Individual Education Program

IEP Process2 IDEA has Five Major Components  1.Evaluation and Identification  2. IEP and Related Services  3.Placement  4.Funding  5.Procedural Protections

IEP Process3 Individual Education Program (IEP)  Definition: An IEP is a written document that essentially describes the student’s present level of educational achievement, identifies goals and objectives for the near future, and lists the educational services to be provided to meet those goals. It is a legal document, but teachers are not held accountable for a child’s progress.

IEP Process4 Process Leading up to IEP Development 3 Identify child with a disability (can be referred by church, daycare center, parents, doctor, etc...) 3 Parents give consent for evaluation 3 Refer child to evaluation team 3 Child evaluated to determine present level of performance 3 Determine child’s eligibility for special education 3 Develop child’s IEP (PLOP and Goals/Objectives) 3 Determine placement

IEP Process5 Special Education Time Line  Upon receiving a written referral, the district has 15 days to create assessment plan  With assessment plan in place, district has 15 days to receive informed consent.  Upon receipt of informed consent, district has 50 days to assess and schedule team meeting and develop an IEP  After creation of IEP, the IEP is implemented immediately and reviewed quarterly and annually

IEP Process6 Participants on IEP Team 3 Representative from public agency 3 Regular education teacher (including general physical education teacher – required attendance by GPE teacher if PE is only “general” class child attends) 3 Child’s teachers (including PE teacher) 3 Related service personnel (as needed) 3 One or both parents/guardians/surrogate 3 The child (when appropriate) 3 Other individuals at discretion of parents

IEP Process7 Writing the IEP for Phys. Education  Which participants from the previous page should write IEP goals and objectives for physical education?

IEP Process8 What must be included in IEP? 3 Present level of performance (PLOP) 3 Annual goals and short term objectives 3 Statement of services (including special equipment) and extent child will not participate in regular education program 3 Transition services (for children or older) 3 Schedule of Services 3 Criteria, procedures, and schedules for evaluation

IEP Process9 IEP and Physical Education  Do all children with disabilities need to have specific IEP goals and objectives for physical education?  If not, which children with disabilities need specific IEP goals and objectives for physical education?

IEP Process10 Present Level of Performance (PLOP)  Purpose: 1.To describe the unique needs of the child that will be addressed by special education and related services, and 2.Establish a baseline of measurable information that serves as the starting point for developing goals and objectives/ benchmarks.

IEP Process11 Present Level of Performance (PLOP)  PLOP Specifies: The strengths of the child The unique needs of the child Parental concerns How the child’s disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum

IEP Process12 Present Level of Performance (PLOP)  Characteristics Measurable (you can see it, hear it, count it) Objective (clear criteria) Functional (useful in child’s daily life) Current Identifies any special factors Describes both academic and non-academic areas Includes results of most recent evaluations (formal and informal data)

IEP Process13 Converting PLOP into an IEP  Problems behaviors/motor deficits  Context in which problem occurs  Current Level of Functioning  Services Needed  Desired Level of Functioning  Intervention Strategies  Evaluation Measures  Evaluation Schedules

IEP Process14 Present Level of Performance - Example  Introduction: John is an 8-year-old 3 rd grader with Down syndrome. He attend general physical education with his peers and with the support of a teacher assistant (TA). He also receives pull-out adapted physical education (APE) 2x per week for 30 minutes per session.  Behaviors: John stays on task about 50% of the time with the assistance of his TA, and he can follow most verbal directions with support in about 10 seconds. He often looks to his peers for visual cues to know what to do. John will time himself out or walk away from PE about 3x per week. These episodes last between 1 and 10 minutes. For the past month he has responded better with a reinforcement program (he has only has approximately 1 behavior episode per week).

IEP Process15 PLOP – Example (continued)  Motor Skills: John was tested on the Test of Gross Motor Development – 2 (TGMD-2). He scored at the 5 th percentile for locomotor skills and the 2 nd percentile for ball skills. His age equivalent was 5.6 years indicating a delay of 2.5 years. His strengths were in running, sliding, and galloping in locomotor skills and throwing and kicking in object control skills. His weaknesses were in hopping and jumping in locomotor skills and catching and striking in object control skills.  Physical Fitness: John also is significantly behind his peers in physical fitness. John can do 5 sit-ups in 1 minute (class avg. is 15), he can do 3 modified push-ups (class avg. is 20), and he can run/walk the mile in 17 minutes (class avg. is 12 min.).

IEP Process16 PLOP – Example (continued)  Recommendations: Based on the above summary of his motor and fitness skills as well as his behaviors in GPE, it is recommended that John continue to receive APE services 60 minutes per week. In addition, John does seem to be benefiting both socially and with behaviors and well as motorically from general physical education with support from his TA. Therefore, continued participation in GPE is recommended with the support of John’s TA. Goals for John should include improved ball skills, improved physical fitness, and improved on-task time and the ability to follow directions.

IEP Process17 Annual Goals (LTG)  Purpose: Describe what a child can reasonably be expected to accomplish within 12 months with specially designed instruction and related services Annual goals enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum Annual goals also help meet other educational needs that result from the child’s disability.

IEP Process18 Writing Annual Goals  What should the child be doing? What areas of the general curriculum is the child having difficulty with because of his/her disability? What are the most important areas of the general curriculum for the child to master? What other areas are difficult for the child? Consider behavior, motor, social- emotional, communication, self-help?

IEP Process19 Writing Annual Goals  Directly related to PLOP  Sets direction for working with child  Written for specially designed instruction, not all aspects of child’s educational program (unless total program is SPED)  Provides a way of determining whether anticipated outcomes are being met, and whether placements and services are appropriate for the child’s special needs.

IEP Process20 Writing Annual Goals  Annual goal should have 3 parts: The child... does what … to what level/degree.  Key characteristics Describes what the child will do Measurable, functional, and observable Meaningful and comprehensive

IEP Process21 Writing Annual Goals  Examples John will demonstrate mastery (as prescribed in county curriculum) of 3 locomotor patterns. Sarah will stay on task and follow directions in general physical education 50% of the time with support from peers. Nicole will demonstrate improved physical fitness as noted by the ability to perform 15 sit-ups in one minute and run/walk the mile in 14 minutes.

IEP Process22 Short-term Instructional Objectives  Purpose: To outline measurable, intermediate steps between a student’s PLOP and annual goal. Short term objectives are basically intermediate steps to a goal. Benchmarks – major milestones to a goal.

IEP Process23 Short-term Instructional Objectives  Characteristics Measurable Minimum of 2 per goal Logical breakdown of the major components of an annual goal General indicators of progress, not a detailed instructional plan Specifies the behavior to be performed Specifies conditions under which the child will perform the behavior. Includes time frame for completion

IEP Process24 Writing the STIO A = Audience (John will …) B = Behavior (throw, run, do a sit-up) C = Condition (using the pattern prescribed in the TGMD; a distance of 10 feet independently) D = Degree (3/4 trials 2 days in a row; 80% of the time 4/5 days

IEP Process25 Schedules and Criteria  Statement of Services What services will be provided (e.g., SPED, PT, APE) Who will provide these services Where will services be provided (e.g., pull- out, inclusion)  Schedule of Services 30 or 60 minutes per week Percentage of time pull-out When program will be initiated and end

IEP Process26 Schedules and Services  Schedules for evaluation Quarterly, every 6 weeks, annually  Criteria for evaluation Teacher made test, county curriculum, TGMD  Procedures for evaluation Tested in classroom, small group, 1-on-1

IEP Process27 Due Process Procedures 3 Parents disagree with school system 3 Impartial hearing conducted with hearing officer (decision made within 45 days) 3 Continued disagreement 3 Appeal to State Education Department 3 Reviewed by state appointed hearing officer (decision within 45 days) 3 Continued disagreement 3 Appeal through court action

IEP Process28 Physical Education and the IEP  When must the IEP address Phys. Ed.? ALL THE TIME  How is Phys. Ed. addressed on the IEP? Basic requirement is that all students with disabilities have to have physical education – general or modified GPE with students without disabilities  without modifications  with modifications Specially designed physical education Physical Education in a separate facility

IEP Process29 Assessment and the IEP Process  Assessment to determine: Determine if child qualifies for services. PLOP – which is then used to create IEP goals and objectives Progress – determine child’s progress on IEP goals and objectives

IEP Process30 Assessment and the IEP (continued)  Appropriate Assessment Higher Functioning Children –  Gen. Curriculum  Standardized tests  Behaviors and social skills  ability to understand directions and rules Children with more severe disabilities -  Functional tests  Test IEP objectives

IEP Process31 Placement and the IEP  Placement is determined after the IEP is written.  Placement is … Where child can successfully work on IEP objectives Where child can work on non-academic skills such as behaviors and social skills Adheres to the mandate of LRE

IEP Process32 Who is “Qualified” to Implement IEP for Physical Education?  IDEA - Only “qualified” people can implement IEP. It was left to states to determine who is “qualified.”  In 17 states, “qualified” is an APE specialist with advanced training and endorsements in APE.

IEP Process33 Who is Qualified in Virginia  Virginia does not require certification in APE.  So, who is qualified in VA to implement the physical education portion of the IEP?