Let me explain, an IEP is and Individual Education Plan – a plan that teachers devise for children they have concerns about, for children who are not making the grade.
There are probably as many different ways of creating an I.E.P. as there are schools, or school districts, and these plans may go by different names. But, essentially, they what school use to try to provide students with extra support.
I was involved in the creation, implementation, and overseeing of many I.E.P.s when I was teaching children who were struggling to learn, and here is what I learned, and what I think every parent should know, about the process.
Note – the process might be different in your school system. You could check with your child’s school about this.
1. I.E.P.s are used as a way schools can get extra support from the school district.
If a school has many children with an I.E.P they can use this to try to get extra resources from the district. I know that I tried it for my school, sometimes we were successful often not.
2. Having an I.E.P. does not guarantee that your child will get the support he or she needs.
Whatever it says in an I.E.P. if the school does not have the resources to fulfill the recommendations nothing will get done. Allocation of resources (extra teaching time, support from a teaching assistant, specialized programs) is a nightmare for schools. There are always more demands than resources to fill them.
3. I.E.P’s should have names and time-lines attached to each recommendation.
This is for accountability. What is the point of having plan if no one is responsible for the actions it contains and for reviewing it at regular intervals?
4. It may be up to you to make sure the school acts on these accountability issues.
Teachers get busy. It is a rare teacher who remembers to schedule a review and them arranges for the review to take place in a timely fashion. You, the parent, need to ensure that schools fulfill their responsibilities. Don’t get me wrong, teachers try, but I know what it is like and I know how easy it is to put things off when you have a high teaching load.
Been there – done that!
5. It is normally teachers who ask for an I.E.P.
When a child is struggling in class and the teacher does not know what to do to help he or she asks for an I.E.P. for that child. This request may take some time to get through the system depending on the demands made on the school committee that assesses them.
6. But you may ask for an I.E.P too!
If YOU are concerned about your child ( and, as I say, it is normally parents who are the first to understand when children are struggling to learn) then you can try going to the school and asking for an I.E.P. for your child. I am not sure how this request will be met by the school, but it is definitely worth a try. If you are not sure of the process ask you parent advisory group.
7. You should be invited to be involved in creating the I.E.P.
We always invited parents to be part of the meeting where their child was discussed and to offer advice and information to help in creating the I.E.P. They didn’t always come (mainly because they were working when we held the meeting!) But when they did come it made a big difference to the outcomes that got written down! So, try to be a part of the process.
8. Students get I.E.P.s for different reasons
…because the are misbehaving… because they are falling behind… because they are an enigma… because the teacher doesn’t know what to do with them… because the teacher wants them out of the classroom… because they want to keep you happy …
You get the picture. You need to know WHY the school thinks your child needs an I.E.P. so that you know how to react.
9. I.E.P’s can be a waste of time
Sorry to say this, but in my experience this is true. When there is no one to take responsibility for implementation or follow up, and when there are no extra resources to make sure the recommendations can be fulfilled, nothing happens. Your child gets ‘labelled’ but gets no extra support.
10. Make sure that the ‘label’ gets removed
If you don’t want your child to be labeled all the way through his or her schooling (this may or may not be an issue for you) you need to make sure that once the plan has been executed successfully this gets noted in your child’s records. Again, this doesn’t always happen automatically … busy teachers…..
It took me years to understand how I.E.P.s worked or didn’t work – and that was while I was teaching! So, if you are confused about them do not worry – you are not alone!
And there is GOOD NEWS!
You can create your own I.E.P. for your child. One that you can guarantee will be successful and make a difference in your child’s learning.
I have created a way that you can discover how YOU can help your child along their path to Success. Now, that is something to think about!
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