IEP Success Kit eBook

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Dear Parent or Guardian,

Welcome to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Success Kit Download Edition. This kit was developed to help you successfully advocate for your child. It will help guide you through the necessary objectives: to learn, prepare, organize and review for your child’s next IEP meeting. While no one member of the IEP team is more important than the other, the process works best when it’s a collaborative effort. Therefore, your participation is a crucial part of the IEP process. The best way for you to be successful, is to understand your rights, prepare for the meeting, organize your materials and gather information prior to the meeting. While we can’t guarantee results, following the steps outlined in the IEP Success Kit should greatly increase your chances of achieving a more desirable outcome with your child’s IEP.

As you are going through the IEP Success Kit, you may come across terms you are unfamiliar with. If this is the case, please refer to the final tab in the kit entitled Special Education definitions, acronyms and FAQs.

Since this is the download edition of the IEP Success Kit it does not come with a binder or pre-printed tabs. Please start by reviewing the How to Create Your Own Binder section on the next page.

Sincerely,


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How To Create Your Own Binder Step 1:

Go to your local office supply store and purchase a 3 ring binder. We recommend at least a 3 inch binder with a D-ring. If your child already has a lot of documents to include in the binder, consider buying a larger 4 inch binder. While at the office supply store, also purchase 2 sets of insertable tab dividers, 5 per set. This should give you the necessary 10 tabs that will be needed to create your IEP Success Kit.

Step 2:

Label the Ten Tabs with the following titles:

1. General Information; 2. IEPs; 3. Report Cards/State Achievement Tests 4. School Assessments; 5. Private Assessments; 6. Communication by Parent; 7. Communication from School; 8. Complaints; 9. Settlement Agreements/Hearing office Decisions; and 10. Special Education Definitions, Acronyms & FAQs

Place the labeled tabs into the three ring binder.

Step 3:

Print out the IEP Success Kit you downloaded. Assemble the kit by filing each section in the proper location. There will be a page labeling each section. There are two sections that will not have any information provided by the Kit but rather will be used to file your child’s information. These sections are Report Cards/State Achievement Tests and Settlement Agreements/Hearing Decisions.



How To Create Your Own Binder Now that you have created your own IEP Success Kit Binder, you are now ready to move onto the next Section, IEP Success Kit First Steps.



IEP Success Kit Table of Contents Getting Started

• Introduction • How To Use Your IEP Success Kit

General Information Tab

• General Information Form • Current Needs List

IEP Tab

• IEP Inventory List • IEP Review Checklist • IEP Meeting Notes

Report Cards/State Achievement Tests Tab School Assessments Tab

• School Assessment Inventory • Understanding Special Education Assessments • Using a Bell Curve

Private Assessments Tab

• Independent Educational Evaluation • Private Assessment Inventory

Communication By Parent Tab

• IEP Communication Log • Letter Writing & Sample Letters



IEP Success Kit Table of Contents Communication From School Tab

• Prior Written Notice • Discipline Log

Complaint Tab

• Links to State Department of Education Complaint Forms • Link to Office of Civil Rights Complaint Form

Settlement Agreements & Hearing Officer Decisions Tab Special Education Tab

• Special Education Definitions • Special Education Acronyms • Special Education FAQ • Links To Content Standards



IEP Success Kit Introduction IEP Background

The IEP is considered the cornerstone of special education law in the United States. It was originally introduced in Public Law 94-142 or the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA). This law has changed dramatically over the 30 plus years since it was originally established and in 1990, Public Law 101-476 was enacted which renamed EHA to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA has been reauthorized twice since 1990, once in 1997, and most recently in 2004. With each new reauthorization, brings changes or clarifications to the law, based on historical data and case law. As of the most recent findings delivered to Congress, there are over 6 million school age students between the ages of 3 and 22 that have an IEP. This is more than 13% of the entire student population, so you are not alone in this journey.

When creating an IEP, the team must consider the strengths of the child, concerns of the parents, results of the most recent assessments and the academic, developmental and functional needs of the child. The IEP must include:

1. A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance;

2. A statement of the child’s eligibility/disability category; 3. A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and

functional goals; 4. A statement of the special education and related services and

supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child; 5. A statement of the program modifications or supports for school

personnel that will be provided to the child; 6. A statement of any individual appropriate accommodations that are

necessary for the child on State and district wide assessments;



IEP Success Kit Introduction

7. The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications including the frequency, location and duration of those services and modifications;

8. By no later than the child’s 16 birthday an Individual Transition Plan outlining measurable postsecondary goals, independent living skills goals and the transition services needed to accomplish those goals; and

9. By no later than one year prior to the age of majority a statement that the child has been informed of their rights upon reaching the age of majority (The age at which the parent’s rights transfer to the child).

The IEP team must include:

1. The parents of the child; 2. At least one general education teacher; 3. At least one special education teacher; 4. A District Representative that is knowledgeable about the District’s

curriculum and resources that has the authority to bind the District; 5. Any instructors that have assessed your child and can interpret and

explain the results of that assessment; 6. At the discretion of the parent or District other individuals who have

knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related service personnel; and

7. When appropriate, the child.


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IEP Success Kit First Steps Knowledge is power, when attending your child’s IEP meeting. The steps outlined below will give you a road map to attain this knowledge. By following these steps it will help you become a more effective, therefore, successful advocate for your child.

Step 1:

If your child doesn’t already have an IEP and you need to request an initial assessment for special education, find the sample letter titled request for special education evaluation in the Communication By Parent section. Update this letter with your child’s information and hand deliver a copy to your child’s school. If your child already has an IEP but you feel he needs additional or updated assessments, update this letter to request the new assessments.

Step 2:

If you haven’t already done so, request a full copy of your child’s educational records. The educational records should include, but not be limited, to:

1. cumulative, confidential educational records; 2. medical records; 3. special educational records; 4. formal and informal correspondence; 5. discipline records; 6. tests and evaluations; 7. teacher-to-teacher notes.

A sample letter has been included in the Communication by Parent section. Use this as your base and update it to include your child’s information. When you receive the records from your school, review the information carefully for any mistakes. You can make a formal request to remove



IEP Success Kit First Steps information that you feel is inaccurate from your child’s records. File the records you receive in the proper section/s of this Kit.

Step 3:

Sometimes, school personnel unintentionally give incorrect or misleading information regarding school policies for special education. In order to verify the information your school has provided to you is correct, you should request a copy of your School District’s written policies and procedures governing special education. Often times you can find this document on the School District’s website in the special education section. This may be an intimidating document; however, this is the best way to confirm the information you received is correct. Trust your instincts, use the document to double check the information you feel is incorrect. Even the most well-meaning person can make mistakes.

Step 4:

In the Special Education FAQ section you will find links to all 50 States Department of Education websites. Download your State’s grade level academic content standards. This is the required academic standards for each subject in a specific grade. Print out and review your child’s grade and familiarize yourself with the academic standards in each subject that your child should be learning. If your child is receiving a modified curriculum, familiarize yourself with the differences between your child’s modified curriculum and grade level standards. If your child is behind in any academic areas, many of the goals in the IEP should be based on bringing your child back up to grade level. File the printed documents in the tab labled Report Cards and State Achievement Tests. You many need to refer to the content standards during your IEP process.

Step 5:



IEP Success Kit First Steps Accumulate all of your child’s medical records having to do with the disability and any private assessments that have been performed on your child in the past. Remember to give copies of these documents to the IEP team, to be considered during the IEP process. File these records in the tab labeled Private Assessments.

Step 6:

Start reviewing IDEA of 2004 by reading the Special Education Definitions, Acronyms and FAQ tab. Additional information on IDEA and IEP’s can be found at www.SpecialEducationAdvisor.com

Once you have all of the above information, you are now ready to move onto the next Section, How to Use the IEP Success Kit.




How to Use the IEP Success Kit While organizing all of your child’s information that you collected in the IEP Success Kit, you will find checklists, logs and informational articles that are there to help you on your quest to provide your child with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Please review all sections thoroughly before starting to organize all of the information you have collected.

This kit is broken down into 10 sections.

Section 1:

General Information – 1st Tab

This section is designed to help you organize basic information about your child, yourself, the school, their therapists, etc. Fill in the General Information Form in this section for easy access to this essential information for your reference. You may also use the completed form to provide information to other professionals or institutions that might need your child’s information.

The Current Needs List provided in this section should be filled in and updated regularly based on your child’s needs. You should review your list with the IEP Team to ensure there is a goal associated with every need.

Section 2:

IEP’s – 2nd Tab

This section is designed to help you store and organize all of your child’s IEPs. The first document in this Section is an IEP Inventory List. Fill in



How to Use the IEP Success Kit this form and update it after every new IEP or amended IEP. This is a quick reference list of all of your child’s IEPs.

The next document is the IEP Review Checklist. You should complete the checklist before signing the IEP. It is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the checklist prior to attending the IEP. The goal of the checklist is to make sure that all of the necessary IEP items are included and accurate. It will also help determine whether all the proper legal procedures have been followed with regard to your child. This checklist might seem difficult at first to complete, but with experience it will become easier.

Depending on your answers, the checklist should either:

1. Make sure you are comfortable enough to sign the IEP; or 2. Guide you to what parts of the IEP are not complete and you should

disagree with. Many of your answers could be written into the parental concerns section of the IEP.

The final document in this section is the IEP Meeting Notes. Use this form to record all your notes from the IEP meeting; who attended the meeting, the reason for the meeting and the outcomes from the meeting. Before signing your child’s IEP, you should always compare your own notes to the IEP Notes provided.

Section 3

Report Cards and State Achievement Tests – 3rd Tab

This section is designed to help you store and organize all of your child’s school information. Report cards and state achievement tests can be used



How to Use the IEP Success Kit along with assessments to determine eligibility for Special Education. Keep track of how your child is progressing from one reporting period to another, as well as yearly progress reports on state achievement tests. If report card grades and state achievement tests are poor, but the school assessments do not show a deficit, you can use this discrepancy to request an Independent Educational Evaluation at the school district’s expense (See Private Assessment section below).

Section 4:

School Assessments – 4th Tab

Assessments are critical to the outcome of your child’s IEP. This section is designed to help you understand, store and organize all of the school assessments for your child.

The first form is the School Assessment Inventory. Fill in this form and update it after every new school assessment. This is a quick reference list of all of your child’s school based assessments.

The next document included is an article on Understanding Special Education Assessments. This article will teach you how to understand the results of the assessments.

The last document is a Bell Curve. You can use the bell curve in this section to chart your child’s assessment results. Make sure you look at both standard scores and scaled scores; as explained in Understanding Special Education Assessments, as well as charting current results against prior year’s results.



How to Use the IEP Success Kit Section 5:

Private Assessments – 5th Tab

This section is designed to help you store and organize all of your child’s private assessments that are administered outside of school at your personal expense, Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE) at the district expense, or any medical documentation.

The first document in this section is a description of Independent Educational Evaluations. All private assessments and IEEs MUST be considered by the IEP team while crafting your child’s IEP. This does not mean that the IEP must follow all recommendations but they must thoroughly discuss and consider the results. The private assessments and IEE results can be used as evidence in a Due Process Hearing, if necessary.

Refer back to the School Assessment Section to use the bell curve to chart private and independent assessments against the school results.

The second document in this section is the Private Assessment Inventory. Fill in this form and update it after every new private assessment. This is a quick reference list of all of your child’s private assessments and IEE’s.

Section 6:

Communication by Parent – 6th Tab

This section consists of two parts designed to help you log and successfully communicate with your school district.



How to Use the IEP Success Kit Part 1 – Call Log

The Call Log has been included to help you keep track of your phone conversations regarding your child’s IEP. Documenting all forms of communication is essential in advocating for your child.

Part 2 - Letter Writing & Sample letters

It is very important to remember; “If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen.” Every time you make a request from your school district, it must be in writing. Verbal requests might be ignored by the other party. The sample letters that have been included are:

• Record Request; • Request for Special Education Evaluation; • Request for a New IEP Meeting to Discuss Amending the Current

IEP; • Request for a Meeting to Discuss Non-Compliance with Current IEP; • Request for a New Service Due to Non-Compliance with Current IEP; • Request for Meeting to Discuss Change of Placement; • Requesting Assessment Results Prior to IEP Meeting; • Notice of Tape Recording IEP Meeting; • Request for an Independent Educational Evaluation; and • Request Rescheduling of an IEP Meeting.



How to Use the IEP Success Kit Section 7:

Communication from School – 7th Tab

This section is designed to help you store, organize and understand the types of communication you should receive from the School. The first document in this section is an article to guide you through the process known as Prior Written Notice. When a parent makes a request and is denied, there is a specific procedure your school must follow. Your school must give a written explanation as to why your request was denied. A sample Prior Written Notice Form has been included as an example. Make sure the School provides Prior Written Notice every time the school district proposes to change or refuses to change the identification, evaluation, or placement of your child.

The next document in this section is a Discipline Log to keep track of the amount and types of discipline your child has received from the school.

Section 8:

Complaints – 8th Tab

This section is designed to store and organize all of your complaints. Complaints could include State Department of Education complaints, Due Process complaints, Office of Civil Rights complaints or State and Federal Lawsuits.

We have included links to all 50 State Department of Education complaint forms, for your convenience, and the United States Office of Civil Rights complaint form. They are listed in alphabetical order by State.



How to Use the IEP Success Kit To the extent you wish to file a Due Process complaint, we suggest you consult an experienced Special Education Attorney on the merits of your case.

Section 9:

Settlement Agreements and Hearing Officer Decisions – 9th Tab

This section is designed to help you store and organize all the Settlement Agreements with your School District or decisions by a Hearing Officer.

A new IEP must be called after a settlement agreement or hearing decision in order to amend the current IEP and implement any necessary changes.

Section 10:

Special Education Definitions, Acronyms & FAQs – 10th Tab

This section is a reference and includes Special Education Definitions, Special Education Acronyms and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) often used in special education. This section should be frequently referenced to understand terms that are used in your IEP meeting.



General Information

• This form is meant to provide easy access to essential information. You can also provide the completed forms to other professionals or institutions that might need your child’s information.

Child’s Information Last Name First Name Middle Name Address City State Zip Telephone Birth Date Age Grade Email Address Which Parent Holds this Child’s Educational Rights (custody)? What is the Current Eligibility and Placement for this Child in their last IEP?



General Information

Mother’s Information Last Name First Name Middle Name Address City State Zip Home Telephone Cell Phone Work Phone Email Address Father’s Information Last Name First Name Middle Name Address City State Zip Home Telephone Cell Phone Work Phone Email Address



General Information

School Information Name of School Address City State Zip Telephone Fax Website Principal’s Name Email Address Asst. Principal’s Name Email Address Case Manager’s Name Email Address Teacher’s Name Email Address



General Information

Important People Name Profession Company Name Address City State Zip Email Address Telephone Fax Important People Name Profession Company Name Address City State Zip Email Address Telephone Fax



Current Needs List to be Updated Before Every IEP

Current List of My Child’s Needs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 11. 12.



IEP Inventory List

• This is a quick reference list of all of your child’s IEPs.

Date School Eligibility Category Least Restrictive Environment Placement (Class Type)



IEP Review Checklist

• The goal of the checklist is to make sure that all of the necessary IEP items are included and accurate.

• You should complete the checklist before signing the IEP. • It is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the checklist prior to

attending the IEP.

General Information Parent’s name

Child’s name Date of birth

Grade Eligibility Category

Placement School District

School School address

Case Manager E-mail Phone

Fax




Meeting Information IEP Date

IEP Meeting Notice Received Date

Was the IEP meeting notice received within a reasonable

time? If not, then why?

Is the meeting at a mutually agreeable time and place? If

not, then why?

If you are going to tape record the IEP meeting did

you give notice?

Were you given a copy of the procedural safeguards? If

not, then why?

Were all the mandatory IEP team members present? If

not, then who was missing?

If a team member was missing did they ask you to sign a release and did you?




Assessment Information Was an assessment plan

provided?

Did you consent to the assessment plan?

Were the assessments and subsequent IEP team

meeting held within the legal timelines? If not, then why?

Did you request copies of the assessments prior to the IEP

meeting and were they provided?

Were assessments completed in all areas of

suspected disability? If not, then why?

If the School refused to assess did they provide Prior

Written Notice?

Was an IEP team member present that was trained and

knowledgeable about each assessment that could

explain the results? If not, then why?




Assessment Information Continued Did you provide private

assessments for the IEP team to consider? If yes, do you think they were properly discussed and considered?

Did you provide a medical diagnosis for the IEP team to

consider? If yes, do you think it was properly

discussed and considered?

If you disagree with the results of the schools

assessment did you request an Independent Educational

Evaluation (IEE) at public expense? If yes, what did

you disagree with?

If the school said no to the request for an IEE did they

file for Due Process?

If the school said yes to the request for an IEE did they

provide you with the District’s policies?




Present Level of Performance (PLOP), Eligibility & Needs Is the eligibility category

determination appropriate based on all of the

information and assessments? If not, then

why?

Is the present level of performance accurate and

complete? If not, what information is missing?

Are all areas of needs addressed? If not, what information is missing?

Have all of your parental concerns been addressed? If not, what do you feel was

left out?

Have all academic and non-academic areas been

addressed? If not, what do you feel was left out?




Present Level of Performance (PLOP), Eligibility & Needs Continued Has it accurately been

described how your child's disability affects their

involvement and progress in the general curriculum? If not, what information has

been left out?

Did the PLOP include the results of most recent

assessments, classroom performance and state

achievement tests? If not, then why?

Other Important Notes?




Goals Are the goals addressing all identified areas of need? If

not, what is missing?

Can all goals be achieved in a one year time frame? If

not, how could they be changed to be achieved in a

one year time frame?

Are the goals vague or unclear? If yes, how could

they be changed to be more accurate?

Are the goals measurable? If not, how could they be

changed to be made measurable?

Other important notes?




Placement Was there a specific, written

offer of placement? If yes, was this offer made in the IEP or somewhere else?

Was the placement offer appropriate for your child?

Explain why?

Was the placement in the Least Restrictive

Environment (LRE) for your child? Explain why?

Does your child have extended school year

services? If yes, is there a written offer and is it in the

LRE?

Other Important Notes?




Services Was there a specific written

offer for services? If yes, what was offered?

Is the time and frequency of services offered appropriate to provide some educational

benefit?

Should your child have a behavior plan? If yes, do

they have one and is it working?

Should your child have a transition plan? If yes, do

they have one and is it working?

Does your child need social skills work? If yes, has it

been included?

Does your child need to learn self help skills? If yes, has it

been included?




Services Continued Does your child need

assistive technology? If yes has it been included?

Was your child given inclusion opportunities? If

not, then why?

Other important notes?



IEP Meeting Notes

Date: _____________________

People Present Purpose of Meeting Notes & Outcomes


Page Intentionally Left Blank


School Assessment Inventory

Date Assessor Assessment Type (e.g. cognitive testing)

Assessment Test (e.g. Weschsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV



Understanding Special Education Assessments Assessments are a crucial part of the IEP process and are a major component on all decisions made at the IEP. It is important for you to request a copy of all school based assessments prior to the IEP meeting so that you have time to prepare and be an informed participant. In order to fully prepare you need a basic understanding of assessments and how they are used.

An Assessment is the process of gathering information about a child to make decisions about a potential disability, strengths, weaknesses and areas of need. An assessment can be either formal through standardized tests or informal through observation and includes collecting, recording, scoring, and interpreting information about a child. Assessments for special education should be administered in all areas of suspected disability. These areas could include cognitive functioning, academic functioning, speech and language, fine motor, gross motor, auditory processing, sensory processing , visual processing, social emotional, behavior, neuropsychological, memory, attention and development just to name a few.

Before any assessments are administered by the school an assessment plan must be sent home. The assessment plan must be a written notice that the parent needs to approve. Once the assessment plan is signed the school has 60 days to administer the assessments and hold an IEP.

The assessment procedures must:

• Be provided in the child’s primary language; • Be administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel who can

also explain the results; • Have validity, measuring what it’s supposed to measure, and

reliability, accurately measuring what it’s supposed to measure; • Include a variety of tools and strategies; and • Not be discriminatory.



Understanding Special Education Assessments After the assessments are administered an assessment report must be written which provides a justification for any recommendations made. The report will include behavior, health and development information and any needs for specialized services.

It is important for a parent to understand the test scores they are shown in the assessment reports. Unfortunately this normally requires the parents to learn basic statistics. To best understand this let’s look at the Weschsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV) the most widely used children’s cognitive functioning test (IQ test). The test results on the WISC-IV normally include Standard Scores and Scaled Scores.

Standard Scores are based on a mean (average) of 100 and a standard deviation (variations around the mean value) of 15. Below is a description of Standard Score intelligence ranges:

<69 Well below average

70 – 79 Borderline

80 – 89 Low Average

90 – 109 Average Range

110 – 119 High Average

120 – 129 Superior

> 130 Very Superior

Scaled Scores are based on a mean (average) of 10 and a standard deviation of 3. Below is a description of Scaled Score intelligence ranges:



Understanding Special Education Assessments

1 – 3 Very low

4 – 5 Low

6 – 7 Low Average

8 – 12 Average

13 – 14 High Average

15 – 16 Superior

17 – 19 Very Superior

So a child might have a full scale IQ of 102 which is average but on some individual sub-tests could have scaled scores that are on the low range of 5 or under. This is why it’s important to not only look at the full IQ but specific areas that the child might need help in.

The child will most likely also take an academic/achievement test such as the Woodcock-Johnson-III. Many schools will then compare the child’s intelligence to their academic achievement. This is called the discrepancy model. Most School Districts require a 22 point difference between cognitive scores and achievement scores in order to classify a child as having a specific learning disability. The most recent authorization of IDEA in 2004 does not require the school district to use the discrepancy model and suggests other alternatives be considered such as response to intervention. So assuming a child has a full scale IQ of 102 (cognitive score) but scores a 75 (achievement score) on the reading comprehension portion of the achievement test shows there is a problem with the child accessing the curriculum and needs help in reading comprehension.



Understanding Special Education Assessments While understanding all of these numbers might seem overwhelming they help create a case for your child needing an IEP versus your child just needing a 504 plan. Section 504 is a civil rights law which protects individuals who have a disability against discrimination but doesn’t include Special Education. If you child has a disability, they cannot be kept from participating in school activities, excluded from benefits, or experience any other type of discrimination. As mentioned earlier, this is why parents should always try to receive assessments prior to the IEP meeting so that they have time to prepare for the meeting and be an informed participant.


Mean Mean + 1 SD Mean + 2 SD Mean + 3 SD Mean - 1 SD Mean - 2 SD Mean - 3 SD

www.SpecialEducationAdvisor.com Understanding How to Read Assessment Results Using a Bell Curve

Fill in the following numbers from the assessment results (Example) Mean = 100 Standard Deviation (SD) = 15 Mean – 1 SD = 85 Mean + 1 SD = 115 Mean - 2 SD = 70 Mean + 2 SD = 130 Mean – 3 SD = 55 Mean + 3 SD = 145

Fill in the following numbers from the assessment results Mean = ______ Standard Deviation (SD) = _____ Mean – 1 SD = _____ Mean + 1 SD = _____ Mean - 2 SD = _____ Mean + 2 SD = _____ Mean – 3 SD = _____ Mean + 3 SD = _____

Add your Child’s scores to the bell curve above to chart assessment results. Prior years results can be added as well to chart progress. Any results that fall more that 1 SD below the mean are considered significant.

Mean Mean + 1 SD Mean + 2 SD Mean + 3 SD Mean - 1 SD Mean - 2 SD Mean - 3 SD

www.SpecialEducationAdvisor.com Understanding How to Read Assessment Results Using a Bell Curve

Fill in the following numbers from the assessment results (Example) Mean = 100 Standard Deviation (SD) = 15 Mean – 1 SD = 85 Mean + 1 SD = 115 Mean - 2 SD = 70 Mean + 2 SD = 130 Mean – 3 SD = 65 Mean + 3 SD = 145

Fill in the following numbers from the assessment results Mean = ______ Standard Deviation (SD) = _____ Mean – 1 SD = _____ Mean + 1 SD = _____ Mean - 2 SD = _____ Mean + 2 SD = _____ Mean – 3 SD = _____ Mean + 3 SD = _____

Add your Child’s scores to the bell curve above to chart assessment results. Prior years results can be added as well to chart progress. Any results that fall more that 1 SD below the mean are considered significant.


Independent Educational Evaluation How does a parent, who doesn’t have a degree in their child’s suspected disability, fight for the proper amount of services when the school specialist is recommending something less than the parent thinks is necessary. The parent can always get a private assessment done and submit the results to the IEP team, but not all parents have the means to pay for a private assessment. This is why IDEA allows parents to ask for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense. “A parent has the right to an independent educational evaluation at public expense if the parent disagrees with an evaluation obtained by the public agency” IDEA § 300.502 (b)(1) The only way a School District can stop from paying for an IEE is to file for due process and convince a hearing officer that their original assessments were proper.



Private Assessment Inventory

Date Assessor Assessment Type (e.g. cognitive testing)

Assessment Test (e.g. Weschsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV



IEP Communication Log

Date Time Person Content of Conversation



Letter Writing & Sample Letters When you are writing a letter to anyone regarding your child, you should always use good manners. Stating your concerns in a pleasant business-like manner is always preferred over anger and hostility. You have a better chance of receiving assistance, than if you send a mean, hostile letter. I know it’s difficult sometimes to be pleasant when you are desperately trying to get help for your child, but a hostile environment will create animosity between you and the school. When that occurs, the neutral decision-makers in your child’s school or school district will no longer listen to what you have to say. It is also important that you maintain your composure in the event that you must appear before a mediator, hearing officer or a judge to state your case. This way you’re not giving them any ammunition to be used against you in the future.

You must remember that as an advocate for your child, your job is to negotiate for special education services. Start with a letter explaining your concerns along with facts regarding who your child is. It is also a good rule of thumb to hand deliver any important letters to the principal’s office. Make sure you keep a copy for yourself and note on your copy the time and date you delivered the school’s copy, in case the school does not respond and you need to write a follow up letter.

Remember, first impression is the key to any negotiation…writing a good letter is the first step in that process!



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Record Request

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. Please send me a copy of all my child’s records. To include the following: cumulative, confidential educational records, medical records, special educational records, formal and informal correspondence, discipline records, tests, evaluations and teacher-to-teacher notes. Should there be a cost involved with regard to this request, please contact me immediately. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the following number_________. I appreciate your help and timely response with this matter. Thank you, Parent Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Request for Special Education Evaluation

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. I am writing to request that my son/daughter be tested for special education services under the Individuals with Disability Education Act and accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. (Child’s name) is in 2nd grade and has difficulty understanding what is being taught in class as well as following auditory directions given to him/her by the teacher. My concern is that my child has a learning disability and therefore may require additional assistance in certain areas of the school’s curriculum. In addition to an assessment for a learning disability, I am also requesting that my child be tested in all areas, in order to rule out any other disabilities (child’s name) might have. If the School has any general education intervention programs, such as Response to Intervention or Student Study Teams, this may be done simultaneously with the assessment for special education but should not slow down the mandated time lines for assessments under IDEA.



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Thank you for your assistance in the matter, I will be looking forward to receiving my child’s assessment plan from your office.

Sincerely,

Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Request for a New IEP Meeting to Discuss Amending the Current IEP

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. I am writing this letter to request a new IEP meeting to discuss amending my son’s/daughter’s current IEP. My concern is that (child’s name) current IEP is not sufficiently addressing his/her disability. (child’s name) is not doing grade level work in the areas of reading and math comprehension. His/her test scores in the last grading period were below grade level standards. As a result, I am requesting a meeting to discuss additional services so my child can receive a Free Appropriate Public Education. I look forward to meeting with you in 30 days, which is stipulated in IDEA 2004, to discuss the best solution to help my child in school.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Parent’s Name

Sample Letter: Request for a Meeting to Discuss Non-Compliance with Current IEP

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. I am writing this letter to request a meeting to discuss non-compliance with my son’s/daughter’s IEP. My son’s/daughter’s IEP, which is a legally binding document, stipulates that he/she is to receive 1 hour per week of speech therapy in school. However, I have recently discovered that the speech therapist did not show up the last 2 weeks. Please contact me to discuss replacing the missing hours. I can be reached at the following number _____________.

I look forward to hearing from you in a timely manner to discuss this situation. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Request for a new service due to non-compliance with current IEP

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district I am writing this letter to request my son/daughter, child’s name, receive a behaviorist from a non-public agency for the entire school day in his/her current general education classroom. I believe his/her current general education classroom is the least restrictive environment for him/her, and that the school needs to provide him/her with the aids and supports necessary for him/her to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

Currently, the school is out of compliance with (child’s name) IEP. Their IEP, which is a legally binding document, stipulates that my child will receive “Program support for unstructured time due to safety concerns during art, music, PE, assemblies, recess & lunch. I have recently discovered that (Child’s name) has not been provided the program supports necessary for her to receive FAPE.

The incidents that I have been made aware of are: (include all incidents)

I look forward to hearing from you, about my formal request and concerns, in the mandated time lines required under State and Federal law. If you deny my



Letter Writing & Sample Letters request, I require Prior Written Notice to be provided to me. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Request for a Meeting to Discuss Change of Placement

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. I am writing this letter to request a change of placement for my child, (child’s name). He/she is currently placed in special day class where most of the students have severe behavioral problems. Even though my son/daughter has autism, they do not exhibit any of these characteristics. In addition to that, (child’s name) is considered high-functioning for a child with autism. As a result, I would like to meet with you to discuss moving my child to a general education class at my local school with appropriate services and aides. I look forward to hearing from you in a timely manner to discuss this situation. Please contact me at the following number_______________. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely, Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Requesting Assessments Prior to IEP Meeting

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. Prior to the upcoming IEP meeting on Wednesday, August 18th at 3:00 PM I request that all written assessments be sent to me 5 business days prior to the IEP meeting so that I can review the materials and participate in the meeting in a productive manner. As you are aware, parent participation is a crucial part of the IEP process and having time to read the assessments prior to the meeting will help me participate. I appreciate your cooperation in this matter and look forward to having a good working relationship in the IEP meeting. Please feel free to contact me at the following number if you have any questions ______________. Thank you, Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Notice of Tape Recording IEP Meeting (Check State Law to see if Audio Recording is allowed)

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. As you are aware, on February 4, 2010 at 3:00 PM we have an IEP meeting scheduled for (Child’s name). As allowed by State Law, I plan to tape record this meeting. I look forward to seeing the entire IEP team and having a productive meeting. Thank you for your cooperation in the matter. Sincerely, Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Request an Independent Educational Evaluation

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. My son, (Child’s name) was evaluated for special education in December 2010. The District’s speech and language and occupational therapy assessments were inaccurate and as such, I am entitled to an Independent Educational Evaluation for (child’s name) in those areas. “A parent has the right to an independent educational evaluation at public expense if the parent disagrees with an evaluation obtained by the public agency” IDEA § 300.502 (b)(1) As noted in the IEP, I disagree with the District’s Speech and Language assessment and Occupational Therapy assessment as a result of them being inaccurate or in some cases incomplete and additional tests are needed. Child’s name has severe apraxia which was discussed in the IEP meeting. Your offer of one hour of speech therapy a week is not enough to be effective for a child with apraxia. Based on the American Speech Language Hearing Associations paper on Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), there is emerging



Letter Writing & Sample Letters research support for the need to provide three to five individual sessions per week for children with apraxia as compared to the traditional, less intensive, one to two sessions per week. Based on this, I feel this assessment was inaccurate and needs to be administered by an expert in apraxia who can recommend specific and individual treatment for my child. The Occupational Assessment provided by the District found my child ineligible for occupational therapy. We provided a private assessment that showed (Child’s name) would benefit from OT based on delays of fine motor and sensory dysfunction. Based on the differences between the District’s assessment and the private assessment an independent assessment is needed to determine eligibility.

I would like both Independent Educational Evaluations to be done as quickly as possible so that we can fully address (Child’s name) needs. I have not chosen a complaint method at this time because I don’t feel the IEP team can adequately address services and goals without this further testing. Please respond as soon as possible and send me copies of the District’s guidelines for IEEs. My daytime telephone number is ___________. Thank you.

Sincerely, Parent’s Name



Letter Writing & Sample Letters Sample Letter: Request Rescheduling of an IEP meeting

Date: Principal Name School: Street Address: City, State, Zip Subject: Child’s name: DOB: School: if the letter is going to the school district Dear Mr., Ms., or Dr. On Tuesday, November 15, I received the IEP meeting notice stating an IEP meeting had been scheduled for December 8, at 10:15 a.m. As you are aware, the meeting should be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time and place for the parents. Since, I already have scheduled work responsibilities on December 8, I must request that the meeting be rescheduled. I am available on the following dates and times ___________ If you have any questions, please call me at _________. I look forward to having a productive IEP team meeting on one of the alternate dates. Sincerely, Parent’s Name



Prior Written Notice When a parent makes a specific request many times the parent will hear no, we can’t do that or that is not part of our offer. This is when you should remind them that IDEA requires an explanation in writing of why the school district refuses a request and a description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record or report the school district used as a basis for the refusal. This is called Prior Written Notice (PWN) and it applies when the school district proposes to change or refuses to change the identification, evaluation, or placement of a child.

The notice from the school district should include:

1. A description of the action refused by the school district. 2. An explanation of why the school district refuses to take the action. 3. A description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or

report the school district used as a basis for the refused action. 4. A description of any other options the IEP team considered and the

reasons for the rejection of those options. 5. A description of any other factors that is relevant to the school

district’s refusal. 6. Sources the parent can contact to understand this provision 7. A statement that the parents have protections under their procedural

safeguards.

PWN is an important tool because it makes the school district take the parents suggestions seriously and usually starts a more in-depth discussion at the IEP meeting. If, after the discussion the school district still won’t budge PWN also creates a helpful record of the chain of events that can be used in the future, if necessary, at mediation, due process or state or federal court.



Prior Written Notice

Sample Prior Written Notice Form

Student Name: ____________________________ Birth date: ________________________________ Parent(s): _________________________________ Date: ____________________________________

IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1415(c)) requires “an explanation of why the agency proposes or refuses to take the action and a description of each evaluation procedure, assessment, record or report the agency used as a basis for the proposed or refused action;”

The Purpose of this notice is because the School District is refusing a request by the Parents. Notice: 1. A description of the refused request by the School District. 2. An explanation of why the School District is refusing the request.



Prior Written Notice 3. A description of each procedure, assessment, record, or report the School District used as a basis for the refusal. 4. A description of any other options the IEP team considered and the reasons for the rejection of those options. 5. A description of any other factors that is relevant to the School District's refusal. ________________________ School District Signature

________________________

Title



Discipline Log

Date Type of Disciplinary Action (e.g. Suspension)

Amount of Discipline (e.g. 4 days)

Cause of Discipline (e.g. Hit another child)



Links to Complaint Forms

• All links are available in electronic format on the included disk. Links change often so check your State’s Department of Education website if the link is broken.

State State Department of Education Complaint Forms Website Link

Alabama http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/doc_download.asp?section=65&id=8855&sort=

Alaska http://www.eed.state.ak.us/TLS/sped/Mediation.html#compdph

Arizona http://www.ade.state.az.us/ess/dispute/complaints/ComplaintProcedures.pdf

Arkansas http://arksped.k12.ar.us/documents/disputeresolution/State_Complaint_Form.pdf

California http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/qa/

Colorado http://www.cde.state.co.us/spedlaw/download/StateComplaint-ModelForm2009.pdf

Connecticut http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Due_Process_Forms.pdf

Delaware http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/students_family/specialed/files/admin_complaints_dp/admin%20complaint%20form.pdf

Florida www.fldoe.org/ese/doc/statecomplaintrequestform.doc

Georgia http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_exceptional.aspx?PageReq=CIEXCComplaint


http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/doc_download.asp?section=65&id=8855&sort�

http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/doc_download.asp?section=65&id=8855&sort�

http://www.eed.state.ak.us/TLS/sped/Mediation.html#compdph�

http://www.eed.state.ak.us/TLS/sped/Mediation.html#compdph�

http://www.ade.state.az.us/ess/dispute/complaints/ComplaintProcedures.pdf�

http://www.ade.state.az.us/ess/dispute/complaints/ComplaintProcedures.pdf�

http://arksped.k12.ar.us/documents/disputeresolution/State_Complaint_Form.pdf�

http://arksped.k12.ar.us/documents/disputeresolution/State_Complaint_Form.pdf�

http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/qa/�

http://www.cde.state.co.us/spedlaw/download/StateComplaint-ModelForm2009.pdf�

http://www.cde.state.co.us/spedlaw/download/StateComplaint-ModelForm2009.pdf�

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Due_Process_Forms.pdf�

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/Due_Process_Forms.pdf�

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/students_family/specialed/files/admin_complaints_dp/admin%20complaint%20form.pdf�



http://www.fldoe.org/ese/doc/statecomplaintrequestform.doc�

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_exceptional.aspx?PageReq=CIEXCComplaint�

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_exceptional.aspx?PageReq=CIEXCComplaint�




Hawaii http://sp.k12.hi.us/pdf/form2000_WrittenComplaint.pdf

Idaho http://www.sde.idaho.gov/specialeducation/docs/Manual/Manual%20Documents/FormalComplaint.pdf

Illinois http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/pdfs/complaint_form.pdf

Indiana http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/speced/docs/FilingComplaint-PaperVer.pdf

Iowa http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=606&Itemid=1585

Kansas http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=x5RKSz0esHg%3d&tabid=3456&mid=9064

Kentucky http://www.education.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2B39AA68-F52B-4DEC-B02D-A0C81311E791/0/FormalWrittenComplaintManualForm.pdf

Louisiana http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/eia/2114.html

Maine http://www.state.me.us/education/speced/dueprocess/index.htm


http://sp.k12.hi.us/pdf/form2000_WrittenComplaint.pdf�

http://sp.k12.hi.us/pdf/form2000_WrittenComplaint.pdf�

http://www.sde.idaho.gov/specialeducation/docs/Manual/Manual%20Documents/FormalComplaint.pdf�

http://www.sde.idaho.gov/specialeducation/docs/Manual/Manual%20Documents/FormalComplaint.pdf�

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/pdfs/complaint_form.pdf�

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/pdfs/complaint_form.pdf�

http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/speced/docs/FilingComplaint-PaperVer.pdf�

http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/speced/docs/FilingComplaint-PaperVer.pdf�

http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=606&Itemid=1585�


http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=x5RKSz0esHg%3d&tabid=3456&mid=9064�

http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=x5RKSz0esHg%3d&tabid=3456&mid=9064�

http://www.education.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2B39AA68-F52B-4DEC-B02D-A0C81311E791/0/FormalWrittenComplaintManualForm.pdf�




http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/eia/2114.html�

http://www.state.me.us/education/speced/dueprocess/index.htm�

http://www.state.me.us/education/speced/dueprocess/index.htm�




Maryland http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/C9B4477A-9D44-4CC1-A9CC-83C52632FFB1/14125/StateComplaintForm_October2007_.pdf

Massachusetts http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/prs/

Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/MichiganModelStateComplaintForm-April09_274203_7.pdf

Minnesota http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/compliance/documents/form/007379.pdf

Mississippi http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/pdfs/New_Att_DD.pdf

Missouri http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Complaint_System/documents/ChildComplaintModelForm.pdf

Montana http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/SpecED/guides/ProcSafegrdsSpEdbooklet.pdf

Nebraska http://www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/forms/StateComplaintForm_000.pdf

Nevada http://nde.doe.nv.gov/SpecialEdResources/Model_Complaint_form.pdf


http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/C9B4477A-9D44-4CC1-A9CC-83C52632FFB1/14125/StateComplaintForm_October2007_.pdf�




http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/prs/�

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/MichiganModelStateComplaintForm-April09_274203_7.pdf�

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/MichiganModelStateComplaintForm-April09_274203_7.pdf�

http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/compliance/documents/form/007379.pdf�

http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/compliance/documents/form/007379.pdf�

http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/pdfs/New_Att_DD.pdf�

http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/pdfs/New_Att_DD.pdf�

http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Complaint_System/documents/ChildComplaintModelForm.pdf�

http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Complaint_System/documents/ChildComplaintModelForm.pdf�

http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/SpecED/guides/ProcSafegrdsSpEdbooklet.pdf�

http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/SpecED/guides/ProcSafegrdsSpEdbooklet.pdf�

http://www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/forms/StateComplaintForm_000.pdf�

http://www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/forms/StateComplaintForm_000.pdf�

http://nde.doe.nv.gov/SpecialEdResources/Model_Complaint_form.pdf�

http://nde.doe.nv.gov/SpecialEdResources/Model_Complaint_form.pdf�




New Jersey www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/complaint/form.doc

New Mexico http://www.ped.state.nm.us/seo/library/index.htm

New York http://www.ped.state.nm.us/seo/library/index.htm

North Carolina http://www.ecac-parentcenter.org/education/documents/complaintprocedures.pdf

North Dakota http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/forms/sfn58618.pdf

Ohio http://www.edresourcesohio.org/files/idea_complaint_form.pdf

Oklahoma http://sde.state.ok.us/Curriculum/SpecEd/pdf/Docs_Forms/Complaint_Request_State.pdf

Oregon http://www.ode.state.or.us/services/disputeresolution/complaints/complaintreqform.pdf

Pennsylvania http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/compliance/7467/complaint_form/508845

Rhode Island http://www.ride.ri.gov/Special_Populations/Dispute_resolution/COMPLAINT%20FORM%20%20-%20REVISED%20DEC%20'09.pdf

South Carolina http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-Learning/Exceptional-Children/old/ec/documents/ComplaintFormRevised09-07.doc


http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/complaint/form.doc�

http://www.ped.state.nm.us/seo/library/index.htm�

http://www.ped.state.nm.us/seo/library/index.htm�

http://www.ecac-parentcenter.org/education/documents/complaintprocedures.pdf�



http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/forms/sfn58618.pdf�

http://www.edresourcesohio.org/files/idea_complaint_form.pdf�

http://www.edresourcesohio.org/files/idea_complaint_form.pdf�

http://sde.state.ok.us/Curriculum/SpecEd/pdf/Docs_Forms/Complaint_Request_State.pdf�

http://sde.state.ok.us/Curriculum/SpecEd/pdf/Docs_Forms/Complaint_Request_State.pdf�

http://www.ode.state.or.us/services/disputeresolution/complaints/complaintreqform.pdf�

http://www.ode.state.or.us/services/disputeresolution/complaints/complaintreqform.pdf�

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/compliance/7467/complaint_form/508845�

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/compliance/7467/complaint_form/508845�

http://www.ride.ri.gov/Special_Populations/Dispute_resolution/COMPLAINT%20FORM%20%20-%20REVISED%20DEC%20'09.pdf�



http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-Learning/Exceptional-Children/old/ec/documents/ComplaintFormRevised09-07.doc�






South Dakota http://doe.sd.gov/oess/specialed/complaint/index.asp#State_Complaints_

Tennessee http://www.tennessee.gov/education/speced/doc/62007AdminisCompl.pdf

Texas http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/medcom/compform.html

Utah http://schools.utah.gov/sars/lawsregs/pdfs/statecomplaint.pdf

Vermont http://www.education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/pgm_sped/policy/administrative_complaint/administrative_complaint_form.pdf

Virginia http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/resolving_disputes/complaints/forms/parental_complaint_form.pdf

Washington http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/pubdocs/Citizen_Complaint_Request_Form.pdf

West Virginia http://wvde.state.wv.us/specialeducationcompliance/documents/StateComplaintFormPDF.pdf

Wisconsin http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/forms06.html

Wyoming http://www.k12.wy.us/SE/forms/Complaint.pdf


http://doe.sd.gov/oess/specialed/complaint/index.asp#State_Complaints_�

http://doe.sd.gov/oess/specialed/complaint/index.asp#State_Complaints_�

http://www.tennessee.gov/education/speced/doc/62007AdminisCompl.pdf�

http://www.tennessee.gov/education/speced/doc/62007AdminisCompl.pdf�

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/medcom/compform.html�

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/medcom/compform.html�

http://schools.utah.gov/sars/lawsregs/pdfs/statecomplaint.pdf�

http://schools.utah.gov/sars/lawsregs/pdfs/statecomplaint.pdf�

http://www.education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/pgm_sped/policy/administrative_complaint/administrative_complaint_form.pdf�



http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/resolving_disputes/complaints/forms/parental_complaint_form.pdf�

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/resolving_disputes/complaints/forms/parental_complaint_form.pdf�

http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/pubdocs/Citizen_Complaint_Request_Form.pdf�

http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/pubdocs/Citizen_Complaint_Request_Form.pdf�

http://wvde.state.wv.us/specialeducationcompliance/documents/StateComplaintFormPDF.pdf�

http://wvde.state.wv.us/specialeducationcompliance/documents/StateComplaintFormPDF.pdf�

http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/forms06.html�

http://www.k12.wy.us/SE/forms/Complaint.pdf�



Civil Rights Complaint Forms Website Link United States Office of Civil Rights

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html


http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html�

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html�

Page Intentionally Left Blank


Special Education Definitions Accommodations – Accommodations do not reduce grade level standards but rather help provide access to the curriculum. Accommodations can include visual presentation, auditory presentation, multi-sensory presentation, response, setting, organization, timing and scheduling.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - means Legislation enacted to prohibit discrimination based on disability.

Assessment – An Assessment is the process of gathering information about a child to make decisions about a potential disability, strengths, weaknesses and areas of need. An assessment can be either formal through standardized tests or informal through observation and includes collecting, recording, scoring, and interpreting information about a child.

Assistive technology device – Means any item, piece of equipment, or system, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

Attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – a behavior disorder, usually first diagnosed in childhood, that is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and, in some cases, hyperactivity. A Child with this disorder may be eligible for special education under other health impairment, specific learning disability, and emotional disturbance categories if condition adversely affects educational performance.

Audiology – means the study of impaired hearing that cannot be improved by medication or surgical therapy and is considered a related service under IDEA.

Autism – means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to



Special Education Definitions environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. Autism is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Behavior intervention plan – means a plan that address a student’s disruptive behaviors using positive strategies, program modifications, and supplementary aids and supports.

Certificate of Completion - A Certificate of Completion (COC) indicates that a special education student has completed four years of high school, but has not met all graduation requirements.

Charter school – means an independent public schools that operate under public supervision but outside public school systems.

Child find – A requirement that the State must have in effect policies and procedures to ensure that all children with disabilities residing in the State who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated.

Child with a disability – means a child meeting one of the IDEA eligibility categories and who, by reason thereof needs special education and related services.

Consent – means a requirement that the parent be informed of all information that relates to any action that school wants to take about the child and agree to that action including initial consent for evaluation and consent for services. Parents can revoke their consent at any time.

Counseling services – means services provided by qualified social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel and is considered a related service under IDEA.

Cumulative file – means the file maintained by the school about the student.



Special Education Definitions Deaf-blindness – means concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. Deaf-Blindness is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Deafness – means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Deafness is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Disability – means an impairment that substantially affects one or more major life activities; an individual who has a record of having such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.

Due process complaint notice – means a notice filed to request a due process hearing

Due process hearing – means the procedural safeguards in IDEA to resolve disputes between parents and schools. It is an administrative hearing before an impartial hearing officer or administrative law judge.

Dyslexia – means a learning disorder marked by a severe difficulty in recognizing and understanding written language, leading to spelling and writing problems. Dyslexia is listed as a specific learning disability in IDEA.

Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children – means the implementation of a formal plan for identifying a disability as early as possible in a child’s life.

Education records – means all records about students that are maintained by an educational agency or institution.



Special Education Definitions Emotional disturbance - means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:

(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

Emotional Disturbance is considered an eligibility category under IDEA

Free appropriate public education – means special education and related services that have been provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge that meet the standards of the State educational agency and are provided in conformity with the individualized education program.

General curriculum – means the curriculum adopted by the State for all children from kindergarten through high school.

Hearing impairment – means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section. Hearing impairment is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.



Special Education Definitions Highly qualified teacher – means teachers who are certified by the state or pass the state teacher examination, demonstrate competence in the subject area they teach, and hold a license to teach.

Inclusion – means the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes with needed accommodations and services instead of in special education classes.

Individualized education program – means a written statement for a child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with IDEA. The IEP is considered the cornerstone of IDEA.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - This law was established to make sure children with disabilities have access to public education with the assistance of services. These services enable the child to continue their education in order to prepare them for life as an adult. As a result of this law, children with disabilities are given the opportunity to receive intervention services related to their disability to help them access the public school curriculum.

Interpreting services – means oral transliteration services, cued language transliteration services, sign language transliteration and interpreting services, and transcription services, such as communication access real-time translation (CART), C-Print, and TypeWell and is considered a related service under IDEA.

Least restrictive environment (LRE) – means the IDEA requirement that children with disabilities be educated with children who are not disabled to the extent possible. This means that the child should be placed into a general education class and only be removed if the use of aids and other services can’t provide satisfactory results.



Special Education Definitions Mainstreaming – the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes during specific time periods based on their skills without specially designed instruction or support.

Manifestation determination – means the determination of whether inappropriate behavior that violates a student’s code of conduct was caused by the child’s disability.

Mediation - A mediation is a meeting facilitated by a mediator used to find a peaceful settlement of the disagreement prior to starting costly litigation.

Medical services – means services provided by a licensed physician to determine a child’s medically related disability that results in the child’s need for special education and related services. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Mental retardation – means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Mental Retardation is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Modifications – Modifications actually lower learning expectations and should only be used if this is the only way for the child to be successful. Parents must understand if modifications to grade level standards are being made their child may be at risk for not meeting graduation requirements.

Multiple disabilities – means concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness or mental retardation orthopedic impairment), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. Multiple disabilities does not include deaf-blindness. Multiple Disabilities is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.



Special Education Definitions Occupational therapy – means services provided by a qualified occupational therapist and Includes:

(A) Improving, developing, or restoring functions impaired or lost through illness, injury, or deprivation;

(B) Improving ability to perform tasks for independent functioning if functions are impaired or lost; and

(C) Preventing, through early intervention, initial or further impairment or loss of function.

This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Orientation and mobility services – means services provided to blind or visually impaired children by qualified personnel to enable those students to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within their environments in school, home, and community. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Orthopedic impairment – means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). Orthopedic impairment is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Other health impairment - means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic



Special Education Definitions fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome. It must also adversely affect a child’s educational performance. Other Health Impairments is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Parent – means a biological, adoptive, foster, guardian or surrogate parent of the child. May also include an individual acting in the place of a biological or adoptive parent (including a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative) with whom the child lives, or an individual who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare.

Physical therapy – means services provided by a qualified physical therapist includes therapy to remediate gross motor skills. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Prior written notice – means the required written notice to parents when school proposes to initiate or change, or refuses to initiate or change, the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child.

Procedural safeguards notice – means the requirement that schools provide full easily understood explanation of procedural safeguards that describe parent’s right to an independent educational evaluation, to examine records, to request mediation and due process.

Psychological services – means administering psychological and educational tests, interpreting test results, and interpreting child behavior related to learning. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Recreation – means therapeutic recreation services, recreation programs, and leisure education. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Related services – means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech-



Special Education Definitions language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes. Related services also include school health services and school nurse services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training.

Response to intervention – means a way to determine if a child has a specific learning disability by the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention.

School nurse services – means health services that are designed to enable a child with a disability to receive FAPE as described in the child’s IEP. School nurse services are services provided by a qualified school nurse. School health services are services that may be provided by either a qualified school nurse or other qualified person. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Serious bodily injury – means bodily injury which involves a substantial risk of death, extreme physical pain, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty.

Special education – means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability

Specific learning disability - means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain



Special Education Definitions dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Specific Learning Disability is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Speech-language pathology services – means identification and diagnosis of speech or language impairments, speech or language therapy, counseling and guidance. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Speech or language impairment – means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Speech or Language Impairments is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Stay-put – means the School District must maintain the current educational placement with no reduction in services pending any proceedings such as due process or formal mediation.

Summary of Performance - A Summary of Performance (SOP) must be generated for special education students who are leaving school with a diploma or aging out (at 22). It is not considered part of the IEP.

Transition services – means an IEP requirement that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.

Transportation – includes travel to and from school and between schools, travel in and around school buildings and specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special



Special Education Definitions transportation for a child with a disability. This is also considered a related service under IDEA.

Traumatic brain injury – means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Traumatic Brain Injury is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.

Visual impairment including blindness – means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. Visual Impairment including Blindness is considered an eligibility category under IDEA.



Special Education Acronyms

ABA Applied Behavior Analysis

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act ADD Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

APE Adapted Physical Education

ASL American Sign Language

BD Behavior Disorder

BIP Behavioral Intervention Plan

CP Cerebral Palsy

DB Deaf/Blind

DD Developmental Disability

DIS Designated Instruction and Services

ED Emotionally Disturbed

ELL English Language Learner (previously ESL)

EMR Educable Mentally Retarded

ESY Extended School Year FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FBA Functional Behavioral Assessment HI Hearing Impaired

HOH Hard of Hearing

IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004

IEE Independent Educational Evaluation




IEP Individualized Education Program

IFSP Individualized Family Service Plan ITP Individual Transition Plan

LD Learning Disability

LEA Local Education Agency

LEP Limited English Proficient LRE Least Restrictive Environment MD Multiple Disabilities

MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team

MH Multiple Handicapped

MR Mental Retardation

MS Multiple Sclerosis

NCLB No Child Left Behind

NPA Nonpublic Agency

NPS Nonpublic School (private)

OAH Office of Administrative Hearings

OCR Office of Civil Rights

OCS On-Campus Suspension

OHI Other Health Impaired

OI Orthopedically Impaired

OSERS Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

OSEP Office of Special Education Programs




OT Occupational Therapy

PDD Pervasive Developmental Disorder

PLOP Present Level of Performance PT Physical Therapy

PTI Parent Training and Information Center

PWN Prior Written Notice

RSP Resource Specialist Program

RTI Response to Intervention

SEA State Education Agency

SCC Self-contained Classroom

SDC Special Day Class

SDE State Department of Education

SELPA Special Education Local Plan Area

SH Severely Handicapped

SLD Specific Learning Disability

SLI Speech/Language Impaired

SLP Speech Language Pathologist SST Student Study Team

TBI Traumatic Brain Injury

VI Visually Impaired



Special Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is the Purpose of IDEA? “(A) to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living 1400 (d)(1)(A)”. Why an appropriate education and not the best education? Parents always want the best for their children but in the case of IDEA 2004 “Best” is a four letter word. Be cautious when discussing your child’s educational needs from using terms like “I want what’s best for my child” or “I just want the best possible education”. The law is very specific in that it only requires an appropriate education and not the best education. (refer to purpose of the law for review) How does this law help my child? The law allows parents to request an Individualized Education Program (IEP), in order to determine whether their child has a disability and requires special education and services to help them to access the curriculum. How does an IEP work? An IEP is a legal document that describes exactly what special education services your child will receive and why. It will include your child's eligibility, services, goals and objectives. The IEP is decided at an IEP meeting. The plan must be designed to meet your Child’s unique needs. What happens after a parent opens an IEP? A parent can initiate an assessment at any time. Once the initial request has been made and an assessment plan has been sent home, the school



Special Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) has 60 days in which to conduct the various evaluations and assessments that the parent requested for their child. At the end of 60 days, there is a meeting held between the parents, teacher and specialists to discuss the results of all the evaluations to determine whether the child has a disability and is eligible for services. What type of Assessments can be conducted? Assessments should be administered in all area of suspected disability. Some of the major areas could include cognitive, achievement, speech, fine motor, gross motor, auditory process, social/emotional, neuropsychological, memory, attention, developmental, visual and sensory. What are the Assessment procedures? The assessment procedures must:

1. Be provided in the child’s primary language; 2. Be administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel who can

also explain the results; 3. Have validity, measuring what it’s supposed to measure, and

reliability, accurately measuring what it’s supposed to measure; 4. Include a variety of tools and strategies; and 5. Not be discriminatory.

What determines if my child is eligible for special education services? Children may receive special education services if they have one of the following eligibilities:

1. autism or autistic-like behaviors; 2. deaf-blindness; 3. deafness;



Special Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

4. emotional disturbance; 5. hearing impairment; 6. mental retardation; 7. multiple disabilities; 8. orthopedic impairment; 9. other health impairment; 10. specific learning disabilities; 11. speech or language impairment; 12. traumatic brain injury; or 13. visual impairment including blindness

And who by reason thereof, NEEDS special education and related services.

Who decides what services my child needs? The IEP meeting is a collaborative effort between the school team and the parents. The school’s job is to explain the results of the evaluations and make their recommendations for services. The parent’s job is to give their feedback regarding the evaluation results and recommendations which they feel might help their child in school. The goal is for both parties to come to an agreement on the amount of services needed to help the child receive an appropriate education. What types of related services are available?

1. Speech and language 2. Audiology 3. Psychological Services 4. Physical Therapy 5. Occupational Therapy 6. Recreation 7. In-School Counseling 8. Social Work Services 9. Orientation and Mobility




10. Medical Services (only to determine eligibility) 11. Transportation 12. Parent counseling and training

What is the benefit of an IEP meeting for my child? The IEP meeting allows parents and school officials to design and implement a strategy for a child who has a disability that is affecting their ability to access the school’s curriculum. The services, accommodations and/or modifications are used to help the child achieve the goals/objectives that were established in the IEP meeting. What’s the difference between accommodations and modifications? Accommodations do not reduce grade level standards but rather help provide access to the curriculum. Accommodations can include visual presentation, auditory presentation, multi-sensory presentation, response, setting, organization, timing and scheduling. Modifications actually lower learning expectations and should only be used if this is the only way for the child to be successful. Parents must understand if modifications to grade level standards are being made their child may be at risk for not meeting graduation requirements. What is the purpose of a “Least Restrictive Environment”? The goal is to help your child have an opportunity to receive an appropriate education despite their disabilities in the “Least Restrictive Environment”. IDEA requires that children with disabilities be educated with children who are not disabled to the extent possible. This means that the child should be placed into a mainstream class and only be removed if the use of aids and other services can’t provide satisfactory results. Potential education placements from least restrictive to most restrictive are:

1. general education mainstream;




2. general education inclusion (push in services); 3. resource specialist program (pull out services); 4. special day class; 5. non-public school; 6. day treatment center; 7. residential treatment center; and 8. home hospital

What is the Big Picture? By attaining educational services, you are giving your child the opportunity to achieve the long term goal. That goal is: Preparing your child for further education and independent living. How does a Transition Plan work? At the age of 16 the child must be invited to the IEP meeting and a plan must be put together to help the child prepare for life, education and career after high school. The focus should be on learning life skills and promoting adult independence. The child should be a part of the process because the transition services should be based on the individual needs, taking into account the child's preferences and interests. The Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) must include appropriate, measurable, post-school goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments. Transition Services include:

1. instruction; 2. related services; 3. community experiences; 4. the development of employment and other post school adult living

objectives; 5. acquisition of daily living skills (when appropriate); and 6. functional vocational evaluation (when appropriate).

What is the age of majority?



Special Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) The age in which the child will now be considered an adult and MUST receive notice of an IEP meeting, attend an IEP meeting and consent to an IEP. These rights must be explained no later than one year prior to the age of majority. The age of majority is most commonly the 18th birthday but could be different based on the State you live in. Can Students who receive a Certificate of Completion participate in graduation? Yes, Students that receive a COC are allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies with their peers. They also remain entitled to special education services until they meet graduation requirements and receive a diploma, voluntarily leave school or reach the age of 22. What is included in the Summary of Performance? The Summary of Performance (SOP) outlines the student’s academic achievement and how they function in activities of daily living. The SOP will also include recommendations about how to assist the students in meeting post school goals. The SOP is not part of the IEP. What is the discipline statute?

The school may suspend a child with a disability who violates a code of student conduct for up to 10 days in any school calendar year. The exception to this rule is if the conduct involves weapons, illegal drugs or has inflicted serious bodily injury in which case the child may be moved to an alternate placement for up to 45 days. If it is determined that the behavior was caused by the disability ("a manifestation of the disability") then the school must perform a functional behavioral assessment ("FBA") and implement a behavioral intervention plan ("BIP"). If there is already a BIP in place then the IEP team must review and modify the plan to address the ongoing behaviour.



Special Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How do you determine if the behavior is a manifestation of the disability??

A manifestation IEP meeting must be held within 10 days of the conduct. At which time the IEP team must consider all relevant information, including IEP, any teacher observations, and information supplied by the parents. The IEP team must then answer two questions:

1. Was the conduct caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to the child's disability; and

2. Was the conduct the direct result of the School's failure to implement the IEP.

If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then by law, the behavior was a manifestation of the disability. What Happens if there is a Disagreement? Remember you have the right to disagree with the IEP in whole or in part. Never agree to anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. IDEA 2004 has very specific procedural safeguards to protect the rights of the child. If your child already has an IEP and you disagree with any part of it, the School District must maintain the current educational placement pending any proceedings. This clause most commonly referred to as a “Stay Put” means there can be no reduction of services while the disagreement is being worked out. The disagreement is typically worked out through a Mediation or Due Process Hearing. If there is a disagreement over the assessments conducted by the School District the parents have the right for an independent educational evaluation to be paid for by the School District. If a parent requests an independent educational evaluation the school district must either a) agree, or b) disagree and take the parents to due process to explain why they disagree. What are the requirements of Mediation?



Special Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) The Requirements are:

1. Mediation is voluntary for both parties. 2. Mediation may not be used to delay or deny a parent’s right to a

due process hearing or to deny other rights guaranteed under the IDEA.

3. Mediation must be conducted by a qualified and impartial mediator trained in effective mediation techniques.

If a resolution is reached at the mediation, a legally binding settlement agreement will be signed by all parties involved. Once a settlement agreement is executed a new IEP meeting must be called to implement the services outlined in that agreement. If a resolution is not reached the next step would be a Due Process Hearing. What happens in a Due Process Hearing? A Due Process Hearing is works similarly to a court proceeding and is overseen by an impartial hearing officer. The parents and the school personnel get a chance to give their side of the story. The hearing officer then decides how to solve the disagreement. A decision made at a hearing shall be final, except either party can appeal the decision. A decision made at appeal shall be final, except either party may bring a civil action. Hearing decisions shall be made on substantive grounds unless procedural violations impeded the child's right to a free appropriate public education, significantly impeded the parents opportunity to participate in the decision making process or caused a deprivation of educational benefits. What does a Hearing Officer consider Substantive Issues? Substantive issues result in the denial of a free appropriate public education when the School District:




1. Does not address the child's unique needs; 2. When the IEP does not provide some education benefits; 3. When the IEP is not followed; and 4. When the placement is not in the least restrictive environment.

What are some of my parental rights?

1. Parents have the right to request that their child be assessed for Special Education;

2. Parents have the right list all of their concerns in the IEP; 3. Parents have a right to request a new IEP meeting be held within 30

days of a written request when an IEP is already in place; 4. Parents have the right to participate in the IEP meeting and have

their opinions heard and noted; 5. Parents have the right to bring any person to an IEP meeting with

knowledge of the child or the child’s disability including advocates and attorneys;

6. Parents have the right to review and receive copies of their child’s educational records;

7. Parents have the right to consent, refuse to consent or revoke consent for special education for their child;

8. Parents have the right to receive Prior Written Notice when a school district proposes a change in a child’s placement or refuses a parent’s request;

9. Parents have the right to ask for an Independent Educational Evaluation at public expense when they disagree with the school district’s assessments;




10. Parents have the right to file complaints, including state complaints and due process complaints, and disagree with parts or all of the IEP.

How Do I write IEP Goals?

1. Start at the beginning with present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Just as IEP goals drive services and placement, the present levels of performance drive goals. This will be your road map to writing all of the goals. Accurately written present levels of performance will provide you with key information on both 1) what goals to write, and b) what strengths the child has to help compensate for the disability. If your present level of performance doesn’t include strengths then it hasn’t been written appropriately;

2. Familiarize yourself with your State’s Academic Content Standards.

At this point 44 States have adopted the Common Core Standards. You can review the Common Core Standards website to download the standards. If your State is one of the 6 that doesn’t follow the common core you will be able to find the standards on your State’s Department of Education Website;

3. Make sure you write a goal for every area of need. This may include

writing more than one goal for every subject area. By familiarizing yourself with the academic standards you will have a better understanding of what types of goals to write. For instance, math can be broken up into subsets such as math fluency, math facts, math computation, math comprehension, statistics or algebraic functions. If you are writing goals for a modified curriculum the




standards for lower grades may still be useful in writing goals. Goals also incorporate more than academics and should include social/emotional and other related services needed to help the child access the curriculum;

4. Spur conversation using the Six W questions; Who, What, Where,

When, Why & How. Asking and answering these questions will help make the goal more specific. For instance, “Jimmy will learn to read”, can be made more specific by saying, “When given a second grade passage, Jimmy will read 75 words per minute correctly using proper decoding methods”;

5. Make sure the goals are easy to understand, if you can’t understand

the goal in the first reading neither will anyone else. Considering the amount of turnover seen in school personnel making sure a new therapist or teacher can understand the goals is very important;

6. All IEP goals need to be measurable so that parents and school

personnel can establish how much progress has been made on reaching the goal. Make sure the measurement is being conducted using a specific method of data collection. Allowing an IEP goal to be measured by teacher observation alone is too subjective;

7. All goals should be attainable. Set up goals that will gradually get

your child up to grade level. You want to instill confidence in the child so that they are reaching milestones that will eventually catch them up;

8. All goals should include a timeframe in which the goal will be

accomplished. The maximum length of a goal should be no longer




than one year to match the requirement to hold at least annual IEP meetings;

9. All goals should be realistic. A realistic goal is a goal that can be

achieved with the implementation of a well thought-out IEP; and 10. When writing goals for a transition plan these goals should not be a

repeat of other goals in the IEP but should be based the student’s interests and preferences based on 1) specific age-appropriate transition assessments and, 2) transitions services needed to assist the student in achieving their post-school outcomes.



Links to Academic Core Content Standards

State State Department of Education Content Standard Website Link

Alabama http://www.alsde.edu/html/CoursesOfStudy.asp

Alaska http://www.eed.state.ak.us/standards/

Arizona http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/contentstandards.asp

Arkansas State Core Content Standards are not on the website but can be requested by writing the Associate Director of Curriculum whose contact information can be found here: http://arkansased.org/educators/curriculum.html

California http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp

Colorado http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/OldContentStandards.html

Connecticut http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&Q=320954

Delaware http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/default.shtml

Florida http://etc.usf.edu/flstandards/index.html

Georgia https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.aspx


http://www.alsde.edu/html/CoursesOfStudy.asp�

http://www.eed.state.ak.us/standards/�

http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/contentstandards.asp�

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http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp�

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/OldContentStandards.html�

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/OldContentStandards.html�

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&Q=320954�

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&Q=320954�

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/default.shtml�

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/default.shtml�

http://etc.usf.edu/flstandards/index.html�

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.aspx�

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.aspx�




Hawaii http://165.248.30.40/hcpsv3/library.jsp

Idaho http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/content_standards/

Illinois http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/Default.htm

Indiana http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx

Iowa http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1350&Itemid=2287

Kansas http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1678

Kentucky http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum+Documents+and+Resources/Teaching+Tools/Combined+Curriculum+Documents/

Louisiana http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/saa/1222.html

Maine http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/pei/index.html


http://165.248.30.40/hcpsv3/library.jsp�

http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/content_standards/�

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/Default.htm�

http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx�

http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx�



http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1678�

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum+Documents+and+Resources/Teaching+Tools/Combined+Curriculum+Documents/�



http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/saa/1222.html�

http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/pei/index.html�




Maryland http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/index.html

Massachusetts http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753---,00.html

Minnesota http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/Academic_Standards/index.html

Mississippi http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/id/curriculum/Curr.htm

Missouri http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/index.html

Montana http://opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/#gpm1_8

Nebraska http://www.education.ne.gov/Assessment/Standards.htm Nevada http://www.doe.nv.gov/Standards.html New Hampshire

http://www.education.nh.gov/spotlight/k12_ccss.htm

New Jersey http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/

New Mexico http://www.ped.state.nm.us/nmstandards.html

New York http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.html

North Carolina http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/

North Dakota http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/standard/content.shtm

Ohio http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEPrimary.aspx?page=2&TopicID=1696&TopicRelationID=1696

Oklahoma http://sde.state.ok.us/curriculum/CommonCore/default.html

Oregon http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=53

Pennsylvania http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views


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http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html�

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http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753---,00.html�

http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/Academic_Standards/index.html�

http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/Academic_Standards/index.html�

http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/id/curriculum/Curr.htm�

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/index.html�

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/index.html�

http://opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/#gpm1_8�

http://www.education.ne.gov/Assessment/Standards.htm�

http://www.doe.nv.gov/Standards.html�

http://www.education.nh.gov/spotlight/k12_ccss.htm�

http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/�

http://www.ped.state.nm.us/nmstandards.html�

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.html�

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/�

http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/standard/content.shtm�

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEPrimary.aspx?page=2&TopicID=1696&TopicRelationID=1696�



http://sde.state.ok.us/curriculum/CommonCore/default.html�

http://sde.state.ok.us/curriculum/CommonCore/default.html�

http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=53�

http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views�




Rhode Island http://www.ride.ri.gov/instruction/commoncore.aspx South Carolina http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-

Learning/Academic-Standards/old/cso/ South Dakota http://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/

Tennessee http://www.tn.gov/education/curriculum.shtml

Texas http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148

Utah http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/core/page2.htm

Vermont http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pubs/framework.html

Virginia http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml

Washington http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculuminstruct/ealr_gle.aspx

West Virginia http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/csos.html

Wisconsin http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/

Wyoming http://www.k12.wy.us/SA/standards.asp Common Core Standards for 44 States

Check these Standards if the links don’t work above. 44 States have adopted the Common Core Standards at this point. http://www.corestandards.org/

• Links change often. If the links above do not work please visit your State’s Department of Education website to find your State’s standards or visit the link for the Common Core Standards at http://www.corestandards.org/


http://www.ride.ri.gov/instruction/commoncore.aspx�

http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-Learning/Academic-Standards/old/cso/�

http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-Learning/Academic-Standards/old/cso/�

http://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/�

http://www.tn.gov/education/curriculum.shtml�

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148�

http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/core/page2.htm�

http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pubs/framework.html�

http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pubs/framework.html�

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml�

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml�

http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculuminstruct/ealr_gle.aspx�

http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/csos.html�

http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/�

http://www.k12.wy.us/SA/standards.asp�

http://www.corestandards.org/�

http://www.corestandards.org/�

IEP Success Kit eBook

Education

Transcript of IEP Success Kit eBook