Professional Collaboration with IEP Team
Name 4 required IEP team members.
SPED teacher, Gen ed teacher, parent, LEA rep, someone who can interpret assessment/eval results
Multiple responses accepted
Co-teaching is comprised of 2 ______________ _____________, typically one ______________ ___________and one _____________________ ________________.
licensed teachers
sped teacher
gen ed teacher
Can paraprofessionals have access to students' IEPs? (Yes/No)
Who else can access students' IEPs?
Anyone who is directly involved in the students' education
PLC stands for
professional learning community
What happens if a required IEP team member cannot make it to the meeting or must leave the meeting early?
If parents cannot attend, schools must offer alternative methods such as phone or video conferencing. If still not possible, meeting will be rescheduled. [In very few cases schools cannot get families to participate after repeated attempts. IEP meeting can go on with DOCUMENTATION of multiple attempts to engage them and offer various methods of participation].
One way to involve students in their IEP process is through the strategy called _______ _______ _______.
self-directed IEPs
This is the co-teaching strategy where one teacher teaches the main content of the lesson and the other moves around the room to support students as needed.
One teach, one assist
Name one role that would NOT be appropriate for a paraprofessional.
Developing IEPs, communicating primarily with parents, designing lessons, etc.
If I want to identify resources in my community to partner with for interagency collaboration, I can use a mapping tool (e.g,. Google My Maps) to engage in the following strategy:
Community resource mapping
At the IEP meeting, the parents are shown the IEP document for the first time. You failed to ask them for their input, and they don't agree with the goals you have developed for the student. Which principle of IDEA may be violated in this scenario?
Parent participation
Self-determination skills are critical for students to participate in their IEPs. Name one self-determination skill and why it would be important for IEP participation.
Multiple correct answers...
goal setting and attainment
self-awareness
self-advocacy
This is the co-teaching strategy where each teacher takes one half of the group and teaches the same lesson.
Parallel teaching
Name one appropriate role of a paraprofessional.
Multiple correct responses - response must indicate that the role is supportive in nature under the direction of the SPED teacher.
PLCs are led by
teachers
What is the special educators' primary role in the IEP process?
Collaborate with IEP team members to develop the IEP based on students' unique needs
A parent shares with you that they do not want their child to participate in their IEP meeting, but you were working with the student to help lead the meeting. How can you approach this?
-show importance of student-led IEPs and success stories
-try to reach a compromise with the parent(s)
What valuable expertise can special educators' contribute to MTSS meetings?
-Data-based decision making
-Evidence based interventions
What is one thing you can do at the beginning of the year to facilitate strong working relationships with paraprofessionals?
-Clarify roles and expectations
-Assess compatibility
-Conduct a needs assessment to determine areas for training
The purpose of interagency collaboration is...
to connect students with agencies that can help improve postsecondary outcomes (employment, education, independent living) before they leave high school
Rewrite this statement so it is more accessible for all IEP team members:
“Based on the most recent psychoeducational evaluation, the student demonstrates significant deficits in working memory and processing speed, which adversely impact his ability to access grade-level curriculum without specially designed instruction and scaffolded supports aligned with his PLAAFP."
Multiple responses possible.
-Remove acronym
-Replace SPED specific language
Example: “Testing shows that the student has trouble remembering and processing information quickly. Because of this, he has a hard time keeping up with grade-level work unless we provide extra help and teaching strategies that match what he can do right now.”
Your student has a significant cognitive disability and is non-speaking. Identify 3 ways you can meaningfully include them in their IEP meeting.
AAC device
Powerpoint presentation
Binder
Create handouts to share with team
Make a poster
etc.
What are two examples of MTSS teams on which you may collaborate?
RTI (response to intervention)
PBIS (positive behavior intervention and supports)
Ms. Lopez is a special education teacher in a 3rd-grade inclusive classroom. She works with Mr. Carter, a paraprofessional assigned to support a student named Emma, who has a mild intellectual disability and an IEP goal focused on increasing her independence with completing academic tasks.
Lately, Ms. Lopez has observed that during independent work time, Mr. Carter is sitting right next to Emma and giving her step-by-step prompts for almost every task—sometimes even completing parts of the work for her to help her keep up with peers. While Mr. Carter's intentions are good and he clearly wants Emma to succeed, his level of support is preventing Emma from developing independence and demonstrating what she can do on her own.
As the teacher, what do you say?
Multiple correct responses
-affirm the para's dedication to the student
-keep it focused on the task and promoting student improvement
-offer solutions and a plan to support the para in implementing solutions
One key feature of a PLC is that they...
1) are collaborative
2) are action-oriented
3) results-driven monitored by common formative assessments
4) focus on student learning
5) focus on continuous improvement