I am excited to introduce this week’s guest blogger, Stephanie from Mrs. D’s Corner and The Intentional IEP. She is here to chat all about how to work collaboratively as an IEP team.
Stephanie understands that not everyone will love IEPs as much as she does. It is her hope that with the appropriate training and resources, teachers will not only advocate harder for student services and supports, but also bridge the gap between teachers and families to foster a true IEP Team. She also provides professional development for teachers.
Today you will learn ways to work IEPs more collaboratively as a team with actionable tips. Bonus, you can implement immediately in your classroom or with your caseload. Let’s work collaboratively!
When parents are an active, engaged member of the IEP team, only good things can happen. The positive rapport that’s built begins and ends with a truly collaborative IEP process. This doesn’t start and stop with the IEP meeting, rather it is more like a circle of continuous involvement. You should work collaboratively with parents.
Before the IEP meeting, you’ll want to send the parent an input form. This information can then be used in the Present Levels section of the IEP. You’ll be able to work collaboratively with families in taking this action step.
During the meeting, listen to the parent when they voice concerns and ask questions. Don’t use the crazy special education lingo and acronyms. Ask if clarification is needed as you go over different parts of the IEP.
After the IEP meeting, open communication in a way that works best for all team members. This is vital in keeping the parent involved in the process. Share raw data with the parent throughout the year. Ask them clarifying questions about the child’s life at home. Share wins frequently (even the smallest increase in a skill’s mastery level counts, too!). Don’t be afraid to share the struggles and worries too. You can work collaboratively.
Students can participate in their IEP process at any age, even before transition age – which varies state to state, but needs to happen on or before age 16 per IDEA. Yes, even younger students have the ability to participate in their IEP process, it just might look a little different. It is never too early to teach students about themselves. You can teach about their IEPs, and how to self advocate for their wants and needs.
For younger students in PreK and Kindergarten, students can draw a picture about something they love in their classroom or doing at school. Students can share their favorites, likes and dislikes, tell you who their friends are, and so much more! How they tell you these things, again, may look different student to student, but the end result is the same – student involvement.
Elementary aged students can do all of the above as well, maybe write a letter to the IEP team or their parent, tell you what to put in a slideshow about themself, answer questions on a questionnaire, and that’s just the start. Yes, even elementary students can work collaboratively on the IEP.
Upper elementary and middle school students can create a slideshow, fill out a questionnaire, and even attend the meeting (either just a part of it or all of it). High school students can do all of the above and even be coached and taught how to run their own IEP meeting.
Here are two blogs on how to include students in their IEP process – Read #1 and #2
Just like the collaboration efforts with a child’s parent, collaboration with your general education teacher counterpart does not start and end with the IEP meeting. Work collaboratively with Gen Ed teachers. They need to be actively involved in the IEP process, as they truly are the grade level content experts and you cannot accommodate, modify, or adapt any of the general education curriculum without them and their knowledge.
Before the IEP meeting, meet with the general education teacher to see what recommendations they have for IEP goals and for supports and services the child may need in that specific classroom setting. You’ll also want to ask the gen ed teacher what supports she may need to help the student succeed. Don’t forget you can write teacher training into the IEP!
During the IEP meeting, ask the general ed teacher to bring work samples and data, along with any relevant curriculum information. Encourage the general education teacher to ask questions, share feedback and advice, and be a part of the process.
After the IEP meeting, follow up with your general ed peer to see what they may need and to make sure they understand how to implement the IEP. It may be helpful to devise a plan for how and when modifications will be done by you, the special education teacher, so you have enough time to modify lessons and tests, but also support the general ed teacher.
It can be hard to work collaboratively with the team, but I hope these actionable steps help you! Want more ways to work collaboratively with other professionals?
If you have paraprofessionals in your classroom or paras who work specifically with one or two students in your classroom, their input is so valuable and needed in the IEP process. You are not able to be with your students all day, especially when they travel to different classrooms and to common areas of the school (like recess, lunch, specials, etc.). They see things you may not see, and from a different perspective!
Asking your support staff to provide input for a child’s IEP is as easy as asking them to fill out an input form prior to the IEP meeting. You can find a Paraprofessional Input Form / Questionnaire here. Work collaboratively with your paraprofessionals.
Collaboration does not need to be a big, elaborate plan. It can – and should – happen in small actions throughout the school year that make all IEP team members feel like part of the team. Because when the team works together, ultimately it’s the student who benefits from our efforts.
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