It’s Your Future…It’s Your Right It’s Your IEP Individual Education POWER

student friendly deaf or hard-of-hearing students This is a “student friendly” unit presentation with slides for teachers and students. It is designed to help high school deaf or hard-of-hearing students learn how to become more effective and involved in: Your own IEP

The Big Picture The IEP is about you and what you want within limits of the school, “so play nice.”

Do you think about… What class do you like? What class do you dislike? What would you change if you could about your school life?

What is an IEP? An IEP is an Individualized Education Plan. An IEP is a legal document about your education goals and any kind of support or technology to help you learn. Your principal, teachers, parents or guardian, and, of course you work together to make sure that you can learn by writing down your goals, learning strengths and weak areas in school. (This is a good thing !)

What is an IEP and what other meetings can you use this skill? 1. Explain an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)? 2. Who goes to my IEP meeting? 3. How often do I have IEP meetings? 4.What other places can I Use these behaviors?

Here are some forms to help.., want you invite people you want to attend, should and who should attend, …beginning on the next page

Dear ____________________, Your presence is requested at ___________________________ For an Individualized Education planning meeting for __________________________ Date: _______________ Time: ___________a.m. / p.m. Room: ____________ R.S.V.P. to ________________________________ ____________________________ Before ______________________ Thank you for your support in my education. Sincerely, Dear _(Person’s Name you want to come), Your presence is requested at (name and address of your school). For an Individualized Education planning meeting for (Your name)____________ Date: ( month/day/year of the meeting) Time: ( hour: minute) a.m. / p.m. Room: ( room number ) R.S.V.P. to ( this is French and means for this person to respond if they can or cannot come to the meeting and who they tell) _______ Before _( month/day/year)_________ Thank you for your support in my education. Sincerely, (your signature goes here)

What’s an IEP for anyway? Have you ever wondered… What’s an IEP for anyway? Why do we have IEPs? Why should I get involved? Why can’t my teacher just run the meeting? Will I ever attend another meeting after high school? What other meetings will I have to attend in high school and after high school?

Why do I need to practice “meeting” skills for my future? What if my boss calls me into his/her office for a meeting? Will I know how to handle myself? What if someone violates my rights? Can I take action?

Practice using the 11 Steps for a Self-Determined IEP (from the ChoiceMaker Curriculum) 1.Tell everyone the reason we’re here today. 2.Practice introducing everyone sitting at the table (name and what they do). 3.Talk about the goals set for you in the past—How did you do? Did you finish them all? 4.Talk about why or why not you were able to finish them. 5.Tell what your transition goals and school goals will be for this year. 6.Remember!!!! Always ask questions when you don’t understand. People like to answer questions. 7.If someone wants you to do something you don’t want to do, you should: Smile. Tell them why you want to do something different (Remember to be nice!)

11 Steps Continued 8.Tell everyone what you need from them so that you can finish your new goals. 9.Discuss/review your new goals again so that everyone understands the same way. 10. Say to everyone for coming to your meeting. 11. Now, you will need to work with your teachers all year so that you can finish your goals.

We’ve got the list…now what? different now Pick one thing from the 11 steps that you can use in a different type of meeting— and how will it help you to practice this now? Which things are you already good at? and Which things do you need to improve?

It’s a rating thing! Statements My Name:________________________________ My IEP date:______________________________ Circle answers that match your behavior. 1. I knew ___ people at my IEP meeting. (number or ‘all’) 2. I said ‘hello’ to ____people at my IEP meeting. (number or ‘all’) 3. I introduced ____ people to each other at my IEP meeting. (number or ‘all’) 4. I talked about my past goals and how well I was doing in my classes. NoYes I talked about my current school and transition goals. NoYes

Almost done! 6. I asked for feedback about my goals and how well I was doing. NoYes 7a. I didn’t understand some things. 7b. I asked questions about things I didn’t understand. 7c. I understood everything. No Yes Yes Yes 8a. I disagreed with someone at the meeting. 8b. I explained my reasons why I disagreed. No Yes Yes I talked about help I needed with some goals.NoYes I helped or summarized my IEP goals.NoYes I helped or ended the IEP meeting by thanking _____people. (number or ‘all’) NoYes 12. I will work on my IEP goals all year. The first thing I will do is: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

What if there’s a problem ? Why do I need to be “professional” when I disagree? People can disagree without arguing. Try to work out a compromise (something that everyone can agree on.) If I am mean, people will be hurt. People won’t want to come to my meetings anymore if I am mean. I want people to help me be successful (if I am mean they won’t want to help me). It is good practice for the future when I have to talk to my boss.

disagree Why do people disagree with me sometimes? People don’t know me the way I know me. People want me to be successful. People think they know better than I do sometimes. If someone disagrees with your ideas, does that mean that the person doesn’t like you or your idea?

Now It’s Time for a Mock IEP… ready, set.., go! Have a practice or “mock” IEP. After the meeting is finished, watch the videotape to see how you did. What do you think you did right? Pick 3 things. What do you think you need to work on for your real IEP meeting? Pick 3 things. Write 3 things down that you will work on for you IEP meeting.

Time for the REAL IEP! Decide on people to attend: –Those who must attend, by law, you –Those who you want to attend, to help you or who know you well. Send out the invitations and collect their responses. you yourPrepare to use the 11 steps and show you can participate effectively in your meeting. After it’s over, think about how it went –How well you did –How you felt about other people’s comments and participation

Meeting Meter How did you feel during the meeting? How did the review of past goals go? Do the goals seem acceptable?

Self-Rating Scale How well did you do? List three positive things you noticed from the meeting. List three weak things you want to work on.

Questions for the future? How do you set up meetings that you might need with supervisors or bosses? When you call a meeting, you must know what you are going focus on. –Is this a regular meeting to share information? –Or is there a situation or problem you are concerned about? Something else to think about.., W hat if you disagree with your boss or other people at this meeting? How will you handle it in a professional way?

Outcomes (Things you learned) By the way, GREAT WORK! Now you have more skills for participating in other meetings and talking about issues you are concerned about: with your boss, vocational rehabilitation counselor, school counselor, and college counselor; with other people in your life. You learned more about yourself and how other people see you. You practiced how to recognize your strengths and weakness. By thinking about your weaknesses, you practiced setting goals for yourself. By thinking of your strengths, you can feel proud of what you’ve learned

Your Journey Forward… If you shoot for the moon, you will land among the stars!

Teachers’ Information Important to request an IEP if don’t understand something or need changes/ request feedback/deal with differences in opinions (conflict)/establish priorities/ meeting etiquette The IEP process provides skills for future professional/personal setting Time management/ staying on task/ summarizing goals

11 Steps of the IEP [Self-Determined IEP, ChoiceMaker Curriculum, Sopris West Pub.] 1.State the purpose 2.Introduce everyone 3.Review past goals and performance 4.Talk about how did last year go 5.State school and transition goals 6.Ask questions if you don’t understand something 7.Deal with differences in opinion 8.State the support you think you will need 9.Summarize goals 10.Thank everyone for coming and their time 11.Work on goals all school year

Teacher’s rating scale: opportunity to support and validate the student Student: _________________________________ IEP meeting date:__________________________ 1a. Student knew ______people at the IEP meeting. (number or ‘all’) 1b. Student greeted _____ people at the IEP meeting. (number or ‘all’) 2. Student introduced him/herself to ____ people and introduced people to each other. (numbers or ‘all’) 3. Student talked about past goals and how well s/he was doing. ____ (#of things said) 4. Student talked about current school and transition goals.____ (#of things said) 5. Student asked for feedback about goals and how well s/he was doing. ____ (#of things said) 6. Student asked ___(#) questions about things s/he didn’t understand or (check) understood everything. 7. Student disagreed with someone (___ No ____Yes) and explained his/her reasons:____ (#of things said).

Teacher’s scale, cont. 8. Student talked about help needed with some goals:____(#of things said) 9. Student helped or summarized his/her goals:____(#of things said) 10. Student helped or ended the IEP meeting by thanking _______ people. (# or ‘all’) Given the student’s communication the other abilities, s/he did? (circle one) very well / well / satisfactorily / not well / poorly because: _______________________________________________________________

Understanding By Design: Six Facets of Understanding (Wiggins & McTigue, 1998) ActivityDesired Outcomes Facet 1 ExplanationWhat is an IEP and what other meetings can you use this skill?Define IEP. Describe what the IEP meeting is for Describe other meetings I can use the behaviors I learn. Facet 2 InterpretationWhy do we need IEPs and why do I need these meeting skills for my adult life? Describe my understanding of an IEP to another person and choose 1 thing that can be applied to another meeting. Facet 3 ApplicationAttend the meetings, and use all the skills that you learned from the 11 steps. Completes 9 of the 11 steps with a self rating of 4 on a scale of 1to5. Facet 4 PerspectiveWhy would/did someone else disagree with you?Understand that other people may want different things for me and my future. Facet 5 EmpathyWhy do I need to be careful when I’m stating my concerns and disagree with someone? Describe how people can agree to disagree and how to appropriately make feelings and concerns known. Facet 6 Self-KnowledgeSelf Ratings scales of practice and event, development of a plan for the year to improve themselves. Self rate of how you did in the meeting and set goals to improve in concerned areas. Develop a plan for each of the weak areas in application. With teachers help, will be able to carry out all steps.

Integrating Curriculum Standards using the Ohio Dept. of Educ. Standards ( click on title to connect ) Ohio Dept. of Educ. Standards Grade 10 Language Arts Reading Comprehension and self-monitoring strategies A. Apply reading comprehension strategies to understand grade-appropriate text. B. Demonstrate comprehension of print and electronic text by responding to questions (e.g., literal, inferential, evaluative, and synthesizing). C. Use appropriate self-monitoring strategies for comprehension. Writing Prewriting 4.Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies (e.g., adapting focus, content structure, and point of view) to address purpose and audience. 5. Use organizational strategies (notes, outlines) to plan writing. Speaking Communication: Oral and Visual D. Demonstrate an understanding of effective speaking strategies by selecting appropriate language and adjusting presentation techniques.

Acceptable Evidence of Student Learning Outcomes Students and teachers use rating scales to monitor improvement: –Mock IEP to real IEP –Year to year Students’ self-rating is similar to that of teachers Students are able to suggest increasing numbers of appropriate IEP ogoals –Lesson plans strategies of communication techniques –Informal observation in class of student’s ability to clarify their thoughts/ideas Students are able to identify 3 areas of strength and need from a video tape analysis Students are able to identify appropriate and inappropriate behaviors using: –video tape of a successful mock IEP, –unsuccessful or inappropriate mock IEP

Thank you for your participation and Critical Feedback in this exercise. This information helps Kent State University Create better units for teachers and d/hh students throughout the U.S.