized information on the student, not generic information – it is reviewed and updated each term and incorporated into IEP process |
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school principals are involved in development, implementation and monitoring of IEP’s |
What Information do we include in an IEP?
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student’s strengths and needs as recorded on the statement of decision received from the IPRC relevant medical/health information |
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relevant formal (standardized) assessment data |
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student’s current level of educational achievement in each program area |
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goals and specific expectations for the student |
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program modifications (changes to the grade-level expectations in the Ontario curriculum) |
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accommodations required (supports or services that will help the student gain access to the curriculum and demonstrate learning) |
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special education and related services provided to the student |
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assessment strategies for reviewing the student’s achievements and progress |
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regular updates, showing dates, results and recommendations |
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describes a transition plan that reflects long range planning and identifies steps needed to attain student goals from present to anticipated time of school leaving. |
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IEP records information on parent/student consultations |
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The educator responsible checks and updates at each reporting period |
Reasons for Developing an IEP
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 (IPRC), in accordance with Regulation 181/98
• 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 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, submits an Intensive Support Amount (ISA) funding claim
Processes for Dispute Resolution Where Parents and Board Staff Disagree on Significant Aspects of the Individual Education Plan
Most Individual Education Plans are developed by the teacher in collaboration with the school resource teacher and in consultation with the parents. In Bluewater District School Board, the number of cases requiring dispute resolution has been minimal. In any of the cases of dispute in regards to the aspects of the IEP, the school principal has been able to facilitate a satisfactory resolution. Through discussion with parents/guardians, language is clarified and a shared perspective for meeting the student's needs is achieved. Occasionally, additional meetings may be required and other board support personnel may assist as required.
Meeting Ministry Standards
In the fall of 2000, the Ministry of Education produced the Standards Document, “Individual Education Plans – Standards for Development, Program Planning and Implementation”. This document described the new, province-wide standards that school boards must meet when developing, implementing, and monitoring IEP’s for exceptional students, in accordance with Regulation 181/98 of the Education Act and for students not identified as exceptional who are receiving a special education program and services.
Since that time, there have been three external reviews of school boards IEP’s in relation to the requirements of the standards policy document. The findings of the most recent review, in February 2003, are consistent with those previously found. The greatest concern continues to be that many IEP’s do not effectively describe educational programming that is clearly connected to the Ontario curriculum. The majority of IEP’s reviewed lack specificity with regard to the knowledge and skills for each subject or course to be assessed and reported on by the classroom teacher each term. It continues to be critical that IEP’s be written in language that is easily understood by parents and students.
In 2004, The Bluewater District School board reviewed the report of the provincial IEP review and developed an action plan through its Student Services Department to ensure that the electronic planner and IEP forms used in its schools complied with the recommendations of the provincial review. In the spring of 2005, the Bluewater District School Board purchased and customized a web-based IEP template. During the year 2005-2006, the Student Services Department implemented the new electronic template and initiated professional development in-service opportunities for administrators, Learning Resource teachers, Developmental Learning teachers and Behaviour classroom teachers, with particular focus upon the recommendations of the provincial review of Individual Education Plans. Opportunities were also provided for classroom
teacher training during staff meetings, early dismissal days and professional development days.
- SAMPLE IEP
The Five Phases of the IEP Process
Under Regulation 181/98, principals are responsible for ensuring that an IEP is developed for each exceptional pupil. However, although the principal is responsible for ensuring the development of the IEP, he or she may delegate many tasks related to the IEP to teachers. Once a student has been identified as exceptional and placed in a special education program, the principal assigns to one teacher the primary responsibility for coordinating the development, implementation and monitoring of the student’s IEP. A team approach underlies the IEP process, and the process is goal-oriented; that is, it always keeps the goals and expectations for the student in mind.
1. Gather information
• review the student's records (including the previ-ous IEP and the IPRC statement of decision)
• consult with the student, parent, school staff and other professionals
• observe the student
• review the student's current work
• conduct further assessments, if necessary
• consolidate and record information
2. Set the Direction
• establish a collaborative approach (including the student and parent)
• establish roles and responsibilities
3. Develop the IEP
• identify and record the student's strengths and needs
• identify goals and expectations
• determine strategies and resources
• develop a transition plan
• establish a monitoring cycle
4. Implement the IEP
• share the IEP with the student, parent, school staff and other profes-sionals (providing a copy to the parent and to the student, if 16 or older)
• put the IEP into practice
• continuously evaluate the student's progress
• adjust goals, expectations and strategies as necessary
5. Review and Update the IEP
• update the IEP periodically (at least once per reporting period)
• review and update the IEP at the end of each reporting period and when the student
• transfers to another school
• store the IEP in the Ontario Student Record
Parents are consulted in the development of the IEP and receive a copy on its completion. Parents also are consulted about any significant revisions that are made and receive a copy of the revised IEP. We believe that the educational growth of a student is best accomplished through the mutual efforts of, and close communication among, the student, the student’s parent, the school, the community and other professionals involved with the student. The IEP provides an opportunity for all those involved with the student to work together to provide a program that will foster student achievement and success.
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