IEP Book Summary
Allyson Jordan Fortner
EDUC 521
Children with disabilities have come along way over the years. In one of my other Liberty
University classes I watched a video on the horrific conditions at Pennhurst State home. This was well
before any laws had come into pass. In this hospital children with special needs and learning disabilities
were brought there because parents could either not afford or could not deal with their child. Staff
members at this facility were limited in what they could do and had to resort to practices that would
never be heard of today. Because of state homes like Pennhurst I believe that people were becoming
more and more upset and more compassionate toward the disabled, and laws and rules about children
in school started changing. Our text gives us many examples of laws and guidelines for students with
disabilities in the public-school system. We also learn how parents play an important role.
Since Pennhurst, many laws have come to pass regarding students with special needs. The laws
are ever changing, and it can sometimes be difficult to make sense of all the changes. Teachers and
administrators must make sure that as laws change, or amendments are added that we keep on top of
these issues. There were many laws enacted prior to 1975 but one of the first that were important was
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act where it supported the rights of students with special
needs, in the public-school system. As time has changed the law needed reworking, amendments were
added and because of that the act was renamed the Individual with Disabilities Act in 1990 (Claxton,
2018). The IDEA Act “was enacted to ensure that all children with disabilities receive a free public
education, to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and
independent living” (Claxton, 2018, p.3). The IDEA Act has six components that insure students have
what the need, they are 1. Free Appropriate Publics Education. 2. Appropriate Evaluation, 3.
Individualized Education Plan, 4. Least Restrictive Environment, 5. Parent Participation and, 6.
Procedural Protections.
As a parent of a special needs child it is extremely important that we be involved in our child’s
Individualized Education Process in school. Parents who are legal guardians have the right to view all
documents pertaining to their child in school. What we learned in our text, is that in today’s society, it is
not always mom and dad in the home. Sometimes parents are divorced and as teachers we need to
make sure we are aware of who has the legal rights to make the decisions on the child’s behalf or who
can legally view documents. Once we know who is charge we can begin the process. To start, an IEP
Meeting Notice is sent out to parents making them aware of the IEP meeting time, date and location.
Parents are given options to attend, not attend, reschedule or go ahead with the meeting. If a parent or
teacher, or administrator cannot attend the meeting an IEP Team Member Excusal Request is
submitted. Here, parents need to be made aware of the absence even if it is themselves and why. It has
been found that parent involvement in their child’s IEP process can help make a more positive outcome
for their
child (Claxton, 2018).
One of the first steps in the IEP Process is to complete the Present Level of Academic
Achievement and Functional Performance(PLAAFP). This gives us information to develop annual goals
and services for students. If not done properly a student’s right to a free appropriate public education
may be denied. There are several things that are included in the IEP. First is the cover page which has all
the student’s information and IEP summary information. Also included is an IEP Summary of
Performance Factors for IEP Team Consideration which has many of the student’s needs, concerns,
communication abilities and any accommodations that may be needed. Another form that is included is
the IEP Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance(PLAAFP). On this form we
show academic achievement that we receive from formal and informal assessments. Also, we include
functional performance which include non-academic items such as daily routine activities. It takes a
whole lot of time to prepare an IEP and it must be a team effort to make sure that each child’s
individual
needs are met properly (Claxton, 2018).
Another part of the IEP process is making sure that within the IEP you have measurable annual
goals set in place. “The purpose of the measurable goals is to provide a twelve-month plan for the
student’s education journey” (Claxton, 2018, p.46). Measurable goals will determine if a student is or is
not making progress throughout the school year. Sometimes goals may need to be adjusted if students
are not progressing as stated in the goals. Depending on each state’s measurable goals form there are
usually two to three goals. It is important to make sure that goals are specific and not vague, and they
should follow the four standard elements for writing goals which are audience(student), behavior
(observable action), criterion(measure), and documentation (how it is documented) (Claxton, 2018). In
addition, the annual measurable goals the IEP needs to have learning objectives and benchmarks in
place. Benchmarks are milestones that each student will show in order to achieve the measurable goals
that are in place (Claxton, 2018).
It is very difficult sometimes to bring a Christian perspective when working in the public-school
system. I wish we had never taken God out. I believe that is why we struggle so much as educators. We
may not be able to talk about God in the classroom, but we can use his teaching methods in our
classrooms and when preparing forms such as I IEP reports. I am not a special education teacher and
have not had to write a report on my own, but it helps to rely on the word in order to make sure we are
doing the right thing for the student that has a special need. There are many children in our school
system that do not have parental support and it our job to try and make sure we are looking out for
those children. Our text had the perfect scripture verse that was so perfect “Speak up for those who
cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speake up and judge fairly; defend
the rights of the poor and needy” (New International Version, Proverbs 31:8-9).
Our society has come a long way in how we treat and educate students with special needs and
disabilities. Over many years laws have been put into place to make sure that our children are taken
care of. It has become more acceptable to have a child with a disability. The IDEA act has lead the way
in making sure students have a free appropriate public education. The IEP process and how it is
supposed
to be written is also another way that parents and the school system are doing what is right for the
student with disabilities. I am a new teacher and have not had but a few times that I have had to deal
with the IEP process but as a parent I have two children that have had them. One starting in the early
90’s and one now. The process is somewhat the same but also very different. It goes back to show me
as
teacher that we need to stay on top of ever changing laws and amendments, so we can make sure we
are accommodating our students in the right way.
Reference:
Claxton, Dr. B. (2018). Planning writing and implementing IEP’s. A Christian Approach. Dubuque, IA.
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
