1. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) 101
Slide Deck No. 2
Ministry of Education, 2009

2. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) 101
Purpose:
This deck provides an overview of the process for developing effective IEPs. All of the components of the IEP are discussed. Links to other resource documents and websites are included.
This slide deck is number two in a series of four that can be used to support professional learning. Although the presentations are partially sequential in nature you are welcomed to use them in their entirety, in any order or ‘cut and paste’ to fit the needs of your audience. The series of slide decks include:
No. 1-Knowing Your Students
No. 2-Individual Education Plans (IEPs) 101
No. 3-Developing More Effective IEPs
No. 4-Collaborating for Better IEPs

3. IEP 101 Presentation Introduction of the IEP
Special Education Overview
What is an IEP?
Guidelines for planning, developing and implementing effective IEPs.
Questions and Discussion

4. Special Education Overvew Ministry of Education Strategic Directions
Overall Goals
High levels of student achievement
Reduced gaps in student achievement
Increased public confidence and support for public education
Goals for Special Education
Improved outcomes for students receiving special education
Increased capacity of schools to effectively meet the needs of a variety of learners in settings ranging from regular to self-contained classrooms
Improved balance between a focus on teaching and learning, and the need for appropriate process, documentation and accountability
More cooperative connections between schools and families of students facing learning challenges; promoting a positive environment
Ministry goals for all students, including those with special education needs are:
85% graduation rate
75% of students will meet or exceed provincial standard (level 3) on grade 6 provincial assessments
Targeted areas to reduce gaps in achievement are:
English Language Learners
Boys’ Literacy
Aboriginal
Special Education

5. Categories and Definitions of Exceptionalities
BEHAVIOUR INTELLECTUAL MULTIPLE EXCEPTIONALITIES
Behaviour Giftedness Multiple Exceptionalities
Mild Intellectual Disability
Developmental Disability
COMMUNICATION PHYSICAL
Autism Physical Disability
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Blind and Low Vision
Speech Impairment
Language Impairment
Learning Disability
Where an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) has identified a student as exceptional, the decision will include determination according to the five categories and the twelve definitions established by the Ministry of Education.

6. Provincial Statistics
In the 2006/07 school year, 198,385 students (96,341 secondary) were identified as “exceptional” by Identification, Placement and Review Committees (IPRCs).
Graph shows number of students over two school years across twelve definitions of exceptionalities; statistics for each school board will vary
Although total student enrolment is decreasing; the numbers of students receiving special education supports is increasing
Significant increase in numbers of students identified as Communication–Autism
Complexity of the needs of students is increasing

7. Provincial Statistics (cont.)
In 2006/07 school boards reported that 13.92% of the total student population, or 292,968 students were receiving special education programs and services.
Approximately 79% of all students and 82% of secondary school students receiving special education programs and/or services are placed in regular classrooms for more than half of the instructional day.
Students can receive special education programs and/or services in one of five placement options:
Regular Classroom with Indirect Support
Regular Classroom with Resource Assistance
Regular Classroom with Withdrawal Assistance
Special Education Class with Partial Integration
Special Education Class Full Time
Opportunity to discuss local school board philosophy, placement options and service delivery model

8. Special Education Programs and Services
Special education programs: primarily consist of instruction and assessments that are different from those provided to the general student population.
Special education services: typically refer to supports such as assistance with instructional programming, personal care and behavioural management, and may involve additional human supports such as teachers’ assistants.
Discuss local programs and services available for students with special education needs.

9. Knowing your Students Personalization is….
Knowing where they are at in their learning
Knowing where they need to go in their learning
Knowing how to get them to where they need to go in their learning
See Slide Deck No. 1 Knowing Your Students

10. Knowing Your Student: Continuous Assessment Process
The assessment process is multi-disciplinary and occurs in a continuous cycle that is fully integrated in to the teaching-learning process
Accurate assessment and evaluation are critically important to teachers who are committed to including all students in regular classrooms, including those with special education needs
Refer to Education for All, K-6 (2005) pp
See Slide Deck No. 1 Knowing Your Students

11. Knowing Your Students Assessments, Strategies and Interventions
Appropriate assessment is ongoing and leads to strategies and interventions at various levels.
Refer to Education for All, K-6 (2005), Belief Statements pp. 4-5 and Continuous Assessment Process p. 20
See Slide Deck No. 1 Knowing Your Students

12. Universal Design and Differentiated Instruction
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction (DI) are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any groups of students.
Universal design ensures that the classroom and other learning environments are as usable as possible for students, regardless of their age, ability, or situation. Teachers should also aim to respond to the specific learning profiles of individual students with differentiated instruction.
See Education for All K-6 (2005) p. 4

13. What is an IEP? AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN IS…
A relevant working document that outlines the special education programs and services to be provided to the student
A plan for a student’s progress through the Ontario curriculum and/or alternative programs or courses
Based on assessment and student areas of strength and need
Linked to the Provincial Report Card
Reflective of parent and student consultation
The language used in the development of the IEP should be user-friendly for multiple audiences (teacher/parent/student).

14. Reasons for an IEP
Required to outline the special education programs and services provided for students identified as exceptional by an IPRC
Not mandatory, but recommended, to outline the special education programs and services provided for non-identified students
Required to document EQAO accommodations
Discuss local process/policy for determining the need to develop an IEP for non-exceptional students (when, why, who).
Directions regarding EQAO accommodations can be found on EQAO website

15. Parent / Student Consultation
An Effective IEP
Parent / Student Consultation
IEP
Report Card
Curriculum
There should be a tangible connection among the IEP, curriculum and provincial report card. Student progress/program should be linked to the curriculum and reported on the provincial report card wherever possible.
The consultative role of the parent/student is key in the development and implementation of the IEP. It is required that students age 16 or older are consulted in the development of their IEPs. However, all students should be encouraged to be involved in the development of their IEPs wherever possible and appropriate to help them to understand their own learning strengths and needs to become effective self-advocates.

16. Key Connections within the IEP
Assessment Data →
Areas of Strength and Areas of Need →
Accommodations →
Program (modified and/or alternative):
Baseline Level of Achievement →
Annual Program Goal →
Learning Expectations
There should be a thread of information that runs through the IEP. Information in each section of the IEP should be based on and build upon the information of the section prior.
All of the above components are addressed in this slide deck.

17. Relevant Assessment Data
Current and relevant assessment information, e.g., behavioural, psycho-educational, educational, medical, as appropriate
Succinct results in plain language
Documentation of need for special education program and/or services in IEP
Refer to The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), p. 22.
Teacher/parent/student-friendly language in an IEP is necessary to ensure that everyone understands the information it contains.

18. Areas of Strength and Areas of Need
Consistency with assessment data
Areas of strength – focus on preferred learning style/modality, processing skills and/or previously acquired learning skills, e.g., excellent visual memory skills
Areas of need – focus on broad cognitive and/or processing challenges or skill deficits, e.g., organizational skills
Refer to The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), p. 23.
Areas of strength and need are based on the student’s learning profile, not personality or interests.
It is not appropriate to include information about what the student needs or what the students needs to do.

19. Accommodations Logical flow from areas of strength and areas of need
Key strategies, supports, individual equipment/technology that enable student to learn and demonstrate learning
IEPs should reflect teaching strategies and accommodations that are different from those used with other students in the class

20. Accommodations (continued)
Instructional Accommodations refer to changes in teaching strategies that allow the student to access the curriculum
Environmental Accommodations refer to changes that are required to the classroom and/or school environment
Assessment Accommodations refer to changes that are required in order for the student to demonstrate learning, including accommodations for EQAO testing
For accommodation examples see The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), pp and the EQAO website

21. Subjects or Courses Accommodated only Modified Alternative
Collaborative decisions need to be made regarding whether each subject or course should be accommodated, modified and/or alternative.
Modified or alternative subjects or courses may require accommodations.
Refer to The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), pp

22. Accommodated Subjects/Courses
Accommodations do not alter the provincial learning expectations for the grade level.
Subjects that are accommodated only do not require annual program goals or learning expectations.
Student progress must be recorded on the Provincial Report Card. The IEP box is not checked and the statement referring to learning expectations in the IEP should not be used.
Accommodations simply enable the student to participate in the regular grade level curriculum and demonstrate learning. The grades or marks should be based on the student’s achievement of the grade appropriate curriculum expectations and the descriptions of achievement levels provided in the curriculum policy documents. Comments must be relevant to the student’s achievement based on the unmodified grade level or course expectations.
The IEP box should not be checked and the statement regarding modified learning expectations should not be included for subjects or courses that are accommodated only.
The purpose of the report card is to report on the student’s progress in achieving regular grade level curriculum expectations and not on the student’s use of accommodations.
If there is an IEP (accommodated only) and the box is not checked, the parent/student needs to be aware of the fact that there is an IEP.
Refer to The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), p. 46.

23. Modified Subjects/Courses
Refers to the changes made to the grade level expectations for a subject or course to meet the needs of the student
Includes:
Expectations from a different grade level
Significant changes (increase or decrease) to the number and/or complexity of the learning expectations
For more information on modifications see The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), pp and

24. Evaluation and Reporting to Parents Subjects/Courses with Modifications
Student progress is based on the independent demonstration of learning, given the provision of appropriate assessment accommodations
Student progress must be recorded on the Provincial Report Card
IEP box must be checked and include the appropriate statement “The grade/mark is based on achievement of the expectations in the IEP, which vary from the Grade __ expectations.”
When the program has been modified, the mark on the provincial report card reflects student achievement based on the learning expectations in the IEP.

25. Is it an Accommodation or a Modification?
158 – 8
255 – 8
721 – 8
925 – 8
632 – 8
498 – 8
983 – 47
801 – 47
187 – 47
394 – 47
588 – 47
1,643 – 138
9,006 – 138
4,876 – 138
2,122 – 138
7,411 – 138
8,904 – 138
16 x 3
10 x 8
71 x 1
68 x 5
14 x 9
37 x 4
41 x 12
78 x 33
36 x 54
62 x 93
44 x 55
70 x 53
156 x 431
973 x 111
375 x 231
824 x 123
404 x 172
232 x 266
This slide demonstrates an example of how to accommodate or modify expectations in a student activity by cutting the worksheet in half.
Activity
When you cut horizontally, the expectations of the activity have been modified (significant changes to the complexity of the task).
When cut vertically, the expectations of the activity have been accommodated (fewer number of questions, but provincial learning expectations have not been altered).
Discuss

26. Alternative Learning Expectations
Refer to learning related to skill development in areas not represented in the Ontario curriculum policy documents
Expectations should represent a specific program designed and delivered to the student
Possible skill areas include:
Orientation and mobility
Personal care
Anger management
Social skills
See The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), pp
Alternative learning expectations should only be implemented when necessary. Whenever possible a student’s program should be connected to the provincial curriculum.

27. Evaluation and Reporting to Parents Subjects/Courses with Alternative Expectations
Student progress is based on the independent demonstration of learning, given the provision of appropriate assessment accommodations
Student progress should be reported through anecdotal comments on an alternative report
For alternative courses, no mark should be provided unless it is beneficial to the student
Alternative report to accompany the Provincial Report Card
In very few instances, where none of the expectations in the provincial curriculum form the basis of the student’s program, an alternative format may be used to record achievement (e.g., the evaluation section of the IEP).
It is not required nor is it advisable for grades or marks to be assigned for the achievement of alternative expectations.
Indicate the student’s achievement relative to the expectations identified in the IEP, and comment on strengths, weaknesses, and next steps.
Discuss local school board practices and template(s) for reporting achievement in alternative subjects/courses.

28. Program Section Components for Modified and Alternative Subjects/Courses

29. Current Level of Achievement
Starting point or benchmark from which to determine current annual program goal and measure future progress
Modified subjects/courses – letter grade/mark and curriculum grade level from previous June Provincial Report Card
Alternative skill areas – comment from previous June alternative report
Unchanged for duration of school year or semester
Current refers to the baseline level of achievement.
For modified expectations that are based on the regular grade curriculum (modified by changes to complexity or number of learning expectations) the notation MOD is added after the grade level.
N/A is acceptable as a notation for:
subjects being taught for the first time;
secondary course with no prerequisite;
JK/SK; and/or
students with no prior reporting information available.

30. Annual Program Goal
Clear indication of what the student is expected to achieve by end of school year or semester
For language, mathematics and alternative skill areas – stated in observable and measurable terms
For other subject/course areas – stated in observable terms
For examples of annual program goals (elementary/secondary) see the Developing Effective IEPs, Slide Deck No. 3. or The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), pp

31. Learning Expectations on an IEP include:
Measurable performance tasks, leading to assessment/ evaluation/reporting by term
Modified subjects/courses – distilled by teachers from learning expectations of Ontario curriculum policy documents
Notation of curriculum grade level/course
Alternative skill areas – specific tasks
Revisions by term
For examples of measurable, observable learning expectations (elementary/secondary) see the Developing Effective IEPs, Slide Deck No. 3. or The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), pp
Term refers to reporting period.

32. Teaching Strategies
Must be linked to learning expectations and differ from strategies used other students in the class
Must be linked to assessment methods
If there are no specific teaching strategies required for the student with the IEP, it is advisable to leave this section blank.

33. Assessment Methods Variety of appropriate assessment methods
Direct alignment with each learning expectation
Specific to performance tasks
Teachers are expected to use a variety of assessment methods on an ongoing and continuous basis.
Assessment provides information that allows the teacher to adjust daily instruction to maintain optimal learning conditions for the student. Ongoing assessment may indicate that the IEP needs to be adjusted.

34. Transition Plan
Plan for all students with IEPs 14 years of age or older unless identified solely as gifted
Long-range cumulative plan for transition to post-secondary activities
Recommended for other significant transitions for some students
Collaborative involvement of student, parent(s), school and community partners
Collaborative transition planning will help to prepare students and assist them in making smoother transitions.
The transition plan section in the IEP is required to be developed for students aged 14 and older (unless they are identified solely as gifted) and is focussed on planning for the student’s transition to postsecondary activities such as work, further education and community living.
Note: PPM 140 Incorporating Methods of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) into Programs for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) provides specific direction for transition planning for students with ASD.
Discuss local school board policies and practices related to planning and documenting transitions for students with special education needs.

35. Parent/Student Consultation
Engagement of parents (and students) in a consultative role in IEP process
Outcomes and/or feedback from parent/student recorded in IEP
The consultation log should:
include all action plans/amendments to the IEP; and
reflect parents’/students’ meaningful input.
It is important that parents/students are consulted to ensure that they understand the meaning and implications of modified and alternative programming.
For other suggestions to support parental/student collaboration, see The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004), p.20 and Collaborating for Better IEPs, Slide Deck, No. 4

36. Questions and Discussion
???

37. Supports for the Development and Implementation of Effective IEPs
Education Act, Regulation 181/98
Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation (2000)
The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide (2004)
IEP Collaborative Review 2006/07 Provincial Report: Common Trends
Provincial Electronic IEP Template (2007)
Shared Solutions A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students with Special Education Needs (2007)
Sample IEPs (2008/09)
LDAO parent/student IEP website (2009)
School boards may want to share their own policies, practices, guidelines, and resources that support professional learning related to IEPs.

38. Related Websites
Ontario Ministry of Education, Special Education
Sample IEPs -
IEP Template
EQAO Guide for Accommodations, a Special Provision and Exemptions
Special Education Advisory Committee Information Program