1. IEP Basics for General Education Staff Developed by Ventura County SELPA June 2016

2. The Basic Promise All children with disabilities are entitled to
A free, appropriate, public education (FAPE)
In the least restrictive environment (LRE)
Pursuant to an Individualized Education Program (IEP)

3. Background Information
Federal and state laws provide certain services, free of charge, to preschool and school-age children with disabilities
Ages 3 – 21
Eligible children qualify for an IEP – Individualized Education Program
Assessment process takes up to 60 calendar days
Interventions have been tried prior to making referral to special education

4. What is an IEP? IEP is the blueprint for the child’s special education
Defines area(s) of need for the student
Contains annual goals
Specifies accommodations/modifications
Specifies the setting and frequency in which the services will be delivered
IEP must be written by a team of persons knowledgeable about the child and the child’s needs, including parents
The IEP is a legal document that must be followed
IEP must be reviewed at least once a year
Parent or team member may request a review at any time

5. Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI²)
Input
Gen Ed teachers give all students opportunities to access the core curriculum before referring to more intensive or less integrated settings and services.
Using the RtI2 process, data can answer the following questions:
Is the general education curricular instruction effective for most students?
Which students are not responding sufficiently to the general education curriculum?
Has targeted intervention been effective?
Have individual students made sufficient progress when provided with a range of interventions directed toward targeted skills?

6. Principles of RtI² Tier I Tier II Tier III Students Data Materials
All Students
15% 5%
Data
Universal Screening
Progress Monitoring
Materials
Standards-based
Research-based
Ventura county has 17,315 students with IEPs, which is approximately 12% of all students in the county. This is 2% above the expected state average
Input
In Tier I, teachers expose students to grade-level curriculum, provide differentiated instruction, use instructional strategies, implement behavioral strategies, and complete universal screenings. Tier II interventions and strategies are provided for students whose needs are not met in Tier I, including small group pull-out or push-in services utilizing research and evidence-based practices. Individual behavior strategies, such as contracts and star charts, may be used. More frequent assessment—progress monitoring—is completed in Tier II.
Approximately 5% of students in the grade level may require highly intensive interventions, referred to as Tier III. The intensity and frequency of the interventions are increased, and students at this level may be referred to and monitored by the SST/IPT/CST process.

7. The Special Education Referral Process
Child must be referred for a special education evaluation
Referral: in writing, dated, addressed to school or district personnel, state reason for referral in terms of lack of educational performance
Child can be referred by the parent or an educator
The parents must consent/agree to the assessment plan

8. District or School Site Procedures for Referral to Special Education Assessment
Check with your site administrator regarding process/procedure for referring student for assessment.
Districts can add their own information here
How far behind does the student need to be to be assessed?
Do we use discrepancy or PSW model?

9. Assessment Process
Students are assessed in all areas of suspected disability
Multi-disciplinary assessment conducted by multiple qualified individuals
Administered in native language or native communication
No single criteria will be used to determine eligibility and programming
Cannot be biased
Must rule out the following prior to determining eligibility:
Attendance/ limited school experience
Environmental factors
Cultural differences or economic disadvantage

10. Eligibility Eligibility for special education has two prongs:
Child must have a disability that interferes with educational progress
AND
2. Need specialized services (specialized academic instruction and/or related services)
Disability must fit in one of the 13 eligibility categories
Discuss students with disabilities vs. eligibility for SPED
Eligibility does not determine services, assessment determines need for services, eg student with autism may/may not have a SDC class or Speech

11. 10/13/2017
DISABILITIES WHICH MAKE A STUDENT ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
AUTISM
MULTIPLE DISABILITIES
DEAF/BLINDNESS
OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT
DEAFNESS
ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT
EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE
SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY
ESTABLISHED MEDICAL DISABILITY (Preschool Only)
SPEECH OR LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
HARD OF HEARING
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

12. Specific Learning 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 have manifested itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The basic psychological processes include attention, visual processing, auditory processing, sensory-motor skills, cognitive abilities including association, conceptualization and expression.

13. Other Health Impaired A disability category that includes any –
Chronic or acute health problem that
Results in limited strength, vitality, or alertness OR a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, and
Adversely affects a child’s educational performance
Examples: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, Tourette syndrome
Written verification of health impairment by the student’s primary health provider, if available.

14. IEP TEAM Minimum membership shall include, but not be limited to:
10/13/2017
IEP TEAM
Minimum membership shall include, but not be limited to:
One or both of the pupil’s parents, a representative selected by the parent, or both.
Administrator or administrative designee.
Special education teacher.
The student, when 15 or over.
At least one general education teacher.
Surrogates, CASAs (court appointed special advocates) and foster parents may attend if appropriate.
Parents may invite anyone they want to the IEP. Parents cannot tell the district which staff can/cannot be in attendance at the IEP (if a parent doesn’t care for a particular staff member, they can’t say that person can’t be at the meeting).
District may excuse attendance of the gen ed teacher PRIOR to the IEP meeting and parent must approve the excusal

15. What is least restrictive environment?
The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the setting in which children with disabilities may be educated with typical children to the maximum extent possible. The IEP team considers a continuum of services in developing the student’s program.

16. What is FAPE? A free, appropriate public education (FAPE) is
Special education (i.e., specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of the child); and/or
related services (such as speech/language, occupational therapy, etc)
that allow the child to make reasonable educational progress
-- in academics, socialization, adaptive skills, language and communication, and behavior

17. PRIMARY SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
10/13/2017
PRIMARY SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) in a variety of settings:
In General Education with supports provided as needed in the classroom
In General Education with “pull out” services in area of need
In Special Education Classes
In Nonpublic School (NPS)
Speech and Language
Intensive Individualized Instruction-(Extra Adult Support)
Adapted P.E.
Vocation Assessment/Guidance
Travel Training (including mobility)
Individual – Small Groups – (Preschool)
Not an inclusive list of settings, may include charter schools, county programs, continuation school, NPS, RTC, home/hospital

18. RELATED SERVICES Speech and Language Audiological Services
10/13/2017
RELATED SERVICES
Speech and Language
Audiological Services
Adapted Physical Education
Orientation and Mobility Instruction
Occupational Therapy
Recreation Services
Physical Therapy
Specialized Services for low incidence disabilities
Specialized Vision Services
Individual Counseling
Interpreter Services
Counseling and Guidance
Assistive Technology Services
Psychological Services (Other than Assessment and Development of IEP)
Specialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Behavior Intervention Services
Parent Counseling
Braille Transcription
Health and Nursing Services
Specialized Orthopedic Services
Social Work Services
Notetaking Services
Any related service must be added through an assessment- speech, adult support, etc

19. Compliance
State requires 100% compliance on all timelines and all IEPs
General education teachers are required members of the team
General education teachers are also responsible for implementing the IEP
accommodations/modifications
Goals
Behavior plans
Data collection/work samples

20. Questions?

21. Thank you to the team! Joanna DellaGatta, SELPA
Dedra Dobson, Santa Paula
Debbie Erickson, VUSD
Andrea Heisser, SVUSD
Regina Reed, SELPA