1. A Guide for Student Involvement
Student-Led IEPs
A Guide for Student Involvement

2. Why?
Student’s don’t fully understand their exceptionality – their individual strengths and weaknesses or what accommodations they need for post secondary success.
Student’s have not developed self-advocacy skills

3. Why not? Student’s become better self-advocates
Person centered planning leads to greater self-determination
Student’s understand their exceptionality and what will enhance their educational lives

4. 5 Stages to Success Develop a Student Led IEP Program
Help students to understand their IEPs
Engage students in the IEP process
Prepare students to participate in and/or lead their IEPs
Monitor ongoing self-advocacy

5. Develop a Student-Led IEP program
Involve Administrators
Involve Parents
Select Students
Ensure Confidentiality
Determine Instructional Goals
Plan lessons
Schedule time

6. Involving Administrators
Student participation
Parental Notification
Confidentiality
Student access to their IEPs
Scheduling

7. Parental Involvement Explain the process
Ensure rights will not be violated
Parents participation still valued and needed
Answer their questions

8. Selecting Students ALL students can benefit
If you need to start small, start with those you predict will have a high probability of success
Start with those who already demonstrate leadership skills
Choose how each student will participate

9. Determining Instructional Goals
The student will understand the purpose of an IEP and be familiar with its parts
The student will gather information from the educational team prior to the IEP
The student will prepare PLP, Transition Input to present at the IEP
The student will co-present or lead his/her IEP

10. Planning Lessons Identification
Present Level of Educational Performance
Annual Goals
Accommodations
Services

11. Scheduling Time
Group lessons
Individual lessons

12. Helping Students to Understand their IEP
Purpose
Rationale
Parts of the IEP
Where are you now (PLP)
Where do you need to be a year from now? (Annual Goals)
How are we going to help you get there? (Services, Modifications, etc)

13. Activities What does my IEP look like?
What does it mean to be gifted in NM?
Study of the law
How do I learn?
Easiest
Hardest
Helps me to learn
Hinders my learning
What do others do to help me learn
How do I transition to Adult Life (14 and up)

14. Student Glossary Identification – exceptionality – disability
Present Level of Performance
Transition Planning
Annual goal, objectives, benchmarks
Special Factors
Positive Behavior Intervention
Accommodation/Modification
State and District Testing
Extended School Year
Specially Designed Instruction
Related Services
Supplementary Aids and Services
Placement
Least Restrictive Environment
Confidentiality

15. Engaging Students in Developing IEPs
Helping Students Access their IEPs
Review each section
Ask clarification questions
Highlight statements that you disagree with
Add your own ideas for things you think need to be added

16. Reviewing Goals and Objectives
+= completed goal/objective
- = incomplete goal/objective
?=disagreement with goal/objective
Be able to give evidence of success
Get input from other sources

17. Reviewing the Service Plan
+ = successful accommodation
- = unsuccessful accommodation

18. Suggestions for Transition Aged Students
Informal and/or formal interest inventory
Career Exploration
Scholarship Opportunities
College Entrance Exams
College Exploration
Transfer of Rights

19. Helping Students Write their IEP
PLP-Describe exceptionality in your own words
PLP-Develop a list of strengths and educational needs
Goals - add based on the educational needs identified in PLP
Accommodations – review an accommodations checklist
What do you think you should be doing to get ready for next year

20. Preparing Students to Participate in their IEPs
Preparing for the meeting
Start with an agenda
Provide Students with prompts
Give instruction in listening, asking questions, stating disagreements in an appropriate way
Taking notes

21. Preparing Students to lead their own IEPs
Greeting
Introductions
Review Ground Rules
Review Agenda
Deal with differences of opinion
Summarize
Thanks

22. Agenda Introductions Ground Rules Where is the student now? (PLP)
Where does the student need to be a year from now? (AG&OBJ)
How are we going to get him there?
Considerations/Accommodations/
State and District Wide Assessment
Services
ESY
LRE
Debrief the IEP

23. Ground Rules The IEP will start and end on time.
Don't interrupt when another participant "has the floor." (This includes no “sidebar” conversations.)
Don't criticize the ideas of others. (No put downs)
Build on the ideas shared by others.
Remain open-minded and non-judgmental.
Everyone participates, no-one dominates.
Complaints are okay when they come packaged with a solution.
Make compromises when necessary.
Stick to the Agenda and time frames.
The Facilitator is empowered to enforce ground rules.

24. Setting up the Meeting
Formal Notice
Reminder

25. Train other staff members
Look at the student when he/she is talking
Use the student’s name
Do not refer to the student in the third person, refer all comments about the student to the student
Ask the student questions first
Always allow the student to finish speaking
Restate what you heard the student say

26. Provide Support During the IEP Meeting
Although the student is facilitating, you must have an IEP record keeper
Acknowledge the preparation that the student did for the meeting
When discussing difficult topics, keep the focus on student strengths
Create a visual signal for the student to use if he/she becomes overwhelmed
Use the time-out technique to intervene

27. Time-Out Acknowledge the issue
Provide an alternative means to address the issue
Restate IEP expectations
Empower to help

28. Debriefing the Meeting
Praise the student’s participation
Encourage student to send thank-you notes to the participants
Evaluate the student’s participation

29. Participation Criteria
Led the IEP
Described their exceptionality and impact
Described present level of performance including strengths and weaknesses
Reported test results
Described current problems in class
Described transition plan
Recommended IEP goals
Described needed accommodations
Described legal requirements

30. Resources
Student-Led IEPs, A guide for Student Involvement, Marcy McGahee, CEC,