Formalizes planning processes
for students: It is a legally "protected" process to ensure equity in education
for teachers: as a guide to support students and is connected to resources
for parents: provides a channel to contribute and speak into their child's educational goals
Acts as a basis (Starting point or checkpoint) for reporting progress
Serves as a record of students education program, goal progression, and the relationship between support services
IEPs are:
Plans that describe the WHYs and HOWs of a student's customized education program
ie. customized goals, adaptations/modifications, services provided, measures for tracking achievement
Can be brief or lengthy depending on student’s complexity of needs
Collaborative tools between home, school, other agencies/district for coordinating support
IEPs must:
WHEN do students get IEPs?
As soon as "practically possible" after receiving a designation from the district (MoE mandate)
unless the student doesn’t require "major" changes to the education program already being provided to all students
a guideline of "less than 25 hours of additional support per year" is given (ie. Less than 45 min per week, or 70%of 36 weeks in a school year)
This student-centred "IEP Wheel" depicts the continuity of the IEP Process, where observation, collaborating, and planning is continuous and flexible.
That means once the IEP is written, that student's goals and strategies are incorporated into regular (daily / weekly etc.) routines of planning for all students - NOT a seasonal routine.
3 Main Phases:
Planning / Writing - typically done by Resource Personnel in collaboration with the SST and student voice as much as possible)
Implementing / Goal Tracking - overseen by classroom teacher, implemented and managed by EA if applicable, with support from SST members
Evaluating (Reviewing, Reporting, Revising) - ALL SST members, especially parents, facilitated by Resource
Note: ALL phases involve collaboration, and ALL aspects should seek out student voice
*See Designation Process for details about the pre-IEP process ie. Student Support Team
Create a comprehensive set of 2-5 SMART Goals (spans a range of domains e.g. cognitive, physical etc.). Use Istructional-Support Planning Tools to help
Break each goal down into shorter-term Objectives
Select Strategies to help reach objectives
Identify universal or essential supports
Meet to share the plan and ensure understanding of roles etc. for all team members; set review date;
Teachers and Community Support services use IEP to plan lessons, etc.
Track student progress using qualitative and quantitative measures
Review IEP (SST dicussions etc.)
Report & Renew the IEP (include student voice)
Students should take an active role in designing IEP as much as possible
2 IEP formats on MyEd
Competency-Based Plans (CB IEPs)
format, concepts, wording easily align with the new curriculum lens (use of core and curricular competencies)
Inclusive Individual plans (i-IEPs)
uses a lens (domains for goals) that is more adaptable to any student - could work well for students with goals that are quite different from the BC curriculum
*”Competencies” are sets of proficiencies all student need to engage in deep, lifelong learning. Together with literacy and numeracy foundations, competencies are central to shifting curriculum frameworks around the world and directly support students in their growth as educated citizens
NOTE:
Include Transition Plan and supports when applicable (going to another school or life-stage):
Statement of transition goals
Identify inter-agency responsibilities that should happen before student leaves school setting - because schools are good hubs for coordinating activities that lead to further edu and/or employment
If using the CB-IEP
Strengths-Based Goals
are "Open-ended" so they can be met in multiple ways and places
Use "Could vs. Should" do language (allows room for choice and non-linear ie natural development)
I can.. I know
Strategically Build strengths to support stretches (not attempt to fix deficits as an end in itself)
Meaningful Goals (purposeful and inclusive) support students to
Personal Purpose: inclusion physically
Social Purpose: inclusion socially/emotionally
Intellectual Purpose: thinking/learning community
Curricular Purpose: applicable to personal and societal present/future?
Authentic = common curriculum ie. Connection to peers
All / some / few students language
supplementary goals (designed to help student join peers / meet curriculum)
Explicit targeting of specific skill areas
Constructed WITH students/SBT
Assessed but not evaluated
Responsive (flexible/changeable) for people (student, family, community)
Triangulated Evidence Planning for "How will we know a student has attained the goals"?
For assessments, written and visual/oral language now have equal weighting in BC
Work samples, photographs, artifacts
Common place books - artifact of significant learning plus reflections
Try to help kids show in multiple ways - not just multiple times in one way (written)
Technology very important for how to capture this evidence
Turning oral into product / observations —>phones (cameras
Observation
Product
Conversation
How much is enough?
More places
More ways
More reps of evidence
HOW
Choose 3 best pieces of evidence
At least 2 different formats
Product
Conversation (audio
Observation (picture)
2 different places/contexts (opens up home too/)
Can also interview a student on their product! What did you learn?
Goal Tracking
Parents can assist with evaluating progress toward outcomes especially in social goals, life skills, career exploration/development (see triangulated evidence)
Categories of supports
Learning environment accessibility
Alternative instruction and/or assessments
Assistive tech
Intensive or direct instruction
Modifications, services
Specialized training
Universal Supports
BuIdling level supports and strategies that promote effective learning and greater inclusion.
Needed by some to access and be successful (curriculum)
Benefit to / Available to all
Essential Supports
Supports identified by diagnostic testing that are necessary to access learning
e.g. Visual, medical, Psych-ed
3 formal progress reports must be given to parents in the school year.
1 formal IEP review per year. More frequency in reports helps make IEPs truly a living document
Key components of IEP review
Involvement of parents and students
Discussion of team members (observations, assessments)
What’s worked / not
Revisions (goals, strategies, services, materials)
Updated goals met etc.
Updated tracking/documentation
Prioritized Next steps For next instructional period
Updated review date
CB-IEP Sample
i-IEP Sample
Tips: Measurable Objectives
Tips: Strategies
References
BC Ministry of Education. (2009, November). Individual Education Planning for Students with Special Needs: A Resource Guide for Teachers.
Moore, S. (n.d.). Video Strategy: IEP Evidence Log. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WefIXU-EgIM
Nastiti, Anugrah & Azizah, Nur. (2019). A Review on Individualized Educational Program in Some Countries. 10.2991/icsie-18.2019.8.
Shelley Moore. (2021). Inclusive & Competency Based IEPs Session 5: Competency Based IEP Goals.