1. Team work makes the dream work!
A collaboration cheat sheet families of students who receive special education services.
What is an IEP?
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. Students that have an IEP are or will be receiving special education services. The IEP is a written document that gives information about how the student is currently doing in school, what the school will do to help the student, and what services the school will provide for the student. Every child receiving special education services MUST have an IEP (it’s the Law).
Who creates the initial IEP?
After the evaluation meeting, the special education teacher will use the evaluation to form a rough draft of an IEP. The special education teacher might also include teacher feedback, additional accommodations or modifications that may be helpful, and IEP goal recommendations. During the IEP meeting, the team (you as the most important member) will look at the recommendations and collaboratively create the plan together. The goal area services (minutes and location) and related services should be decided at the IEP meeting. If there is something you would like to change in the IEP or have questions about– your voice matters! Please let us know!
How does the IEP actually work?
After the IEP meeting, services and related services will begin for your student. The IEP Casemanger will explain the roles and responsibilities for each person included in the IEP and create a schedule and service plan for your student.
Depending on what was decided at the IEP meeting, your student will get served based off their qualifying areas and minutes decided. The service provider will provide specially designed instruction around goal areas and communicate with the students classroom teacher to ensure accommodations/modifications are being implemented to progress towards goals and access the general education curriculum.
Depending on IEP, the IEP Casemanager will collect data specific to each goal. They will use that information to make instructional decisions for your student. Sometimes instructional decisions might mean: changing the location of services, changing the type of instruction, adjusting the minutes, using new strategies, switching groups, and/or continuing what is working.
Once a year you and the team will have an IEP meeting to discuss growth, changes to plan, areas of continued growth, and check-in about how everything is going.
You can call an IEP meeting any time you would like. Reasons you might call an IEP meeting: changes in behavior, the student is not making growth, you are unhappy with the plan, or your student is making so much growth services might need to be reduced.

2. What to expect over the next year
(school)
IEP Casemanager: (name)
( )
Phone: (number)
Contact me if…
You have concerns about (students name) progress.
You have questions about how he/she is doing.
You would like to share information.
You want to celebrate (name) successes.
You have noticed positive/negative changes.
You would like to make changes to (name) plan.
You are feeling confused and would like to ask a question.
You have an idea you would like to share with us.
You need someone to talk to.
WE ARE A TEAM! We are here for you + (student)
What to expect over the next year
Initial IEP meeting ________________
Progress reports: Goal progress for each qualifying area will be sent home at the end of each semester. Annual IEP meeting: You will have the yearly IEP meeting around this time next year. _______________

3. Connect with others in the community!
(#1) here
here
(#2) here here
Helpful on-line resources for parents
“Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.”
“What I do here–share information and resources so that parents can make more informed decisions regarding your child with disabilities and their IEP.”
“In special education, it’s what you don’t know that can hurt your child’s outcome. We take you ‘behind the scenes’ of special education and reveal what we’ve learned about the system in order to help you up-your-advocacy for your child.”