1. Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement Teacher Training
ASPIRE
Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement
Teacher Training
(School Name)
(Date)
Presented by:
(Presenter’s name here)
The italicized notes in the presentation are useful as a script. Please adjust the wording so that it complements your personal presentation style. The notes in a regular font indicate additional information that may be helpful to the presentation.
As participants arrive have them sign-in using the sign-in sheet that can be found in the ASPIRE Master Index of Resources ( and give them an index card and ask them to write three things they are good at on one side and three things they are not good at on the other side. These are not strengths & challenges necessarily related to work but can be about themselves personally.
We do this activity to set the tone for the meeting (thinking about strengths and challenges) and to complete an activity later in the presentation.

2. ASPIRE A Collaborative Initiative between
The Georgia Department of Education,
Division for Special Education and Student Services and
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
Funded by the Georgia State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), Georgia Department of Education through a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, United States Department of Education and is a collaboration with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.
The ASPIRE imitative began in There are currently over 100 schools participating in this collaborative effort.
Until the ASPIRE videos are on the GA ASPIRE website ( if time permits, you can begin by showing the GCDD –Partnerships for Success video which can be accessed by clicking “The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities” in the slide.

3. ASPIRE What’s In A Name?
Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement
ASPIRE is the name that DOE has chosen to call their Student Led IEP project.

4. Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement
ASPIRE
Active Student Participation
Inspires Real Engagement
ASPIRE provides training and follow-up activities to enable students to actively participate in the development and implementation of their IEP. This process is referred to as:
Self-Directed IEP
Student-Led IEP
Many terms to describe student led IEP – just like Coke, soda, pop – different words describing a sugary, carbonated beverage.
ASPIRE, self-directed, SLIEP all mean - students having a say in their IEP; participating in their IEP meeting to the best of their ability. This looks different for everyone.
You want teachers to understand that this may look different from the traditional IEP but it still contains all the components they are accustomed to. Also understand that while the student participates in some way, they are one member of the team – not the ruler of the team

5. What is a Student-Led IEP?
A way to increase student and family involvement and representation in the IEP process.
Encourages students to play a larger role in developing and implementing their IEP.
Shifts the focus from adult-centered to student- centered.
As we go through this training you will see how student led IEPs help to increase student engagement and family involvement in the educational process How students play a larger role in developing and implementing their IEP and that it shifts from us as adults sitting around the table talking about the student or around the student to the student being the center of the meeting. 5

6. ASPIRE Goals
ASPIRE is a student-led IEP initiative designed to develop self-determination skills in the following areas:
Problem solving
Self-evaluation
Choice-making
Decision-making
A visit to the following website may be useful to you as you discuss self-determination and its relevance in SLIEP. The video and articles can help you gain a deeper understand of the relevance and relationship
We want to ensure that everyone knows what self-determination is and why we are talking about it. 1. Because it is the basis for SLIEP and because it is the evidence based practice that supports SLIEP.
What does Self-Determination mean to you? Illicit some response. There are different forms of self-determination. Teaching financial literacy is a form of self-determination, teaching life skills is a form of self-determination. When we talk about self-determination we are talking about teaching students to make their own choices & decisions, to think for themselves to the best of their ability. How do you foster self-determination? 1) Intentional Instruction through a self-determination curriculum. 2) Infuse into your curriculum – you already do this, when you give students choices about what projects they are going to complete and how they are going to complete them you are infusing self-determination into the curriculum. 3) Helping students participate in a student led IEP – when students have a role in deciding what their IEP goals are & how they are going to accomplish these goals you are embedding self-determination skills into their IEP.

7. What is Self-Determination?
A combination of skills, knowledge, and beliefs that enable a person to engage in goal-directed, self-regulated, autonomous behavior.
An understanding of one’s strengths and limitations, together with a belief of oneself as capable and effective, are essential to self-determination.
Field, Martin, Miller, Ward, and Wehmeyer (1998)
This is a formal definition, we’re going to look at what this means in plain English on the next slide 7

8. What is Self-Determination?
In plain English, self-determination is …
Knowing and believing in yourself
Knowing what you want in the future AND making plans to achieve those goals
Knowing and asking for the supports you need to achieve your goals
In plain English. Self-Determination is knowing who you are (self-discovery), knowing what you want, (exploring, trying new things & figuring out what works & what doesn’t work) and knowing how to get there (involves goal setting, understanding your strengths & challenges & how to ask for the support that you need).
Ask participants to share with each other what they put on their index cards (3 things you are good at & 3 things you are not good at). After a few minutes of sharing with each other ask participants how they felt about sharing this information and was it hard or easy for them to come up with 3 things. Discuss how difficult this can be for students and how students who know about themselves through these concepts of self-determination will be more successful in their participation.
Did this activity help you visualize how self-determination is the foundation of a student led IEP and is the key to participation?

9. How are Student Led IEPs and Self-Determination Linked?
Student led IEPs are one way of helping students become better self- advocates; learning to apply the skills of self-determination, goal setting, and self-evaluation.
Self-determination and self-advocacy are interrelated (Field, 1996)
Self-determination: Involves making and implementing choices based on personal needs, interests, and values.
Self-advocacy: Involves the actions that one takes on one’s own behalf
Self-Determination and Student Led IEPs are interrelated. Self-Advocacy is putting into action the self-determination skills you are teaching so a student led IEP is one way students can practice the self-determination skills that you are teaching them. 9

10. Research “Providing support for student self-determination
in school settings is one way to enhance student
learning and improve important post-school
outcomes …and to meet federal mandates to
actively involve students with disabilities in the
Individualized Education Planning process.”
Deci & Ryan July 21,2004 psychologymatters.org
“Students … knew more about their disabilities, legal
rights, and appropriate accommodations than other
students … students gained increased self-confidence
and the ability to advocate for themselves.”
Mason, McGhee-Kovac, Johnson & Stillerman, 2002
Is self-determination just for students with disabilities? This research indicates the benefit of S-D for ALL students; problem solving, self-evaluation, choice-making and decision-making are a part of many standards and are 21st century skills that students need to be successful in today’s world. This research also emphasizes the importance of instruction for students with disabilities to attain successful post school outcomes. 10

11. Self-Determination What is the importance of self-determination
in the process of implementing
student led IEPs?
Virginia: “I’m Determined” Video
ASPIRE was modeled after a project in Virginia called I’m Determined ( . We’re going to watch a video that shows students, teachers & parents talking about self-determination and students participating in their IEP meeting. You will see a variety of students from elementary to high school.
After video –
You saw students participating in a variety of ways; PowerPoint, posters, reading notes & talking. This is not a cookie cutter program; it should be individualized for every student.
Show Virginia I’m Determined Video titled Determined Student Involvement in the IEP. Click on the ASPIRE logo. Scroll to “Determined Student Involvement in the IEP. Choose Click to Play. Click video start button. Or access Click on Films in left hand column, scroll to “Determined Student Involvement in the IEP”. Choose Click to Play. Click video start button.

12. Traditional IEP versus Student-Led IEP
Student might have little knowledge of purpose for meeting, the IEP and its contents, or his/her disability
Adult team members generally take the lead in determining content of IEP
Student is aware of purpose for IEP meeting, contributes to the content of the IEP document, and understands his/her disability
Student helps determine content of IEP and how it will be discussed at the meeting
Our goal is for teachers to make the paradigm shift and see the possibilities for all. The next few slides help illustrate the possibilities.
Two options for the next few slides:
1. Ask teachers to think for a moment about a typical IEP meeting and to consider the levels of student and parent participation at their meetings
… Jim Martin & The Zarrow Center in Oklahoma observed IEP meetings and found that SPED teachers talk 51% of the time, families 15% and students only 3%. Let’s look at how a SLIEP might change those numbers.
Choose one comment from this slide and the next two slides and cite how this item could make a difference.
2. Make it interactive (depending on time). Break teachers into groups, assign a note taker and have the teachers discuss what they think are the differences between a traditional IEP and a student led IEP. Have each group share and then review this section very quickly only covering what was not on their list.

13. Traditional IEP versus Student-Led IEP
Student might not participate in discussion or decision-making
Meeting may focus on the student’s deficits or “can’t dos”
Meetings might not be valued by students, general education teachers, and parents
Student is often the discussion leader and presents information in a variety of ways
Meeting emphasizes capabilities, student interests and plans for the future
Meetings have improved participation as teachers and parents respond to invitations from students

14. Traditional IEP versus Student-Led IEP
Students and parents may not understand the connection between accommodations and instruction
IEP might not reflect
the student’s interests
or concerns
Students and parents have a better understanding of student accommodations and their role in instruction
IEP reflects intent to increase student voice in educational decisions, producing a dynamic document reflective of student’s personality
Bullet 1
We are hearing anecdotal information that accommodations discussions are becoming more “real”. Students are learning the importance of understanding their accommodations if they attend college, in the workplace and what is needed to stay safe in their community. Have you ever had a student who has the laundry list of accommodations that mom wants them to have but these accommodations are not working for the student? Think about how powerful it is for mom to hear the student say this is not working for me, but this is what works..
Bullet 2
Reflect back on the I’m Determined video. What were some examples of student participation in the video that might reflect their personality.

15. ASPIRE
By utilizing a student-led IEP model, the IEP meeting becomes a cooperative experience of working together to assist the student!
You may have noticed in the videos that the “tone” of student-led IEP meetings is such that it reduces the likelihood of contentious meetings. Having the student present for some or all of the meeting sets the stage for a productive and collaborative meeting.

16. Just Imagine… your students …
Creating an invitation to their IEP meeting.
Introducing themselves and others at the meeting.
Selecting pictures to show at the IEP meeting about a typical school day with them doing the things they enjoy.
We are going to look at some possibilities for participation. Think about a student you might like to work with and think about which of these items on the next few slides would be an appropriate starting point.
An invitation created by a student does not replace the legal document. Be creative and age appropriate - a preschooler could make a construction paper invitation, a middle-schooler could compose and send an and a high school student could send text invitations or reminders.
There are sample invitations in the ASPIRE manual that you might want to review with participants.

17. Just Imagine… your students …
Clicking a mouse on a computer to move from one slide to the next in a Power Point presentation and describing each slide during the meeting.
Helping narrate and select images for a slide presentation that portrays the subject areas they are good at, those they struggle with, and how teachers can help.
Discussing goals for life after high school and how to reach them.
Until there are examples on the ASPIRE website, there are PowerPoint templates and examples at Click on Power Point in the presentation if you want to access the samples or examples during your presentation
Discussing goals for life after high school and how to reach them, the transition plan, is something that every 8th -12th grader should already be involved in. Consider having the students complete the transition plan in their own words and talk about at the meeting. You may have to translate it into “legalese” but think of the time it can save not having to come up with some “cookie cutter” words to insert into the document.

18. participate in their IEP meeting
Just Imagine…
your students ..
Facilitating the agenda of the IEP meeting.
Leading the meeting.
Mentoring other students.
Your students doing these things to
participate in their IEP meeting
These are some examples of how a student would participate at a more advanced level. Some students will never reach this level and some will move very quickly to this level.

19. ASPIRE is for All Students
Students of all ages
Pre-Kindergarten through age 22
Students with all disabilities
Mild, Moderate or Severe Cognitive Disabilities
Physical Impairments
Visual Impairments
Hearing Impairments
Other Health Impairments
Speech and/or Language Impairments
Students in any instructional setting
General Education Classroom
Collaborative Classroom
Co-Taught Class
Part Day Separate Class
Full Day Separate Class
You can see from this list that a SLIEP is for everyone. In Georgia we have students participating in a variety of non-traditional ways. Students who are non-verbal have participated through PowerPoint; pre-school students have participated by demonstrating a skill they have learned; a middle school student with a significant disability participates by singing his address and other things he has learned through song; students with social anxiety have participated through video or PowerPoint with voice-over. Students in a severe and profound class have signed invitations with their thumbprint. 19

20. A Different Degree of Participation
The vocabulary and degree of participation will vary from student to student. The emphasis, however, remains on the student, what is important to them, and using that information to plan and implement the IEP.
This is a good place to have a teacher present how their students have participated in ASPIRE.
Remind teachers of the examples in the Virginia I’m Determined video viewed earlier. Note the various ways that students participated in their meetings.

21. Benefits for Your School
Increase in graduation rates
Decrease in office referrals/discipline issues
Decrease in drop-out rate
Increase in student achievement
This slide will be individualized for each school/system. You can add information here about how ASPIRE supports their school or county-wide improvement plan as well as their CAP. Data is showing that these benefits occur over a period of time because students are starting to understand the relevance of their education to what they want to do in their future.
How do student led IEPs relate to your school/system improvement plan or other initiative at your school?

22. Benefits for You and Your Students
How might shifting from a traditional IEP model to a student-led IEP model benefit you?
How might shifting from a traditional IEP model to a student-led IEP model benefit your students?
Use these talking points to solicit discussion from participants. Depending on time, have them pair up and discuss and then ask for the pairs to share their ideas.
Depending on the # of participants you can divide into 3 groups and add a third question: How might shifting from a traditional IEP model to a student led IEP model benefit parents? Or you can add parents to the student question. You can also add school to the first question so you are asking how shifting might benefit teachers and their school. (A benefit for parents that teachers will probably not think of is that the language in a student led IEP is more user friendly. It has to be for the student to understand. Who else does this help? Parents!)
Cover the next 4 slide only with information not revealed during the discussion.

23. Why are Student Led IEPs Important?
During the process students:
learn how to speak for themselves
learn about goals and objectives that form the basis of their education and why these goals and objectives are important for them; and
ultimately, become more involved in their own education.
Kupper, 1995 23

24. Results of Participation
Helps students learn more about their disability and how to explain it to others
Helps students define their strengths as well as their challenges
Provides an opportunity for students to express their likes, dislikes, and interests
Helps students learn about accommodations and the types of accommodations that might help them succeed
Colleges and Employers need to know how to accommodate through ADA. They cannot do this if a student does not self-identify.

25. Results of Participation
Helps students see relevance of school work to their lives
Provides structure for goal setting and attainment
More focused, motivated, and engaged youth
The IEP process becomes more meaningful to everyone
Students take more responsibility for their own learning requiring them to evaluate and reflect upon their work on a regular basis and identify what they do and do not understand about a given subject.

26. Results of Participation
Allows students to develop communication and negotiation/compromise skills, such as talking with teachers about accommodations, classroom progress, and needs
Students become engaged in their own education and transition planning
Students see that people care about their opinions and their successes
“It’s not just paperwork anymore”
Not only do students see that there are adults in their lives that care about them but parents also see that you care about their child and want their child to be successful.

27. Benefits for Families
Studies show that students who included self-determination goals in their IEPs were more likely to earn a higher income one year after graduation.
(Wehmeyer, 2004)
Improved communication with teacher
Increased understanding of the IEP process
More self-determined child (goal setting, decision making)
Positive interaction with school personnel
Families who have participated in the ASPIRE Initiative have described it as “life changing”. Most families are amazed at the level of their child’s involvement in the meeting and report high levels of satisfaction with the student-led IEP process.
If you district is participating in the online parent satisfaction survey, consider asking parents to complete it when they leave your meeting. It can make you administration very happy.

28. Involving Administrators
Keep them informed
Explain the benefits:
increase in graduation rates
decrease in drop out rates
Increase in achievement
decrease in inappropriate behavior
Ask for assistance with:
student participation
parental notification
confidentiality and access
scheduling
Your administrators have received an overview of the ASPIRE Initiative but it will be important to keep them “in the loop”. Share your successes and invite them to a meeting so they can see for themselves what a great job you are doing. 28

29. Expectations No fewer than 3 teachers per school
No fewer than 9 students per school
Designated School Leader
Designated Parent Mentor/Liaison
Required Parent Training
Completion of assessments, surveys, fidelity checks and data collection
We encourage you to start out with only 3 students so that you can get accustomed to the process before adding additional students. Build capacity by increasing the number of students who are participating each year and by educating additional teachers in the concepts of ASPIRE. We suggest that you identify the IEP folder with an ASPIRE sticker or marker so that a new teacher or case manager knows the student has participated in the past.
Your school leader is: ____________
Your Parent Mentor/Liaison is:__________________. This person will educate parents about the benefits of their student becoming self-determined and participating in their IEP.
The State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG ) from the federal government is funding this initiative so it is important that you follow the guidelines for data collection during the grant period. We also want to evaluate the effectiveness, quantitatively, so that we can add to the SLIEP research.

30. Assessments Needs Assessment (Leadership Team)
Individual school/classroom evaluation
Pre-Survey (complete within 4 weeks of training)
Perception of IEP involvement
Surveys for new students in ASPIRE
Post Survey (complete following IEP meeting)
Participation level and evaluation
Surveys for teachers, students, and parents
gaspdg.org/aspire
The assessments and surveys can be found at gaspdg.org/aspire
If a needs assessments has not already been compiled, its helpful to be completed by the department to determine new directions or for enhanced instruction.
Pre-surveys completed by all can be helpful in determining PLOP, Can be used as an informal assessment tool for individual students. Post-surveys identify what the student did to participate in the process.
Access the student pre-survey as an example by clicking on Pre-Survey. Highlight that there are only 11 questions on the survey.

31. Fidelity Checks Fidelity Check Tools Vital Behaviors Flow Chart
Exit Checklist
These tools can be found at gaspdg.org/aspire under resources in the Master Index. For districts not involved with ASPIRE as part of CcAR project, these tools are very useful but not mandatory to be completed.
Vital Behaviors Tool - Show teachers how easy it is to complete and how useful it is to use as a rubric for the steps involved in a successful implementation. (click on Vital behaviors). Trained students – Talk to students about participating in the IEP – this task is now completed. Assessed students – Have students complete the Pre-Survey – Task completed. Taught skill – Example: Student practiced how to introduce people properly (or other skills to work on for the IEP meeting) – Task completed. Held planning meeting before the IEP meeting – Example: Talked with student about strengths in Math class and difficulty in language arts – Task completed.
Exit Checklist Tool, can be accessed by clicking on exit checklist - The Exit check list collects information about the teacher's perception of the student's participation in the IEP meeting and identifies ways in which the teacher would like to increase participation in future years. Keeping a copy in the IEP file is also very valuable for the next teacher or case manager.

32. Survey Links Will be provided via email Surveys must have:
School’s official name (as recorded by DOE)
“Title” and “Role” must match
Must used the student’s official name
Be sure to indicate district
Survey links will be distributed electronically so they are easy to access. Please complete pre-survey within 1 month of today’s training. Pre-survey must be completed by teacher, student, and parent. Electronic pre-surveys from the student, teacher and family are only required during the first year of student participation . If a new teacher or case manager wants to use the pre-survey as an assessment tool, feel free, just print out the document, please do not submit it again.
Post surveys are required after each annual review. 32

33. Challenges Students Time/ Scheduling High stakes testing
Student disability level
Fear of the unknown
No one else at my school wants to…
What are your concerns? - Some possible concerns/challenges follow on the next two slides along with possible solutions.
Time – What are the priorities – remind yourself about how critical this is to future success
Students – Lack of Motivation – students often don’t want to do things that are hard – Students are not often asked their opinion and have not made choices in a very long time.
Testing – Try to attach some of the lessons to the standards especially in English or Language Arts. Remember that confident students often do better in testing and life situations.
Disability Level – Some adaptations will have to be made, that’s what make special ed teachers so special. Communication can be achieved in a variety of ways. A student delivering invitations to her IEP team for the meeting by putting the invitation in her lap and having a para pro wheel her to their classroom/office so she can hand the invitation to them in person is participating in the IEP process.
Loss of Control – The meeting will not be as scripted as in the past, but remember students are only one member of the team. You still have the opportunity to present your data and recommendations
No one else wants to – Be a trailblazer, It’s definitely easier to implement with a team but you be the one to have success and let others follow you. After all you are developing your students to become leaders. Be the example.

34. Some Solutions Start with just a few students (minimum of three)
Select students who you think will be successful
Choose students who already exhibit some self-determination skills
Select a basic level of participation for most students the first year
ASK for help
Remember, as in anything you try that is new, the learning curve is always widest at the beginning. As you and the students become familiar with how to do this it takes much less time 34

35. Scheduling Solutions
Each school, class and teacher is unique. Some teachers:
Create a special class on self-determination and student
led IEP
Include instruction in existing course structure, teaching
about SLIEP topics through group and individualized
instruction
Incorporate instruction in the general curricula, such as a
language arts class, using group and/or individualized
Have students come in for individual planning meetings
before school starts in the morning, during lunch, and/or at
the end of the school day
Does you school have an advisement period that can be utilized to teach and discuss self-determination concepts to all students? Brainstorm with your colleagues to think outside the box and solicit the help of your building-level administrators in developing a plan. 35

36. What’s Next? Choose students Inform parents
Complete pre-surveys (teacher and student)
Determine tools that will best fit your classroom style and your students abilities
Skills to be taught
Lesson plans (gaspdg.org)
Provide training in the process to:
Students
Parents
Members of IEP Team
Choose students you have a relationship with and that have a high probability of success. Students who already exhibit some measure of self-determination.
Parental involvement is difficult. Encourage you parents to attend the parent meeting that the Parent Mentor will conduct and if a parent is reluctant to have their child participate, perhaps that student is not the best candidate for the first year or you might consider suggesting the student only participate in the first few minutes of the meeting; have the student introduce participants, share their strengths and challenges and leave the meeting. This should allow the parent to become comfortable with the idea.
The tools you will use to help facilitate student success will vary depending on your teaching style, the students level of involvement and their ability.
There is an ASPIRE brochure at gaspdg.org/aspire that can be used to inform the members of the IEP Team about what you are doing.
Review section with optional lesson plans. 36

37. Involving Parents valued and needed! ASPIRE brochure
Keep parents informed
ASPIRE brochure
Letter of explanation
Phone calls
Notes home
Parent training
Reassure parents that their participation is still
valued and needed!
You, as the classroom teacher are the most trusted source of information. Encourage your parents to assist their child in preparation and reassure them that the process will be positive. Again, call upon your Parent Mentor to help educate parents by explaining the process, providing training, and ongoing contact. 37

38. Involving Parents Encourage parents to:
Help their child understand their disability, strengths, and challenges
Help their child understand how accommodations can assist them
Talk with their child about setting goals
When a parent asks how they can help you with their child’s participation mention how understanding and practicing these self-determination traits can benefit their child in school, at home and when they graduate and move to college or work.

39. Student Participation
Remember that students can participate in their IEP meeting in a variety of ways:
Preparing and delivering meeting invitations
Introducing IEP meeting participants
Discussing their likes and dislikes
Explaining their strengths and weaknesses
Explaining their accommodations
Assisting in developing goals for the upcoming year
Presenting actual portions of the IEP
Remember this is an Individualized Education Plan, promoting Active Student Participation to Inspire Real Engagement . We want you to have the creativity and flexibility to work with the students at a level that inspires them to become active in their education. Do you have one student in mind right now who would benefit from this type of participation? Can you visualize one method that the student could utilize for participation?

40. Georgia Student Samples
The next few slides show how some students in Georgia are participating in their meetings.
An elementary student created a Poster with pictures. The IEP meeting should not become a reading lesson, encourage students to use pictures if they need prompts. This student is beginning the process of identifying Strengths – What I like at School, Challenges – What is hard at school, and a Transition Plan – Things I like
The picture on the right depicts a high school student simply following an agenda at the meeting, something that is very appropriate for a student ready to leave high school and enter college or the workforce. This particular student used a picture agenda.

41. Georgia Student Samples
This high school student and elementary school student both utilized PowerPoint for their presentation. The high school student is dressed up because the teacher incorporated preparing for the IEP meeting into work readiness skills – how to dress for an interview/important meeting.

42. Georgia Student Samples
Show Lauren’s PowerPoint with voice-over. Lauren is one of those students who could not talk in front of people so she participated through voice-over. Lauren wanted to compete in the FAA competition but you have to be able to present and no one could see how this would be possible for her. When her FAA teacher attended her IEP meeting he realized that this is how she could compete.
Laurens power point has not been posted as of 8/15/14. Clicking on her picture will take you to the resource page where it will be posted.

43. Student Participation
Samples of Student PowerPoints
Samples of Student One Pagers
These two links provide short PowerPoint presentations of a variety of student-developed PowerPoints and One Pagers. (One pagers are basically just a poster containing the same information as the student-created PowerPoints). There is also a one pager App for the Ipad available for free through the Itunes store.

44. Before the Meeting Create an agenda
Discuss and practice relaxation techniques
Hold mock meetings - - PRACTICE!
Like us, a student will feel more comfortable if they have or create an agenda to follow during the meeting. This has the added benefit of keeping everyone on track, if a student uses PowerPoint then the PowerPoint is their agenda.
The first meeting is going to be nerve racking for everyone; a little practice can go a long way. Relaxation techniques include “yoga” breathing, taking a deep breath, etc… 44

45. After the Meeting Evaluate (complete post-survey) Send thank you notes
Celebrate
After the meeting, be sure to Evaluate and Celebrate. Some teachers have everyone take the Post Survey on the spot, one teacher reads the survey to the student so the parents can follow along with their survey if needed.
There is a sample thank you note in the manual. 45

46. ASPIRE Resources
The following resources are available through the SPDG Website ( ).
Parent letter
Parent training materials
ASPIRE brochure
Sample lesson plans
Georgia-developed ASPIRE videos (in progress)
We visited this site several times today, I encourage you to visit and check out the additional resources.

47. Other Resources
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center ( )
Transition Coalition (
I’m Determined: Virginia Department of Education (
Georgia Interagency Transition Councils ( )
Additional Resources. The I’m Determined site has many lessons and short video clips that can be helpful to show students, parents and educators.

48. ASPIRE Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement
Questions?
Review of Expectations and Requirements

49. Professional Learning Unit
Contact Information
Georgia Department of Education
Division for Special Education Services
and Support
Professional Learning Unit
For information and materials for ASPIRE
visit the SPDG's website ( ).
(Place current consultant’s/presenter’s name,
and phone number here)
ASPIRE Student Led IEP initiative is funded by the Georgia State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), Georgia Department of Education through a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, United States Department of Education and is a collaboration with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. 49