Running head: WORKBOOK SUMMARY
Workbook
Summary Liberty
University
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WORKBOOK SUMMARY 2
Special Education in the Individualized Education Program
Gibb & Dyches (2016) cover the entire process of an individualized education program
(IEP) which the IEP team formulates for every student receiving special education. From their
chapters, we discover historical information regarding the origination of special education in
schools. Before the year 1975, there were no laws requiring states to help students with
exceptionalities learn. The reasons why, were because teachers were not knowledgeable enough
to teach students with disabilities, and there was a fear of regular students being negatively
influenced by students with disabilities. It was not until congress passed the Education for all
Handicapped Children Act in 1975, that students were permitted to learn regardless of their
disability. To provide special education, each state had to ensure that all students ages 3 to 21
with disabilities who live in the state have access to five provisions: free appropriate public
education, appropriate evaluation, individualized education program, least restrictive
environment, and procedural safeguards.
Every student receiving special education services now has an IEP document, which
includes a statement of the student’s current levels of academic achievement, functional
performance, and measurable annual goals (Gibb & Dyches, 2016). The document also includes
a description of how the student’s progress toward meeting the annual goals is measured. It also
has information regarding when periodic reports on the student’s progress were provided, a
statement of the special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services. If
students are unable to participate in extracurricular activities, there needs to be an explanation
why. A statement of any individual appropriate accommodations, the projected date for the
beginning of the IEP and duration of the services and modifications, are also noted on the
document. Finally, a transition plan effective when the student turns 16, is updated yearly
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thereafter. When examining the roles of an IEP, we have to keep in mind that they are the
individualized component of special education planning, defining the appropriate means in the
specific student’s free appropriate public education. The IEP highlights ways to help students
with disabilities make progress in the general curriculum while participating with peers without
disabilities in extracurricular activities. The IEP also serves as a basis for communication
between parents and teachers regarding the student’s educational growth and achievement.
Section 1: Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance
Section one of the IEP discusses how to select reasonable goals for the year, which
includes the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance. Areas
of disability are also included in this section (Gibb & Dyches, 2016). This section is taken from
the formal and informal assessments conducted by the team, from the student’s progress on the
preceding IEP, and from the student’s present grade-level curriculum. There are three steps in
collecting this information: the curriculum standards for academic achievement is reviewed, the
student’s present academic strengths and limitations are determined, and the student’s current
functional strengths and limitations are assessed. In determining the student’s academic
achievement, both formal and informal assessment are used. In order to determine whether
students are eligible for special education, formal assessments are used. Informal assessments are
used to guide daily instruction. When referring to a student’s strength, it is sometimes labeled as
“can do”; whereas a student’s limitation is referred to as “cannot do”.
Section 2: Measurable Annual Goals
In section two of their book, Gibb & Dyches (2016) discuss measurable annual goals,
which are the IEP team’s estimate of what the student can accomplish in the next school year.
When stating the measurable academic and functional performance goals, it must meet the
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student’s needs related to the disability that affects the student’s progress in meeting the
curriculum’s goals. It also needs to meet any extra educational needs that result from the
disability. Finally, they must be measurable. Here, the term measurable means that the behavior
stated on the IEP is observable and measurable to conclude when it has been achieved. The IEP
team determine the goals that are important to the student, family, classroom teacher, special
education teacher, related service providers, individuals who can interpret results, local education
agency (LEA) representatives, and others who have a thorough knowledge on the disability. A bi-
level approach is used when the student achieves below the average level required of his grade.
According to Gibb & Dyches (2016), the bi-level approach means that “one or more goals
address the student’s grade-level standards, and one or more goals address necessary skill
improvements at a lower level” (p. 61). Measurable annual goals describe the condition, the
behavior, and the criteria for achievement. They may also contain statements of generalization
and maintenance. Benchmarks convert annual goals into smaller, measurable fragments at
chosen time intervals. Short-term objectives convert annual goals into nonsequential, separate
skills with no reference to time intervals.
Section 3: Measure and Report Student Progress
When measuring and reporting student progress, we must describe how the student’s
progress will be measured by explaining how the information will be gathered for each goal. We
can begin by identifying the behavior and the criterion described in the goal, and figure out how
that specific behavior can be measured. The behavior can be measured by how much percentage
is correct or how many numbers are correct. It can also be measured by rate, frequency, latency,
or duration. Since IEP meetings take place annually, parents are given regular reports that update
them on the progress of their children. According to the IDEA requirements, reports of the IEP
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goal process should be given out as often as schools give out report cards. When teachers are
knowledgeable on their students’ progress, it affects the classroom practice by requiring the
teacher to also measure, monitor, and report. Gibb & Dyches (2016) define measuring as “the act
of administering some type of assessment to describe a student’s academic or social behavior”,
monitoring as “the act of comparing student achievement to desired goals”, and reporting as
“providing oral or written information regarding student achievement” (p. 79).
Section 4: Services needed to Achieve Annual Goals
Section 4 of writing an IEP determines which services will be provided to help students
achieve their goals (Gibb & Dyches, 2016). These services may include special education
services, related services, and supplementary aids and services. It is important to determine
which services will be provided for school employees, which may include program changes and
supports. We must ensure that these services will assist our students in reaching their annual
goals, advancing at the right level in reaching those goals, making progress in the general
classroom curriculum, and participating in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities with
peers. After we identify which services will be provided to the student, it is imperial to record
this data on the IEP and specify the date, frequency, duration, and location in which the services
are provided. A common error in this section occurs when the team confuses the term service
with the term location. The type of service can be the designed instruction, speech therapy, or life
skills instruction.
Section 5: Student Participation with Nondisabled
Gibb & Dyches (2016) refer to legal aspects regarding student participation with
nondisabled students. According to the LRE requirement, students with disabilities must be
involved with nondisabled students and make progress in the general education curriculum.
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Disabled students are required to participate in regular classrooms, non-academic activities, and
extracurricular activities. The benefits of participating in the regular classroom activities are that
they learn the teachers’ content knowledge and have an opportunity to learn with and from their
nondisabled peers. The purpose of involving our disabled students into the extracurricular or
other nonacademic activities is that they engage in social interactions and life experiences in the
same way as do students without disabilities. In instances where the student will not participate
in the regular class or in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities, it must be stated and
explained on the IEP. This statement can list specific classes or activities in which the student
will not participate.
Section 6: Accommodations and State and Districtwide Assessments
As required by law, the IEP team must include a statement of any individual
accommodations that are essential in measuring students’ academic achievement and functional
performance on assessments. Alternate assessments must be planned for students with disabilities
that cannot participate in any assessments. After taking into consideration the student’s strengths,
needs, and abilities, the IEP team then need to select state-approved options and plans
accordingly. According to Gibb & Dyches (2016), options include:
regular assessment of grade-level academic content standards based on grade-level
academic achievement standards, regular assessment of grade-level academic content
standards with appropriate accommodations based on grade-level academic achievement
standards, alternate assessment of grade-level academic content standards based on
grade-level academic achievement standards, and alternate assessment of grade-level
academic content standards based on alternate academic achievement standards. (p. 106)
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Students with and without disabilities are tested on the same schedule. The IEP team may
decide that a student with a disability, who has performed at capacity on previous assessments,
will take the same tests under the same conditions as students without disabilities.
Section 7: Transition Planning
Gibb & Dyches (2016) define transition planning as “a student-centered process of
structuring course work and other educational experiences to prepare the student for transition
from school to adult life.” It is a detailed plan individualized for students based on their personal
needs and goals. When a student turns sixteen years old, the IEP team develops a transition plan
for him. The transition plan must be updated and reviewed every year until special education
services are no longer available for the student. If the effects of the student’s disability require
more time to prepare for transition to adult living, the IEP team may choose to start the transition
planning earlier than age sixteen. According to Gibb & Dyches (2016), the requirements for a
transition plan must include “appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals based on age-
appropriate transition assessments related to education, training, employment, and independent
living skills, where appropriate” (p. 107). They should also include transition services, including
courses of study, necessary to assist the student in reaching the goals. Finally, it should also
include a statement that the student has been informed of transfer of adult rights no later than one
year before the student reaches the age of majority.
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Reference
Gibb, G. S., & Dyches, T. T. (2016). IEPs: Writing quality individualized education
programs (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
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