An IEP With Too Many Accommodations?

Right now, you need to be giving her all of the accommodations that are listed on the IEP. Even if she is successful with these accommodations, she will not necessarily be successful without them. Are you her case manager? If so, and you believe that the IEP is not appropriate for this student, you need to call an IEP meeting and discuss the appropriateness of the IEP. At this point, her IEP team can make changes to the IEP if necessary. It is illegal to not provide all the accommodations as written in the IEP. If you are not the case manager or her regular education teacher, you need to talk to her special education teacher/case manager about your observations and let them know your concerns.

I am a 6th grade Special Education teacher who has seen that happen before. What may have happened is at the end of the year last year this student reached all the goals in math. The student may have gotten extra help over the summer, etc. You do not know for sure.

With that said you still have to follow the IEP. You will be in a lot of trouble legally if you do not follow it. Talk to the Sped teacher and say that an IEP amendment should be explored or if it is time for the student's 3-year eval, it should be done sooner.

The issue with reading to the student. Several of my students can read but have visual process challenges. This is put into place because sometimes the comprehension is not always strong or because fluency may not be up to grade level. Many of these students do better when they can read the material as they hear it at the same time. It is usually not an issue if they can read or not. Yet again though, talk to the Sped teacher. The student may not need this accomodation anymore. An IEP amendment can change this. Until that point, protect yourself and the school and follow the IEP.

We all know that some IEPs are written better than others! I hate to say it, but it's true. This year alone I've seen IEPs for 2 kids that were virtually the same, down to the letters of the alphabet they did and didn't recognize! You didn't say if the child's evaluation data was forwarded. As a school psych, I know that there are many IEPs that don't use data as a base for any of the goals. This is a shame, and I'm glad you are assessing the child to find out what her strengths and weaknesses are for yourself. Once you have more information, you can request an IEP and perhaps a formal evaluation to update the records and see what services the child would benefit from in your area. In my state, we accept IEPs on a 30 day conditional, which allows us to determine if we need a new eval or need to call an IEP meeting to modify the plan.

Since an IEP is a legal document, you need to follow it. If you do not follow the IEP you are out of compliance. If you really feel the accommodations are not necessary, call an IEP meeting and discuss it. Before you do this, it might be a good idea to communicate with this child's parents and find out how they feel.

If you have hard data that shows she is progressing without the accommodation, then you may have information that would suggest these are not needed. I would also read her history and see what kinds of disabilities she is dealing with. Sometimes what appears clear cut is not clear at all.

The first place to start would be with her parents who know her better than anyone else. Remember too, that 6th grade is pre-adolesence with all the numerous changes that come with a pre-teen. It can be a tough transition for some children.

As others have written, follow the IEP as is, if your district has adopted it. However, speak with the case manager because in the latest re-authorization there is an ability to change the IEP without a formal meeting. At the same time, any changes must be documented as agreed upon with the parents. Your district should have the forms for that.

So, for example, if the student is doing grade level math and doesn't need assistance you and the parent might agree to monitor the math for a quarter to see whether the student is able to keep up without the accommodations. And that change could be written on the forms.

Whenever we get a new student with an IEP, we review the IEP and determine if we want to accept it or create a new one. This is primarily because we are a small district and don't have many program options available. We had an IEP for a student where they were in a self-contained room in their former high school. We do not have that capability and had to rewrite the IEP to reflect the resource services we do have. I would imagine you could do the same thing if the accommodations are no longer appropriate.

Follow what is in the existing paperwork until a meeting can be held and a new IEP created.

Legally you have to follow the IEP. If you do not follow the IEP, then you risk having a complaint or Due Process because you failed to follow the students IEP. If you want changes to the IEP you should be holding an IEP meeting within 30 days from her starting in your district. At that time, you can suggest changes to the IEP. If there is not an IEP scheduled, contact the case manager and ask to schedule a meeting with the parent over the IEP and accommodations.

There are times children do well at first because it is the honeymoon stage where things are great. But as the expectations and workload increase you may see a decline in the students’ ability.

The other thing is that the student may read fine but not comprehension what she is reading. The ability to read words does not always translate into the ability to understand what is read.

If your IEP was approved and signed and said you had to be allowed only green M&M's, your disctrict would be obligated to follow it. Sounds like a grudge match that your principal is pursuing on his own. Furthermore, your principal has no place calling you to say these things. You (or your parent/guardian) should, just for starters, contact the superintendant of your district IN WRITING and tell them everything you have said here. Ask for another IEP to "clarify" things. I understand that this situation may be creating high emotions on all sides - DON'T play into that. There is a subtle, and often effective, war going on between school districts and Special Ed lawyers/advocates that encourages over-the-top provisions and legal battles based pretty much on indignation alone. It is giving "those-who-are-in-the-position-to-do-som... reason to pause and wonder whether "Special Education laws need to be changed! Things are getting out of hand and the non-Special Ed students are suffering because of all the money going into litigation!" Schedule another IEP. Bring an advocate. Pick and choose your battles.Treat each other respectfully, be reasonable, and show valid evidence of each of your needs. Be realistic about what is a need and what is a want. If you explain yourself calmly and coherently, the only person who will look bad is the principal (but remember, the objective is not making anyone look bad - it is meeting your educational needs).

To me it sounds as if the child needs to be re-tested in the areas you feel or the team feels is not quite fitting to the individual child. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is there as a basic tool for guidance with any child and can be or should be reviewed when any changes take place. It you are living in an area where each child needs to go through the Committee on Special Education, it is quite simple to just voice your concerns to a member on the CSE or another member of that child's team. You see this child on a daily basis and because of that you really have a good grasp on what that child can and can not do. IF I were you, I would definitely talk to a person from that child team. Why hold a child back when there is no need to do so?

Note the areas mastered on the progress report that goes home with report cards. Call an IEP meeting to revise the Present Level of Educational Performance, the goals, objectives, and accomodations.

Talk to the parents about what you want to do, and send home a draft IEP about a week before the meeting.