NICHCY Technical Assistance Guide Volume 2, December 1995 HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR IEPS ________________________________________________________ A publication of.... NICHCY National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities P.O. Box 1492 Washington, DC 20013 1-800-695-0285 (Voice/TT) (202) 884-8200 (Voice/TT) E-mail: nichcy@aed.org URL: http://www.nichcy.org This information is copyright free. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY). ______________________________________________ Note: This publication is accompanied by an audiocassette program designed especially for teachers and parents. The program features the experiences, suggestions, and observations of teachers and parents who have helped students with disabilities become involved in the IEP process. While listening to the audio program is not essential to helping students become part of their IEP team, it's a fun program, both informational and motivational. To obtain a copy of the tape, contact NICHCY at the address and telephone number listed above. A script of the audio program is available at this Internet gopher site as well, under the menu option "Script of the Technical Assistance Guide: Helping Students Develop Their IEPs tape." ______________________________________________ Table of Contents Laying the Foundation Introductory Work with Students Introducing the IEP Writing the IEP Getting Ready for the IEP Meeting During the IEP Meeting After the Meeting Appendix A: Overview of the Laws Appendix B: Possible Answers to the Student "Disability" Pre-test Appendix C": Example Presentation on the Laws Glossary Resources -------------------------------------------- This guide is written for parents and teachers who would like to help students with disabilities become involved in developing their own Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It is accompanied by an audiotape of teachers and parents discussing how they have helped students become active participants in the IEP process. NICHCY hopes that, together, the guide and the tape will answer many of your questions about involving students in planning their own education. While the concept of involving students in developing their own IEPs may seem difficult at first, in fact, students have much to gain from being involved. During the process, they can: -- learn more about their strengths and skills and be able to tell others; -- learn more about their disability, including how to talk about and explain the nature of their disability to others; -- learn what accommodations are and what types of accommodations might help them succeed in the classroom; -- learn how to speak for themselves; -- develop some of the skills necessary for self-determination and independent decision-making; -- learn about the goals and objectives that form the basis for their education and why these goals and objectives are important for them; and, ultimately, -- become more involved in their own education. ----------------------- This guide and its tape are designed to be used in conjunction with NICHCY's A Student's Guide to the IEP, a package that also consists of a student booklet and an audiotape. The Student's Guide package is designed expressly to inform students about the IEP process and motivate them to become involved. The Student's Guide is available from NICHCY. ------------------------- This guide is organized into lesson plans to help teachers use the student materials in their classrooms. However, parents can easily adapt the lesson plans to use at home with their child with a disability. These lesson plans are based upon the experiences of Marcy McGahee, a special education resource teacher who has worked with her students with disabilities for many years to involve them in the IEP process. The plans are written in general terms, to facilitate their adaptation to other classrooms and other instructors, including parents. No indication is given as to how much time to devote to any one part of the lessons -- each reader must adapt the lessons to suit his or her own needs, schedule, and students. The lessons plans are written with the assumption that readers have a copy of the Student's Guide audiotape and booklet to use with their students. Some tips from the "experience files" of Marcy McGahee: -- Start working with students in the beginning of the year, when everyone wants to do their best. -- Tailor working with the IEP to the needs and abilities of each student. Not every student will be able to write his or her own entire IEP, but all should -- and can -- participate in some fashion. With some students, you may want to concentrate on only some of the IEP sections or on inviting and facilitating their participation in the process (e.g., describing strengths and interests, describing the disability, listing the accommodations that are needed, talking about future plans). -- Realize that this undertaking requires a commitment of time. Your students will certainly benefit, and they are sure to surprise their teachers, parents, and even themselves. However, be aware -- talking to students about IEPs and devoting time to preparing for the IEP meeting will take time. - Start slowly, devoting time each week to talking with students about themselves and their IEPs. Talk weekly with students about their strengths, needs, learning differences, academic goals, and plans for the future. Work with them via worksheets, class discussion, individualized work, and role-playing. By slowly building a foundation and progressively building upon it, this work will not seem too overwhelming or indepth for students. -- Always tailor discussions and work to the needs and capabilities of your students. But don't underestimate them! As you well know, they can surprise you with their ideas, their understanding, and their desire and ability to participate and speak up for themselves. -- Celebrate each student's strengths and growth! ------------------------ When to Involve Students According to the law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students must be invited to participate in their own IEP meeting beginning no later than age 16, and younger, when appropriate. Parents and teachers can involve students at younger ages, of course, and it makes good sense to do so. Students have a lot to say about themselves, their strengths, their needs, their interests and preferences, and what they would like to do in the future. Just ask them! This booklet is about giving students the tools to answer effectively. -------------------------------- Laying the Foundation 1. Make sure that you have a copy of the Student's Guide audiotape for your students to listen to (for your convenience, the Student's Guide tape is on the reverse side of the tape for teachers and parents), as well as a copy of the Student's Guide booklet for each student. (Feel free to copy the booklet and tape; they both are copyright free.) 2. Photocopy each student's current IEP. 3. Read through each IEP and identify sensitive issues or areas where student questions are likely to arise. Pay special attention to "present levels of functioning," diagnosis, medications taken, accommodations required, or any information that students may not be aware of or that may be sensitive. Many students are not aware of the goals that have been established for them. Be prepared to address these and any sensitive issue in a positive, discreet manner. 4. Inform parents that students will be involved in the IEP process. You can convey this information by listing it on the syllabus you hand out on back-to-school night, by sending a letter home, or by phone. Invite parents to ask any questions they have about their child's involvement in the IEP process. Suggest to your students that they also discuss the IEP process at home. Many parents may already have a copy of their child's current IEP. If not, sending a copy home to the student's parents may be useful. 5. Prepare any worksheets, handouts, or other materials you intend to use during your presentations about the IEP. Inform yourself (and the student's family) about the laws supporting the rights of individuals with disabilities. (See Appendix A for information about several important federal laws. Also see the Resources section of this guide.) Introductory Work with Students The lessons below carry with them no indication of how much time they will take, individually or collectively. Each numbered item tends to be a separate activity, to allow teachers and parents to break up the discussions across days and weeks. It's important to be consistent -- and persistent. Begin the lessons early in the year. Once you begin, try to devote some time every day, every few days, or every week to these types of discussions and activities. Overall, the process will take time -- but it is tremendously worthwhile to take that time, moving slowly, taking one piece of the puzzle at a time, giving students plenty of opportunities to discuss, reflect, practice, review, and practice some more. All items should be considered as suggestions. Each reader must adapt the lessons to suit his or her own needs and schedule and the capabilities and needs of students in the class. 1. Open the discussion. Introduce the topic of learning to students. Spend some time talking with students about learning -- how they learn, what's easy for them to learn, what helps them learn, what's hard for them to learn, what they (or others) can do to help them learn what's difficult. Write their comments and observations down (without identifying specific students' learning techniques or difficulties) on a poster, overhead, or chalkboard. Look for similarities in learning approaches. Point out differences. 2. Find out what your students already know. Administer a questionnaire similar to the one labeled "Student Worksheet: Disabilities" (see below, between the lines), which is designed to (a) give you an idea of what students already know; and (b) lay the foundation for a discussion about disability and have students focus for a moment upon their disability. (Possible answers to this questionnaire are presented in Appendix B.) Make sure students realize this isn't a test, just a way of gathering information and starting a discussion. Possible adaptations: -- Some students may be able to work on the questions independently. Others may need to go over the questions as an individualized activity or merely listen to the class discussion that follows. -- If your students have serious difficulties with reading or writing, you may wish to simply ask students these questions and write their answers and comments down on the board or an overhead. Be prepared, however, for some silence and blank looks. Unless students have previously been involved in developing their IEPs, in all likelihood they will have difficulty answering these questions or not be able to answer them at all. If this happens, reiterate that this is not a test but a way of letting you know that you and the class will be starting your discussions with the "basics" about the IEP. ----------------------------- Student Worksheet: Disabilities Name: ________________________________ Date: __________________________________ Directions: Answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge. 1. How do you learn best? What type of lesson really helps you learn? (For example, you like to read new information or hear it first, or you prefer to work in small groups or alone...) 2. What is a disability? 3. Do you have a disability? 4. There is a law that allows you to receive special services from the school. What's the name of the law? 5. What is accommodation? 6. Do you have any accommodations in your classes? 7. What's an IEP? 8. Do you have an IEP? ----------------------------- 3. Give students a positive look at what's ahead. After the questionnaire, it may be a good idea to tell students why the class has been talking about learning and why you asked them questions about something called an IEP. Some suggestions: -- Be brief and positive. The idea is to give students an overall context and unifying thread for the discussions and work you'll be doing in the months ahead. -- Tell students that, throughout the year, the class will be working on special lessons that will help them take part in planning their education. -- Tell them they have the right to be involved in planning that education, and that you (their teacher), their parents, and other school personnel want to know what they think -- what they want to learn, what they feel they need to learn, what type of help really helps, what they want to do in the future. -- Tell them you're looking forward to hearing their ideas, because it's their education and their input is valuable and valued. 4. Talk about disabilities. Refer the class back to the item about disability on the questionnaire. Discuss, as a class, what disabilities are, the range of disabilities in the class and in the world in general, and some of the differences between disabilities. Ask students what's hard for them because of their disability, and what types of special help they find useful. Be sure to contrast this with references to their strengths and what they find easy. For example, "So you have trouble writing, which makes taking notes hard, but you sure listen well and you remember what you hear." 5. Show a film or video about disabilities. Consider showing a film/video about disabilities to your students. Preview the film/video first and make sure that the content is appropriate for and won't be insulting to your students. For example, don't select a film/video about young children with disabilities; identify one that is age-appropriate. (The ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education has a database on available videos. You can contact the ERIC Clearinghouse at 1-800-328-0272.) 6. Tell students briefly about the laws. Present information to students about the "Laws" (see Appendix A for a summary of the laws you may wish to mention) and their rights under these laws. If you require students to make presentations in your class, this presentation on the laws is a good opportunity to model for them what you want in a presentation. For example, Ms. McGahee requires that student presentations have four components, and so her presentation on the laws incorporates the four components, which are: (a) a keyword poster, where the student who is presenting writes down the keywords (not sentences) associated with the presentation; this helps students remember the information they are presenting and helps their listeners to take notes; (b) a visual to support the presentation; note-taking -- listeners must take notes on the presentation, usually tied to the keyword poster; and (d) review after the presentation is finished. (An example of these components, used in Ms. McGahee's presentation on the laws, is presented in Appendix C.) 7. Discuss accommodations. Specifically discuss the concept of "accommodations" with the class. Refer students to the list of accommodations in their booklets. Ask them what types of accommodations or special help are useful to them. You may be amazed at how simple -- and astute -- their answers are! 8. Discuss transition. If you are working with students who are 16 years old -- or, in many cases, younger -- you will want to introduce the importance of transition planning. Within a few years students will be leaving secondary school, and it will be highly useful for them to consider what lies ahead for them. Transition planning includes discussing and planning for such areas as the student's: employment, postsecondary education (including vocational training or adult education), independent living, eligibility for various adult services (such as vocational rehabilitation), and community participation. Your initial discussion with students about transition can be brief, just an introduction to the concept, with more indepth discussion taking place later, or it can extend across weeks. This is a ripe area for class discussion and student activity, as well as being vitally important to helping students make the transition from school to postschool settings, so be sure that the class (and each individual student of transition age) eventually looks at transition in some depth. (See Resources section of this guide for materials designed to help educators and parents help students with transition planning.) Some questions you might consider to get the discussion rolling: What types of things can we do after we get out of school? (study more, get some kind of training, work, participate in the community) What would you like to do after you leave high school? Do you know how to do that? What do you need to learn to get ready for doing that? What are your hobbies? Do you want to study more after high school? What types of jobs interest you? And so on... 9. Assign each student a "disability-related" question to be answered. For review purposes, or for more indepth exploration of the ideas presented to date, give each student a question about a particular disability or a word to be defined and explained. Examples: Words to be Defined learning disability auditory memory IEP disability accommodation emotional disorder visual memory traumatic brain injury mental retardation hearing impairment Questions to be Answered What is an IEP? How often does an IEP need to be done? What is (name of disability)? What is 94-142? What is the IDEA? What is reasonable accommodation? What is an amendment? What is educational testing? What is evaluation? What is due process? Have each student look up the word assigned or find out the answer to the question assigned, then report the information to the class. Provide books to assist students in their research, such as books from a professional teacher's library or school library, their own books, or your own. Have students put the information they have discovered on posterboards, and display these boards around the classroom. Possible adaptations: Of course, some students may not be able to do this activity without modification. If need be, adapt the basic idea of the lesson to the strengths and needs of your students. For example: -- If your students are not able to understand the words suggested above, change the words to be more appropriate for your students. For example, some of the words on the cover sheet of your county's IEP may be excellent words for your students to investigate: "participants", "disability", "evaluation." -- Students who do not read can gather information in other ways, such as conducting interviews, watching videos about disabilities, or collecting pictures about disabilities from newspapers and magazines. -- Use some commercially available disability awareness packages. These often explain the various types of disabilities in simple, clear ways. We've provided a "glossary of terms" at the end of this document. Many short factsheets on disabilities are available from NICHCY as well. Introducing the IEP Again, the lessons and activities described below are merely suggestions. They will be time-consuming but will form the basis for student understanding of the IEP process and involvement in designing their own IEPs. Adapt the lessons as necessary for the needs and capabilities of your students. Get yourself and your students ready to look at an IEP. 1. Prepare an overhead transparency or handout showing the type of IEP form your school or district uses. The IEP should be blank, waiting to be filled in. Also prepare an overhead or handout of a sample letter that the school might send home to parents to inform them (a) of the school's intention to evaluate the student, and/or (b) of an upcoming IEP meeting that has been scheduled. You will use these two items later on in this section. 2. Remind students that one of the class' long-term goals is to have them become more involved in their education -- namely, helping to develop their own IEPs. Hand out the Student's Guide tape and booklets. 3. Talk briefly with the class about the IEP process, from the letter sent home to parents to the IEP meeting. Indicate the seriousness of the process, that it is required by law. You can use pages 4-5 in the Student's Guide to organize this discussion or assign them as reading homework or seatwork. 4. Play the Student's Guide tape for the class and discuss the information presented there. To prompt students, you might ask them questions such as: What's an IEP? What are some benefits of students getting involved in their IEPs? Do you want to get involved in saying what's in your IEP? How do you think this would help you? What would you want to say, if you were involved in your own IEP meeting? What do you want your teachers to know about you? Your friends? Are there parts of your education or school work you'd change? Why? Do you think you'd need to talk about this more, to be able to participate? Show an IEP. 5. Using your overhead or handout of a blank IEP, go over what an IEP is, what it looks like, what the various sections are. This activity can be fairly brief, and should be for the purposes of giving students a brief introduction to an IEP form. Refer students to page 6 in their Student's Guide booklet, or write this information on a poster to support your discussion. 6. Go over the IEP sections one by one, talking generally about what type of information is to be included in that section. The most important sections to concentrate on, particularly in the beginning, are the parts of the IEP that describe the nature of the student's disability, "present levels of functioning," and "goals and objectives." Suggestions: -- As you talk, give students concrete examples of the type of information that might go in each section. You may also consider showing an IEP that is filled out for a particular student, although be careful that the IEP doesn't belong to any student in the class and that all identifying information, such as the student's name and address, are thoroughly blacked out. -- Similarly, any examples you use should not correspond to any student in your class. If students volunteer personal information or examples, that's great, but sensitivity to students' feelings and their right to privacy is of paramount importance. ----------------------------------------- The Importance of Privacy When it comes time for students to look at their own IEPs, you have to consider carefully the privacy issue and the contents of each student's IEP. There may be information in the IEP that may embarrass or surprise the student, and certainly it is his or her right to have all information in the IEP remain private. The experience of several teachers who have involved their students in the IEP process suggests that, the first time you have students look at their IEPs, students do not tend to share the information with others, and other students do not tend to "nose into" their classmates' IEPs. Each student tends to be absorbed in looking at his or her own document. As the class discusses the IEP -- in general, not in regard to any specific student in the class -- personal information may be gradually shared. Trust builds as all students become involved in the process. Yet, this activity must be handled in such a way that no student's privacy is invaded by others. Suggestions for maintaining privacy and respecting each other's feelings: -- Many teachers begin this lesson with a simple statement regarding privacy and the importance of "minding your own business," or they wait until someone violates another's privacy and quietly suggest that "we all look at our own papers." -- When you first hand your students copies of their own IEPs, keep the lesson short and general. The purpose of the lesson is to give students an opportunity to see that they do, indeed, have an IEP, and to look at what it says generally. They'll have more opportunities in the future to delve into its specific contents. ------------------------------------------------ Have students look at their own IEPs. 7. Give each student a copy of his or her own IEP. 8. Put your copy of the blank IEP from the previous lesson up on the overhead. Using the blank copy as a guide, go over the various sections briefly. Important! The most crucial aspect of this initial introduction to the IEP is not to have students understand all of the details of their own IEP; rather, the purpose of this introduction is to have students understand the overall: to see what the various sections of the IEP are, to understand that they have an IEP, to realize that, up to this point, they have not been involved in developing that IEP, but that they can be involved; and to realize how important their help is in developing their IEP. Don't get bogged down in the details at this point. All students will eventually sit with you, one-on-one, and go through their IEP in detail. This level of effort is not necessary in this initial introduction. Suggestions: -- Have students find their name, their grade, and other identifying information. Is it really their own IEP? -- Have students identify the date of the last IEP and project the date by which the next one must be developed. They can write this date on page 6 of their student booklet. Even if the next meeting is a year away, students can still work on the IEP and, if necessary, call for another IEP meeting to discuss changes. -- Point out the disability section of the blank IEP (if there is one). Have students individually find this section in their IEP. Have them silently read what it says, or you might move around the classroom and point this out to them. Do not dwell on this section; just have them identify that it exists and contains specific information about them. -- Use the same brief process to have students locate other sections of their IEP, such as "present levels of functioning," "accommodations," and "goals and objectives." Keep the discussion with the class brief, focused on the information generally, not its specifics. For example, are their goals and objectives divided into subject areas, such as reading, writing, mobility, and so on? Are any accommodations listed? -- Have students find (or you might move around the classroom and point out) the place where people have signed the IEP. Who has signed the IEP -- their parents, an administrator, their teacher? Is their own signature there? Why or why not? Would they like to have their signature on their own IEP? If so, then they need to participate in the process. -- Note: If any of your students cannot read or have difficulty reading, there are a number of ways you can accommodate their needs. They can tape record your explanation and listen to it later, as many times as they like, or you might prepare a tape in advance and make it available to them. You can also go over the IEP with them, one-on-one, at a later time. 9. Let students ask questions about the content of their IEP. Some suggestions and observations: -- For particularly sensitive questions, you may wish to answer generally, saying, "If you want to know more, we can talk later." Be aware that, in the beginning, students may wish to keep personal information private. -- Students may have a lot of questions about the goals and objectives listed in their IEPs, such as "Where do these come from?" and "Why wasn't I asked?" As appropriate, and respecting student privacy, some discussion of student goals and objectives may arise. For example, you can have students cross out goals they feel they have achieved or reflect generally upon the goals and objectives that have been established for them. Do they recognize that the work they've been doing in school is tied directly to the goals and objectives listed in their IEP? -- Always encourage students to discuss their IEP with their family. 10 After you have examined the IEP form and process with students, and they have had the opportunity to reflect generally upon the goals, objectives, and other information listed in the IEP, put the IEPs aside, either collecting them or sending them home for students to discuss with their parents. Debrief, briefly discussing how students feel about their IEP, the process by which it is developed, and the prospect of their being involved in saying what goes into the document. 11. You may wish to play the Student Tape for them again, for its motivational impact. Review the experiences of the students on the tape and solicit your students' impressions and ideas. Writing the IEP Generally speaking, having a student work on writing his or her IEP for the coming year requires a combination of: -- class discussions -- seatwork -- one-on-one meetings with you and perhaps other teachers, and -- homework done either individually or involving parents (given parental willingness and time to be involved). Work throughout the year on the various sections of the IEP, taking each one individually and slowly, following a process such as: -- Re-introduce the section to the class (e.g., "Today we're going to take a look at that scary sounding part of the IEP called present levels of functioning") and review as a class what has been said previously about the section. -- Have students discuss as a class what generally might go in that section. Write their ideas on the board or overhead. Add your own ideas and examples, as appropriate. -- Have students read individually what this section of their own IEP says. This activity, very personal to students, may take place as seatwork, homework, and one-on-one meetings with you and/or the parents. Allow or encourage sharing only to the extent of student comfort. As students build trust and a sense of community about being involved in developing their IEPs, more sharing is likely to take place spontaneously and can be very beneficial and motivating. -- Always offset discussions about what students can't do with discussion of what they can do. For example, when discussing the disability and present levels of functioning sections, also discuss student strengths and abilities. When discussing goals and objectives, identify what goals and objectives students have already achieved, as well as the ones that still need to be addressed. As time for a student's IEP meeting draws near, you may need to intensify individual efforts with that student, meeting one-on-one with him or her to work through the various sections and prepare a draft IEP to discuss at the meeting. These individual meetings, and the work the student produces as a result, will be significantly enhanced if they have been preceded by class review and discussion of the IEP throughout the year. In fact, some of the work may already have been done! You may find that these individual meetings are a terrific way of reviewing and re-emphasizing the IEP contents, student strengths and needs, and his or her preferences. Here are some suggestions for organizing this individual work. 1. Make an appointment with the student whose IEP is in need of review. You can arrange to meet with the student during class, during lunch, or after school. 2. If the student can work independently, have him or her complete activities 1-4 under "Writing Your Own IEP" in the Student's Guide booklet. If the student needs support in these steps, then sit with him or her and go over the IEP. 3. Have the student work on a "strength" and "weakness" (need) sheet for each class (Activity 5 in the Student's Guide section "Writing the IEP"). Encourage the student to cover this area as completely as possible, so that the other IEP participants do not catch them offguard during the IEP meeting. When students are the first to mention an area of weakness -- for example, a student might say that he or she is disruptive in a particular class -- their credibility in the IEP meeting is increased. Also help the student to produce a balanced list of strengths and weaknesses; don't just have an enormous list of weaknesses, with only a few strengths or abilities to offset it! 4. Focus next on helping the student to describe his or her disability. Is there a term for the disability (i.e., learning disability, mental retardation, visual impairment)? In practical terms, what does this disability mean? (For example, the disability means it's hard for the student to learn new material, or see very well, or get from place to place, or participate in certain kinds of activities...) Be sure to incorporate mention of the student's strengths into this discussion of disability. 5. Move on to goals and objectives. Did the student achieve the goals that are listed? Have the student list those goals that were achieved and those that were not. What changes need to be made in the IEP, to account for student growth and continuing or new need? To help the student avoid listing too many goals and objectives, ask which five (or ten) goals and objectives he or she feels are most important to work on? Are these realistic? Achievable? 6. The student may find it extremely helpful and productive to make an appointment with each of his or her teachers, in order to identify and discuss goals and objectives appropriate for each class, as well as student strengths, needs, and reasonable accommodations in each class (Activities 6 and 7). Talking with therapists or other school personnel may also be helpful. 7. Many students will be able to contribute information regarding their "present levels of functioning." Most should be able to describe their disability and what accommodations are needed in school. Help each student to put these descriptions into acceptable language, but be aware that, in the IEP meeting, the student will often use his or her own words. 8. As appropriate, address accommodations with the student (see Activity 9 in the Student's Guide) and transition planning (see Activity 10). Transition planning is an area that is ripe for both class discussion and individual reflection. What plans does the student have for the future? What would he or she like to do or be? What types of training or experience does he or she need in order to prepare? How can the school help? 9. Work with the student to prepare a draft of the new IEP, incorporating the changes, the areas of need, and the accommodations suggested. Be sure to pay attention to the "evaluation" section of the IEP, too. This section is where the IEP team identifies how they will determine if the student has reached a goal or objective. Officially, this is called "evaluation criteria" and should include: -- precisely what the student has to be able to do (e.g., identify 10 out of 12 words correctly; make the correct change 9 out of 10 times; complete all homework assignments); -- how this information will be gathered (e.g., teacher-made tests, observations, student portfolio). 10. Have the student take the draft IEP home to share with his or her parents and to gather their input. Parents may have prepared their own draft, so that the family, together, discusses and develops a draft IEP that reflects both parental and student thinking. In any event, a final draft IEP needs to be prepared to take to the IEP meeting (Activity 11). 11. Have the student send invitations to all the individuals who will be involved in the IEP meeting. An invitation might look something like this: ------------------------ An Invitation Please come to my IEP meeting and share your ideas. Date: Wednesday, October 23rd Time: 2:30 p.m. Place: Meeting Room 4 Signed, (Student's Name) p.s. If you cannot attend this meeting, please let me know when we can meet to talk about my IEP. Thank you. -------------------------------------- Getting Ready for the IEP Meeting 1. Have each student practice his or her presentation for the upcoming IEP meeting. Most students will benefit from numerous opportunities to rehearse! Students can practice at home with their family and with each other, if several have meetings in the near future. Here are some suggestions for student practice. -- You may want to have them roleplay, on separate occasions, describing their disability, their strengths, their needs, the accommodations that would help them achieve in class, their goals for the future, and the goals and objectives they feel are most important for them to work on. Also have them practice thanking other participants for attending the IEP meeting. (These roleplays, of course, must be tailored to individual student capability. Students who are not able to address all these IEP elements should concentrate on sharing whatever they are capable of -- what they would like to do, or a few brief sentences about their disability, preferences, or strengths.) -- You can be involved in the roleplays as well. For example, you might take the part of the student, while the student plays the part of a teacher or principal. This allows you to model certain behaviors or responses the student may find useful in the actual IEP meeting. Then you'd switch roles, and the student would play himself or herself, responding or behaving appropriately. Students may find it particularly helpful to see you model how to respond when other IEP participants want to add or delete goals or objectives. Students should understand that it is appropriate for them to either disagree or agree with the proposed change, and to say why they feel that way. However, this may be difficult for many students, particularly if they are caught by surprise. You may wish to model making a response such as: "I would like to think about that suggestion. If we need to add it to the IEP, let's do it later." Another situation for which students should be prepared is the possibility that another participant may say something negative that hurts or angers them. For example, a teacher might remark that "You have a chip on your shoulder" or "You never cooperate in class." Discuss with your students what types of responses might be appropriate. Model (and have students practice) appropriate responses such as "What suggestions do you have?" 2. Have the student work on maintaining eye contact with those listening, as well as volume and speed of delivery. It may be useful to establish some "cues" that you, or another participant, can use to remind the student if he or she is getting off track (e.g., not keeping track of the time, not maintaining eye contact, or speaking too loudly or softly). Practice these cues with the student. 3. If appropriate, have the student send out reminders to IEP participants a week before the meeting (see page 9 in the Student's Guide for an example). 4. Suggest to the other participants, before the meeting, that they not interrupt the student in the middle of his or her presentation. Discussion of issues can wait until the student has finished presenting. During the IEP Meeting 1. All the hard work that the student (and you!) have done has come to this moment! Hopefully, all preparations, discussions, roleplays, and classwork will bear fruit in this meeting, as the student shares his or her ideas about what the IEP should contain. 2. The student may wish to great all participants attending the IEP meeting, making sure that those who do not know one another are introduced. He or she should also make sure that all participants receive a copy of the draft IEP that he or she has prepared for discussion. 3. When the time is appropriate, the student will share his or her ideas with the rest of the IEP team. Depending upon his or her capabilities and degree of preparation, this sharing may range from describing his or her disability in a few sentences to actually leading the meeting. Whatever the level of participation, it's important that the student be able to share his or her ideas freely, without interruption. Hopefully, you have roleplayed in class what the student will say, and this part will go smoothly. 4. As mentioned above, there may be times when another participant says something that hurts or angers the student; describes the student in largely negative, nonconstructive terms; or proposes changes or alterations to the IEP that surprise the student. Any prior roleplaying you have done within your class may help the student respond appropriately in these situations. (Depending upon the level of the student's participation, and his or her ability to advocate, you may need to be the one who responds.) As necessary, help the student focus the discussion on positive steps that he or she can take, not on a recounting of his or her transgressions. Note: One of the reasons for having students spend time developing a "Strength" and "Weakness/Need" sheet is to circumvent the likelihood that an IEP team member will make such negative statements. If the student has already pointed out in his or her presentation that one of his or her "weaknesses" is not doing the homework, or not participating fully in class, then this reduces the need for others to do so. 5. At the end of the meeting, the student should thank everyone for their active part in planning his or her school program. After the Meeting 1. Praise the student. Regardless of mistakes, he or she has accomplished much today and needs to be told so. 2. Have the student tell the class what happened in the IEP meeting. 3. Monitor the goals and objectives throughout the year and encourage the student to be aware of and monitor progress as well. Are the goals being addressed? Is the student working toward achieving them? How is he or she progressing? Does the team need to come together again and change anything about the IEP? Goals? Classroom placement? Services being received? Have the student call another IEP meeting, if necessary. And be sure to prepare for that one, too! 4. And, as was said in the beginning of this guide, celebrate each student's growth! And celebrate your part in that growth! --------------------------------------------- Appendix A Overview of the Laws P.L. 94-142 -- Education of All Handicapped Children Act Also known as the Education of the Handicapped Act, or EHA. Passed in 1975. Has since been amended several times, including the 1990 amendment which changed its name to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Provides federal funding to assist schools in educating students with disabilities. The EHA (now IDEA) has many requirements. Among them: -- Schools must provide students with disabilities with a "free appropriate public education" and/or related services, as needed to meet their unique learning needs; -- Each student with a disability who receives special education must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP); -- The IEP is created just for that student and details the educational goals and objectives the student will address throughout the year; -- A student's IEP is developed in a collaboration between school personnel, the student's parents, and (when appropriate) the student; and -- A group of school personnel and parents (voluntary) must meet at least once a year to review and revise the IEP. P.L. 101-476 -- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act An amendment to the EHA (described above), passed in 1990. The requirements listed above remain intact under IDEA, and the following items have been added: -- Students of transition age (sixteen years or older and, in many cases, younger) must be invited to participate in the meeting where the IEP is developed; -- For students 16 years or older (and in many cases, younger), part of the IEP must be devoted to the transition services the student will receive to help him or her plan and prepare for life after high school. -- Transition planning includes discussing and planning for such areas as the student's: employment, postsecondary education (including vocational training or adult education), independent living, eligibility for various adult services (such as vocational rehabilitation), and community participation. P.L. 93-112 -- Rehabilitation Act of 1973 A civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities. Section 504 of the Act prohibits schools from excluding students with disabilities from participating in programs receiving federal funding, simply because they have a disability. Amended in 1992 by P.L. 102-569. Important facts about Section 504: -- Section 504 defines a person with a disability as "any person who (i) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment." -- Major life activities are defined include self-care, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and walking. -- Schools, as recipients of federal funding, are, thus, prohibited from discriminating against students who meet the definition of a person with a disability. Accommodations must be made to assist students with disabilities to participate in school activities, including classes. Appendix B Possible Answers to the Student "Disability" Pre-test* 1. A disability is... a limitation an area where you're challenged something that makes it hard for you to (learn, walk, talk, see, hear...) 2. (individual response, based on student's situation and knowledge) 3. the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (formerly the Education of the Handicapped Act, EHA, or 94-142) 4. Accommodation is... when people make changes that will help you participate in activities changes in the way things are done, so you can learn better 5. (individual response, based on student's situation and knowledge) 6. An IEP is... a document that describes your educational plan an Individualized Education Program (or Plan) the papers that tell what you'll be studying this year 7. (individual response, probably "Yes") 8. (individual response, based on student) *These are possible, somewhat simplified answers that students might give or that you might offer. Please refer to the glossary for the more formal definitions of words such as disability, accommodation, and IEP. Appendix C Example Presentation on the Laws Using the presentation on the laws as an example, the four components of Ms. McGahee's presentation look something like this: KEYWORD POSTER __________________________________________________ 94-142 Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) signed in 1975 free appropriate public education (FAPE) IEP once a year legal document 101-476 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) amendment (change) transition plan Rehab Act Section 504 accommodations examples: books-on-tape more time on tests notetaker _________________________________________________ The presentation follows the order of information on the keyword poster. If students are having difficulty understanding the material, they are permitted to stop her and request that information be repeated or said in a different way. She weaves stories of personal experience into the presentation -- the types of disabilities that previous students have had and what types of accommodations they received to support their learning. VISUAL: Ms. McGahee uses a copy of the Congressional Report on the different laws -- the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the EHA, and the IDEA. This visual shows students concretely that these laws exist and are quite official. (See note below about obtaining a copy of the Congressional Report.) NOTE-TAKING: Students take notes on her presentation, using the keyword poster as a starting point for their notes. (Some students may need accommodations or adaptations in notetaking, such as using another student's notes, using a tape recorder, adding words to a survival or reading word list, or using a computer.) The class goes over the notes they have taken, as part of a feedback loop about the note-taking process. REVIEW: After the presentation on the laws is finished (it takes about 25-30 minutes), students are permitted to ask questions. The keyword poster is removed, and then Ms. McGahee asks the students questions about the laws; students use their notes and their memory to answer. Students are also permitted to share their notes, if this type of accommodation is appropriate for their learning needs. Getting Copies of Laws or of the Congressional Report _________________________________________________ Copies of federal laws are available from Superintendent of Documents, Attention: New Orders, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Charge orders may be telephoned to the U.S. Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1800. You need to be very specific about which laws you would like. For a copy of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ask for 34 CFR Parts 300-399. (This laws replaces the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA), so you need not request a copy of the EHA.) For a copy of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended), ask for: 34 CFR Parts 100 to 106. Copies of federal laws, as well as of the Congressional Report, may also be available from your Congressman. (The Congressional Report describes and summarizes laws in more everyday terms.) Write or call your Congressman and say you want the Congressional Report on a particular law (e.g., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) or a copy of the law itself. _________________________________________________ Glossary The following definitions have been compiled from a variety of sources. The contents of this glossary do not necessarily represent definitions endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education but, rather, represent how the terms are generally used in the special education and disabilities field. Accommodation -- something that meets a need; in special education, "reasonable accommodation" refers to how schools and teachers adapt, adjust, or change the physical environment, instruction or services for a student with a disability so that the presence of the student's disability does not unnecessarily affect his or her learning. The accommodations that are made are based upon the student's special needs. Examples of reasonable accommodation include allowing the student to take a test in a quiet area, use a tape recorder in class to take notes, use another student's notes, or use textbooks on tape. Amendment -- a change, revision, or addition made to a law. Appropriate -- able to meet a need; suitable or fitting; in special education, children with disabilities are entitled to a "free appropriate public education," which means that the schools provide the education (public) at no cost to the student or his/her family (free) and that the education meets the student's special needs (appropriate). Auditory Memory -- the ability to remember the main features of something heard, and/or to remember the sequence of several items heard. Cognitive -- a term that describes the process people use for remembering, reasoning, understanding, and using judgment; in special education terms, a cognitive disability refers to difficulty in learning. Disability -- the result of any physical or mental condition that affects or prevents one's ability to develop, achieve, and/or function in an educational setting at a normal rate. Due Process -- action that protects a person's rights; in special education, this applies to a set of legal steps taken to protect the educational rights of students with disabilities and carried out according to established rules Dyslexia -- a disturbance in a person's ability to read or learn to read Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) -- Public Law 94-142, passed in 1975, which mandated that schools provide children with disabilities with a free appropriate public education; among other things, this law specifies how students are to be assessed for the presence of a disability, how the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is to be developed collaboratively and reviewed at least once a year, and what educational rights children with disabilities and their parents have. Educational Testing -- the tests that schools give students to see how students are performing in various skill areas; the tests may be group-administered or individually-administered. Schools typically use group-administered tests to find out how large numbers of students are performing and to identify which students are having difficulties in school. Students who are performing below the level expected for an individual that age may be referred for further testing, to see if the student has a disability. If the student is being tested for the presence of a disability, then testing must be individualized. EHA -- see Education of the Handicapped Act, above. Emotional Disorder -- a condition that, under Federal definition, has one or more of these characteristics: (a) an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (b) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers or teachers; behavior or feelings that are inappropriate under normal circumstances; (d) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or (e) a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. Having an emotional disorder that adversely affects a student's educational performance makes a student eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Evaluation -- the procedures used to determine whether a child has a disability and the nature and extent of the special education and related services the child needs; also refers to the procedures used to determine a student's progress and whether he or she has achieved the IEP goals and objectives. Free Appropriate Public Education -- often referred to as FAPE; one of the key requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which requires that an education program be provided for all school-aged children, regardless of disability, without cost to families; the exact requirements of "appropriate" are not defined; what is appropriate is to be determined by the team that plans each student's IEP, based upon an individualized evaluation of the student's abilities and needs Handicap -- see disability Hearing Impairment -- used to describe a wide range of hearing losses, which can be permanent or fluctuating; to be eligible for special education, the student must have a hearing loss that affects his or her educational performance IDEA -- see Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, below. IEP -- see Individualized Education Program, below. Individualized Education Program (IEP) -- a written education plan for a child or youth with disabilities, developed by a team of professionals (teachers, therapists, etc.), the student's parents, and the student (as appropriate); the IEP is reviewed and updated yearly and describes how the student is presently doing, what the student's learning needs are, and what services the student will need. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) -- an amendment to the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) passed in 1990 and amended again in 1991; changed the name of the legislation from EHA to IDEA, maintained the requirements of the EHA, and added the requirement of transition services for students aged 16 or older and, in many cases, younger. Learning Disability -- a disorder in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language; as a result of a learning disability, students may have difficulty listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or doing mathematical calculations. Students with learning disabilities are eligible for special education and related services. Least Restrictive Environment -- an educational setting or program that provides a student with disabilities with the chance to work and learn to the best of his or her ability; it also provides the student as much contact as possible with students without disabilities, while meeting all of the child's learning needs and physical requirements. Mental Retardation -- A condition that causes individuals to function at an intellectual level that is generally significantly below average and to have difficulties with and deficits in social adjustment and adaptive behavior. Students with mental retardation are eligible for special education and related services. Multidisciplinary -- a team approach involving specialists from more than one discipline, such as a team made up of a physical therapist, a speech and language pathologist, an occupational therapist, a special education teacher, other specialists, and a student's parents. Placement -- the classroom, program, service, and/or therapy that is selected for a student with special needs Public Law 93-112 -- see Rehabilitation Act of 1973, below. Public Law 94-142 -- see Education of the Handicapped Act, above. Public Law 101-476 -- see Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, above. Public Law 102-569 -- the most recent amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, passed in 1992. Reasonable Accommodation -- see Accommodation, above. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 -- a federal law which addresses discrimination against people with disabilities; the law has different sections pertaining to different areas of discrimination. Of particular importance to school-aged students with disabilities is Section 504, which protects such students from being excluded, solely on the basis of their disability, from participation in any program or activity receiving federal funds. The law also introduced the concept of "reasonable accommodation." Related Services -- transportation and developmental, corrective, and other support services that a student with disabilities requires in order to benefit from education; examples of related services include: speech/language pathology, audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, counseling services, interpreters for those with hearing impairments, medical services for diagnostic and evaluation purposes, and assistive technology devices and services. Screening -- a procedure in which groups of children are examined and/or tested, in order to identify children who are at risk of educational or other problems; the children who are identified are then referred for more intensive evaluation and assessment. Section 504 -- an important section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities; see Rehabilitation Act of 1973, above. Special Education -- programs, services, or specially designed instruction (offered at no cost to families) for children over 3 years old with special needs who are found eligible for such services; these include special learning methods or materials in the regular classroom, and special classes and programs if the student's learning or physical problems indicate this type of program. Special Needs -- often used in the phrase "a child with special needs," this term is used to describe a child who has disabilities or who is at risk of developing disabilities and who, therefore, requires special services or treatment in order to progress. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) -- an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment that affects how a student progresses in school. This type of injury can result in impairments in one or more of the following areas: cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory or motor abilities, behavior, information processing, physical functions, and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or those induced by birth trauma. Children with TBI are eligible for special education and related services. Visual Memory -- ability to recall main features of something seen and/or to remember the sequence of several items seen. Resources A selection of resources is listed below to help readers locate more indepth information on the many issues raised in this technical assistance guide to Helping Students Develop Their IEPs. We have also provided the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the publishers from which you can obtain these resources. This contact information is, of course, subject to change without notice. If you have difficulty locating a publisher, please contact NICHCY. Be aware that there are also many other books, articles, and videotapes available on such subjects as the laws, student involvement in the IEP process, self-determination, and transition planning; the list below is intended to serve as a starting point. Many states have projects in self-determination, transition planning, or student involvement in the IEP. To find out if any such project exists in your state, contact your local director of special education, your state director of special education, or the National Transition Alliance for Youths with Disabilities, at the Transition Research Institute in Illinois, telephone: (217) 333-2325. Information About the Laws Children's Defense Fund. (1989). 94-142 and 504: Numbers that add up to educational rights for children with disabilities. Washington, DC: Author. (Available from the Children's Defense Fund, 25 E Street N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Telephone: (202) 628-8787.) Copenhaver, J. (1995). Section 504, An educator's primer: What teachers and administrators need to know about implementing accommodations for eligible individuals with disabilities. Logan, UT: Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center. (Available from Mountain Plains RRC, Attention: Shauna Crane, 1780 N. Research Parkway, Suite 112, Logan, UT 84321. Telephone: (801) 752-0238.) Kupper, L. (Ed.). (1993). Questions and answers about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. NICHCY News Digest, 3(2), 1-16. (Available from NICHCY, P.O. Box 1492, Washington, DC 20013. Telephone: 1-800-695-0285; (202) 884-8200.) Involving Students in IEP Development / Transition Planning Ebbs, P. (1995, February). Student participation in transition: From invitation to involvement. SARRC Reports, 1-8. (Available from the South Atlantic Regional Resource Center, 1236 North University Drive, Plantation, FL 33322. Telephone: (305) 473-6106.) Full Citizenship, Inc. (1994). It's your choice: Planning for life after high school [manual and videocassette]. Lawrence, KS: Author. (Available from Full Citizenship, Inc., 211 East 8th Street, Suite F, Lawrence, KS 66044. Telephone: (913) 749-0603.) Huff, B. (1994). Transition: A handbook for parents, students, and advocates. Irvine, CA: Irvine Unified School District. (Available from Irvine Unified School District, Attention: Marion B. Zenoff, 5050 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92714.) Marshall, L.H., Martin, J.E., Maxson, L., & Jerman, P. (1995). Choosing employment goals [teacher's manual, student materials, and videocassette]. Colorado Springs, CO: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Special Education Program. (Available from November 1995 through February 1996 from University of Colorado Springs, Special Education Program, P.O. Box 7150, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150. Telephone: 719-593-3627. From March 1996 on, contact Sopris West, P.O. Box 1809, 1140 Boston Avenue, Longmont, CO 80502-1809. Telephone: 1-800-547-6747; (303) 651-2829.) Marshall, L.H., Martin, J.E., Maxson, L., & Jerman, P. (1995). Taking action [teacher's manual, student materials, and videocassette]. Colorado Springs, CO: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Special Education Program. (See contact information for availability immediately above, under Marshall et al. reference.) Martin, J.E., Marshall, L.H., Maxson, L., & Jerman, P. (1993). Self-directed IEP [teacher's manual, student workbook, and 2 videocassettes]. Colorado Springs, CO: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Special Education Program. (See contact information for availability immediately above, under Marshall et al. reference.) Matuszak, T., Langel, P., Goldberg, M., & Goldberg, P. (1992). Begin the between: Planning for the transition from high school to adult life. Minneapolis, MN: PACER Center. [Available from PACER Center, 4826 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417-1055. Telephone: (612) 827-2966; 1-800-537-2237 (in MN).] Van Reusen, A.K., & Box, C.S. (1994, March/April). Facilitating student participation in individualized education programs through motivation strategy instruction. Exceptional Children, 60(5), 466-475. Wandry, D., & Repetto, J. (1993). Transition services in the IEP. NICHCY Transition Summary, 3(1), 1-28. (Available from NICHCY, at contact information above.) Wehmeyer, M. (1995). Whose future is it anyway? A student directed transition planning program. Arlington, TX: The Arc. (Available from The Arc, 500 East Border Street, Suite 300, Arlington, TX 76010. Telephone: 1-800-433-5255; (817) 261-6003.) Self-Determination Anderson, E., Seaton, K., & Dinas, P. (1995, September). Fostering self-determination: A guide for educators. Lawrence, KS: Full Citizenship, Inc. (See above for contact information on Full Citizenship, Inc.) Field, S., & Hoffman, A. (in press). Steps to self-determination. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. (This curriculum includes an instructor's guide, a student's manual, and an assessment instrument. It is scheduled for publication in December, 1995 and will be available from Pro-Ed, 8700 Shoal Creek Boulevard, Austin, TX 78757. Telephone: (512) 451-3246.) Van Reusen, A.K., Bos, C.S., Schumaker, J.B., & Deshler, D.D. (1994, December). The self-advocacy strategy for education and transition planning. Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises, Inc. (Available from Edge Enterprises, P.O. Box 1304, Lawrence, KS 66044. Telephone: (913) 749-1473.) ------------------------------------------ This guide is part of NICHCY's Technical Assistance Guide series. NICHCY also disseminates other materials and can respond to individual requests for information. For further information or assistance, or to receive a NICHCY Publications List, contact NICHCY, P.O. Box 1492, Washington, DC 20013. Telephone: 1-800-695-0285 (Voice/TT) and (202) 884-8200 (Voice/TT). NICHCY thanks our Project Office, Ms. Marie Roane, at the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. We would also like to express our deep appreciation to Alyne Ellis, who produced the audiotape portion of this guide package, and to Marcy McGahee-Kovac, who generously shared with us her many teaching strategies for involving students in the IEP process. Thanks go as well to the individuals who shared their insights about the IEP process and student involvement and who allowed their remarks to be taperecorded! These are: Erin Connolly, special educator; Dr. Carol Cash, assistant principal; and Suzanne Ripley, director of NICHCY, and her husband, Scott, parents of two teenagers with disabilities. NICHCY would also like to express its appreciation to each and every one of the reviewers who read this publication in its draft form and who shared with us many valuable insights and suggestions. Specifically, we thank: Dr. Robert Snee, Principal, George Mason High School, Falls Church, Virginia; Erin Connolly, special educator, Stratford School, Arlington, Virginia; Dr. Beverly Mattson, Assistant Director, Federal Resource Center for Special Education, Washington, DC; and the parent at the PACER Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sandy Holmstoen, Kris Schoeller, Vava Guthrie, and Kristin Berget. Project Director: Suzanne Ripley Producer, Audiocassette Program: Alyne Ellis Editor/Author: Lisa Kupper This information is copyright free. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY). Please share your ideas and feedback with our staff by writing to the Editor. ------------------------------------- Publication of this document is made possible through Cooperative Agreement #H030A30003 between the Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The Academy for Educational Development, founded in 1961, is an independent, nonprofit service organization committed to addressing human development needs in the United States and throughout the world. In partnership with its clients, the Academy seeks to meet today's social, economic, and environmental challenges through education and human resource development; to apply state-of-the-art education, training, research, technology, management, behavioral analysis, and social marketing techniques to solve problems; and to improve knowledge and skills throughout the world as the most effective means for stimulating growth, reducing poverty, and promoting democratic and humanitarian ideals. ---------- This document is the SCRIPT of NICHCY's audiocassette program that accompanies NICHCY's publication called TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GUIDE: HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR IEPS December 1995 Audioprogram Written and Produced by Alyne Ellis _______________________________ A product of.... NICHCY National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities P.O. Box 1492 Washington, DC 20013 1-800-695-0285 (Voice/TT) (202) 884-8200 (Voice/TT) E-mail: nichcy@aed.org URL: http://www.nichcy.org This information is copyright free. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY). __________________________________ Note: This document is the script of the audiocassette program that accompanies NICHCY's publication "Technical Assistance Guide: Helping Students Develop Their IEPs." The audio program is designed especially for teachers and parents of students with disabilities who are becoming involved in the IEP process. The program features the experiences, suggestions, and observations of teachers, parents, and administrators who have worked with these students. While listening to the audio program is not essential to teachers or parents to begin helping students with disabilities participate as an active member of their IEP team, it's a fun program, both informational and motivational. To obtain a copy of the tape itself, contact NICHCY at the address and telephone number listed above. The script of the tape is provided below. ______________________________________________ Narrator: Today we're going to school We're eavesdropping on a special education class taught by Marcia McGahee. As we enter, Marcie is standing at the front of the class as her students take their seats. Marcie (talking to a student in the class): Could you pull that down for me? Narrator: Using a projector, Marcie puts a form up on a large screen, a blank copy of an Individualized Education Program, more commonly known as an IEP. Marcie McGahee: The IEP describes your educational plan. In the IEP it also describes what your present level of functioning is, it talks about what goals and objectives you and your teachers have decided to work on for the next 12 months, and it also talks about your transition from high school into college or high school into a career. Narrator: The six students in Marcie's class are all in high school. Some look a little lost, but all are curious as Marcie asks them to look at the papers on their desks. Marcie McGahee: Today we're going to be beginning an IEP unit. You're gonna be doing a pre-test on what definitions do you know about the IEP and what is it that I need to be teaching you. What am I going to be expecting from you leading your IEP meeting this year? Each one of you will take an active role in your IEP process. Antoine will be going this Thursday, and Antoine, you stood me up one more time... Narrator: On each desk is a completed IEP, each student's own IEP from last year. Marcie moves around the room, helping her students look at their own forms. She wants each of them to know who signed it -- and if that signature is not their own... Marcie McGahee: That means that somebody else is planning your life for you.. And let's see what they've decided to say and plan for you, without your consent, or without your knowledge, or without your input. Narrator: Marcie's got the class' attention now, and she'll have their attention for the next several months. She'll work with her students, individually and as a group, as they think about, plan, and write their own IEPs for the coming year. Marcie has been working with students for years. Marcie McGahee: Four things I'd like to see students do if they're going to participate in an IEP conference. First thing is to describe their disability. What is their disability? Even if it's one sentence, that this is my disability. The second thing is to state what accommodations they would like to have because of that disability. The third thing, and they don't have to be able to go into great detail, is to state what their goals and objectives are. And it may be, for a student who cannot read very well, it's just that my goal and objective is to become a better reader, or my goal and objective is to become a better writer. And the final thing I'd like for students, the minimal for students to do, is to state what they plan to do in the future and how do they plan to get to that point. Narrator: But learning to do these things takes time. It's a long journey, sometimes filled with the road blocks of self-doubt, poor self-esteem, and the fear of the unknown. Marcie McGahee (talking to a student, who answers softly at times): Okay...did you finish all...this stuff is due today. All right, basic skills, you didn't have any, history, rules of... you got that to turn in today? Good. Science, what about that? (Student: Information and use of water, I already did that.) And your English, study vocabulary...did you write things down on cards yet? Great. Great, great, great. Spanish. Finish your worksheet? How's that going, Edmond? (Student: It's going okay. We took some quizzes, but we haven't gotten them back yet.) Narrator: Marcie's role is part teacher, part cheerleader, part advocate, as she tries to convince her students why they shouldn't keep relying on someone else to fill out the IEP forms and make crucial decisions for them. Marcie McGahee: When I'm working with students and they want to know why it's important that they participate, I tell them, Is it okay for me to decide what you're going to be doing in the future? I've never had a student to say, sure it's okay that you plan my future. They want to be in on planning their own future. And for them to do that, they need to be part of this process. Narrator: Assistant Principal, Carol Cash. Carol Cash: I think administrators expect the students to be involved at this level or should expect them to be when they read the rules that talk about development of IEPs and student participation in that process. Narrator: On this tape, you'll hear some ways to help students participate in developing their own IEPs. Much more detailed information about this process is given in the guidebook that accompanies this tape. Marcie McGahee (talking to a student): When's this test? (Student: Today.) Today? You have English. What's this say? Narrator: Marcy's students are probably no different than your own. Some have learning disabilities, some have traumatic brain injuries, some have emotional problems. All have participated in developing their own IEP. But it was a participation they had to learn and that Marcy is determined to teach. Marcie McGahee (talking to the class): All right, right now, what we're going to do is we're going to go, I'm going to give you a pretest to see what you do know about the IEP process. You may know a lot of this information, or you may not know this information. Write down what you think the answers are. You all get an A for effort, if I see that you've definitely given this your best. Narrator: Marcie begins by giving her students a pre-test to find out just how much they already know about themselves, their disabilities, and the laws that entitle them to the services they receive. This pre-test asks students questions such as, What's a disability? What is a reasonable accommodation? And what's an IEP? Marcie McGahee: (Talking to the class) Okay, I'll give you about...let's say, 8 minutes to finish this. Raise your hand when you're finished so I'll have an idea of how you're doing. (Talking to the interviewer) As it turned out, most of the students didn't know the information, so I started from scratch. Tape: My name Alex Ripley. I no see no good. I no talk so good sometime, too. Sometime... Narrator: Early in the year, Marcy shows her students films about disabilities, their disabilities, to help them understand their special needs better. Marcie McGahee: What I've found with teaching high school learning disabled students is we don't want to talk down to them, we don't want to show them a little cutsey film that would be insulting to them. Narrator: And often, Marcy says, when you choose the right material... Marcie McGahee: (Talking to the interviewer) Kids get a lot of information, that's real helpful, because sometimes they see themselves. (Talking to the class) Everybody's ready now? Okay. Jose, can I ask you to please come and sit back down? Okay, first thing I want to do is, uh, have somebody tell me what do you think a learning disability is. Jose, what do you think a learning disability is? You don't know? Antoine. Antoine: If you have, like, a weakness in a class. Marcie McGahee: Okay. Sophia, what... He got it? Anybody else have a different idea? Rhett? Rhett: A person that has a problem learning, or learning slower. Narrator: Marcy's goal is to have each student look at himself or herself with honesty...and with pride. She wants each student to understand his or her disability as much as possible and what that disability means in practical terms, all the while keeping in mind that one is not bad or inadequate because one has a disability. Some students initially find this hard to believe, because of painful memories of past teachers or past incidences in their lives. Sometimes students will spontaneously share their experiences. Marcie McGahee: So here there might be a real tender moment with kids, and so you need to be aware that this might happen. Jean Francoise: My name is Jean Francoise. I'm 16 years old. Narrator: Jean Francoise, or J.R., as he is affectionately known, is one of Marcy McGahee's star pupils. It's only been four years since an accident left him with a traumatic brain injury. He's had, and still had, a lot to overcome, but J.F.'s come a long, long way as he's learned to deal with seizures, architectural barriers, and prejudice in the classroom. Jean Francoise: The teacher at first didn't want me in his class, because he just didn't like me. He thought that I shouldn't be in school, but I didn't want to, I wanted to be in school. So he had to put up with me all year round. Narrator: Through his work in Marcy's class, J.F. can now describe his disabilities with ease and ask for what he needs to be successful in school. Jean Francoise: What I requested was an extra set of books, one for home and one for here at school; five minutes extra time between floors. I also need to use a computer for writing, I go faster, because I'm slow for writing with my hands. And stay after for assistance only on Thursday, because I go to physical therapy every other day. Extra time on tests and quizzes. I thought of some of these myself. Every teacher felt it was good, it made a big difference, because the stuff is spelled out and people understand. Narrator: Assistant Principal Carol Cash feels that there are many benefits of students being involved in the IEP process. Carol Cash: They understand their handicap, which makes it a whole lot easier for them to be advocates for themselves. They understand what they need as far as accommodations, they've participated in the process and accept their responsibilities. They understand that people are working towards certain goals, and I think that if they're more aware of what the goals and objectives are, they're more willing to work toward them, or more able to work toward them, because they know where they're headed, just like if we know what we're supposed to complete in a job, it's a whole lot easier for us to be successful. Narrator: Knowing what you need and being able to ask for it appropriately, says this assistant principal, is a big first step toward change and growth. Carol Cash: I think that when they become comfortable with what their needs are, then they can readily express those needs to somebody else without getting angry or showing any kind of outburst in class that would be a behavior issue. I think that if they understand that there are accommodations to be made and they learn appropriately how to say that and to become self-advocates in an appropriate manner, then that probably does diminish any kind of behavior problems that are associated with the frustration you have if you can't express that. Narrator: To help J.F. and her other students articulate their needs and goals, Marcy first tells her class about the laws that have been passed to ensure they get an education suitable to their needs. Marcie McGahee: Laws, you have to kind of be brief, because you don't want to turn the kids off. I have found that if you kinda just let them know that there are some basic laws, like 94-142, or IDEA.... one of the most important laws students need to understand, and that teachers need to understand, what Section 504 of the Rehab Act is. And that they are entitled to reasonable accommodations. Narrator: More specific information about these laws is given in the guide that accompanies this tape. Marcie McGahee (to her class): Another thing that we're gonna be doing is...we're gonna be talking about the laws. There are three laws I feel are very important that you know about and that you're able to discuss. What we're going to do... Narrator: Preparation in class is the key to success. Marcy helps her students become organized on a daily basis. Marcy McGahee: First thing we're going to do is get out your calendar book and let's get organized. Narrator: She wants her students to make the connection between being prepared and asking for what they need to success, every day in class. (Marcy talking in background) One of the chief areas that Marcy likes to focus on is what she, and the law, both call reasonable accommodations. Marcy makes sure that each student has an accommodation sheet which lists the most common accommodations that schools can make to help students with disabilities. Marcie McGahee: Writing and note-taking accommodations that might be helpful... such as the use of a tape recorder in the classroom, to have students' notes. Test-taking accommodations, which would be extended time on tests and quizzes, to take tests orally, would it be more helpful to take tests written in a quiet place? Additional accommodations that I have found helpful over the years depends on different students' disabilities, such as a student with a physical disability might benefit from having an extra set of books. And these are reasonable accommodations. Of course, not all students can understand even general information about the laws or articulate their needs. Some of your students may be more like Erin Connolly's.... Erin Connolly: (Talking to her class) Remember, you're not going to see the floor today, because you're eating the pizza out, remember? Have a seat. Did you finish your juice? Okay, let's go ahead. Suzy's not going to be here. What? (talking to a student, who makes sounds) Take your coat off, find a chair, that's fine. (Talking to the interviewer) In my class, I have 6 students, one of which is a Spanish deaf student and another one who is basically learning English for the first time, she's only been here for 6 months and she's also a child that is mentally retarded. And the others range... two have Down Syndrome and one is a severely mentally retarded young adult. My students can read survival words, stop, go, restaurant, menus. A few can read short, small paragraphs, like 2, 3, 4 sentences, and they can answer factual questions, like how many? Who is there? Those kind of questions. But they can't write a complete sentence, they can't abstractly think, oh down the road, what do I want to work on? For them, it's here and now, the present, they take each day as a new day. (Talking to the class) What's today? (Student grunts.) Tuesday? Narrator: Like Marcy, Erin works with her students all year, so they can participate in their own IEP meetings. Erin Connolly: All have attended their IEPs. They participate fully in the meeting. They tell me through the year what they want. I take notes on what they want, and before I write the IEP, I sit down with them, casually, formally, and say, this is what you mentioned, do you still want, this is a good idea for you, this is what I would like, what do you think we should do? Generally, it's whatever I say, but I definitely want their input. But I incorporate what they want into the IEP. Narrator: The goals that Erin wants her students to achieve are much like Marcy's...self-worth and independence, even though it is quite possible that many of Erin's students may not leave home or live on their own. Erin Connolly: But they could still help their parents. The key thing for me is the independence, and all of them, all of my students, can get jobs, and they will get jobs, but they still need to feel independent. And to me, if they're living at home but still can help Mom and Dad grocery shopping or checking the oil, as long as the parents are comfortable and as long as the students, which are now a working adult, as long as they have learned a skill that can make them independent, then my goal has been reached. But if they're living at home and can't help anybody, then they're not independent. Narrator: Both Marcy and Erin have used the structure of the IEP form and the regularly scheduled, yearly IEP meeting to help their students focus on themselves and their education. Erin Connolly: (Talking to the class) Remember how we did this the other day, the fraction stuff gate? Okay. Take a handful, take a handful, but don't eat them, not yet. Take a handful. Keep going. This is one at a time, Kate, just get in there, yeah. Dig your hand in there, and grab a whole bunch. Narrator: Again, preparation is the key. Of course, the type of preparation may vary depending upon the needs and capabilities of the students. Erin's students need the most basic of preparations, from her work with them throughout the year, to the reminders she gives them as the meetings approach. Erin Connolly: (Talking to the class) Remember how we did it the other day? Let's look at the yellow ones. Do your Ms. Monday. Do your Ts. Tuesday. Do your W. Do your W, like that. Wednesday. Do your H. Thursday. One more. Fri- fingers up, Friday. Today's Monday, like you told me. Monday. Okay? (Talking to the interviewer) And I try to prepare them, like, way ahead of time, you know, it's in 2 weeks, it's in a week, it's this week, it's tomorrow, those kind of things, cos the more they know the better, because I find that the students need to be prepared. Narrator: Marcy uses much more detailed tools to prepare her students in her class. One favorite is a skills assessment sheet, which asks the students to list their strengths and weaknesses. Marcy McGahee: (Talking to the class) What's a strength you have, Ann? Ann: I don't know. Marcy McGahee: (Talking to the interviewer) And some kids don't know, like what, are your strengths and weaknesses? Many kids can tell you everything about their weaknesses, but they can't think of any strengths that they have. Marcy McGahee: (Talking to the class) Ashonte, can you think of a strength that you have? Ashonte: Keeping things organized. Marcy McGahee: And a weakness? Ashonte: Geometry. Marcy McGahee: Kenda. What's a strength that you have? Kenda: Nothing. Marcy McGahee: Oh come on. You're in Spanish 3. Is Spanish a strength? Kenda: No, it's a weak-- Marcy McGahee: It's a weakness? Kenda: Kind of. Marcy McGahee: Well, what's a strength? Kenda: Geometry. Math. Marcy McGahee: Math is a strength. Sophia? Narrator: To help her students think about and list what they are good at, Marcy often asks them a series of questions. Marcy McGahee: First,, I ask kids, what are your hobbies? What do you do on the weekends? What do you do when you get home? Do you spend time reading, do you go to the mall, do you talk on the phone? Do you hang out with your friends, are you a skater? You know, and then just go from there. Then as the years go on, you can get more in depth, but sometimes you have to start on the very basics, because some kids are very hesitant to open up. Narrator: Being able to list what they like about themselves, and also what they think they need to improve, helps prepare students for the give and take of the IEP meeting. Marcy's strength and weakness sheet starts the process. Marcy McGahee: And this, I tell them, is probably the most powerful piece of information they're gonna be using when they're participating in their IEPs, because this gives you the first opportunity to share with your teachers and with your mom what those weaknesses might be and what those strengths are, before the teacher has the opportunity to share them. So...if you know that you are not doing the homework in Ms. Smith's class, you have the power first to say, well, in Ms. Smith's class, my strengths is I like the class, I like Ms. Smith, but my weakness is I don't always do the homework. And see, you've empowered, and when it comes back at the end of that conference, and Ms. Smith has the opportunity to talk about what it is she's dissatisfied with, all she can say is, you know John, I really hope you work on that strength and weakness sheet you talked about and I hope you get that homework done. Cos you've already addressed it, so it's not really a negative, it becomes then a positive. Narrator: Marcy believes that, while students need to speak openly about their weaknesses, it is important that teachers and other people in the IEP meeting take care to make their comments constructive and not just critical. Marcy McGahee: Teachers are very supportive. What teachers are not used to is that an IEP in the past has kind of been a session where the student hears a lot of negative stuff about him. I try to explain to teachers that if they have something to say, please save it for the end, but please let the student do his presentation on his IEP. And if they could, please put anything they're having to say, or anything they would like the student to work on, or any concerns, put it in a positive tone, instead of being a negative, that so and so is not doing the work. Narrator: Marcy also talks to her students about the realities of the IEP meeting. Marcy McGahee: When you're working one on one with the student, and you're getting them for that IEP, you want to let them know that situations might come up in an IEP that you need to be aware of. Suppose, during your IEP, one of the teachers, wants to change or add a goal that you did not think about. And you need to be prepared that, because an IEP is a draft, that people can add or change goals. Also, you need to be prepared that maybe people might want to say things that might hurt your feelings. So if something happens in the IEP and you're very uncomfortable with it, you need to express that, you know, I hear what you're saying, but --- and we role play this before -- you know, I hear what you're saying, but at this time, these are the goals that I would like to work on. Narrator: The goals some students set for themselves, says Erin, may seem completely unreachable to those who are teaching them, but then sometimes, a burning desire to do something is the catalyst that makes it happen. Erin remembers Beth, a student who decided that she would pass a literacy test. Erin Connolly: No one said she could do this, I mean, it was written that she shouldn't even do it, because there was no way she could do it. Narrator: She didn't pass the first time she took the test. Erin Connolly: The first time she missed it by five. Narrator: Student and teacher persisted, because Beth was determined to take the test again and pass. Erin Connolly: And she wanted it, and I sat down with her before both tests, and said, you really don't have to do this, but since you are doing it, just do the best you can. I tried to help her. We got big paper out for her, and she just went to town, and she stayed down there, she stuck with it, and she did the best she could. Narrator: Success... Erin Connolly: And all of a sudden I heard this scream, and I was like, oh my gosh, what's going on in there? And I was like, What's going on in here? She had wanted to do this for so long. She knew that the math was just way beyond her, but just to see the joy in her eyes when she yelled, "I passed the literacy test! It was only by 5 points, but I passed the literacy test." I mean, it was just -- nice. And I will never forget the joy and the pride in her mother's eyes. Beth couldn't wait to get home to call her dad.... Just having expectations for her, it did pay off, and that's the goal, she wanted it and it was more power to her. And boy did her 9th grade year start off differently because she did so well. Narrator: Because the IEP is developed through consensus, says Marcy, students should not be adamant or inflexible. But she recognizes that they may find it hard to hear others talk about them, and in the beginning may find the role of self-advocate a new and strange one. Assistant Principal Carol Cash... Carol Cash: Many time they're uncomfortable, I think, being an active participant with seven adults sitting around and here's this student and everyone's looking at him, waiting for an answer. Narrator: Like many parents, Suzanne and Scott Ripley were apprehensive when they first decided to bring their teenage son, Joe, to his IEP conference. Suzanne Ripley: He's moderately retarded, he has quite a few behavior problems, and I was very reluctant to bring him. I felt from a philosophical level that I probably really ought to, because I thought it was important for all of us to know what he wanted and for him to know that his ideas were valued and that we were interested in hearing from him. But I was really worried. I thought he might be disruptive, I thought that he wouldn't sit through the meeting, that he would become a problem and we would have to stop. I thought he would embarrass me, I thought we would embarrass him. I thought he would be really uncomfortable hearing people criticize him or say things about what he couldn't do, or talk to him in words I thought he might find sort of demoralizing. And I was also uncomfortable about any comments I might have about the program. I didn't think that I could talk about concerns I had with teachers or programs in front of him, because I didn't think I could be critical or in any way negative in front of a student from that school. But I knew that he needed to be involved and so I took him. Narrator: As the meeting progressed, the Ripleys sat, almost waiting for Joe to grow bored or disruptive. Suzanne Ripley: Well, he kept quiet the whole time. Then I thought, well maybe he's just kind of turned us off. But after it was well over an hour, somebody turned to him and asked him a question. He clearly had been listening, and he answered the question. Finally, someone said, well, Joe, what is it that you want us to put in your IEP? And he said, I want to learn to drive a car. Scott Ripley: In Joe's IEP, we discovered, and the school discovered, that his desire to drive was really the biggest thing motivating him this year. I think that was a great insight into a way to relate to Joe, that otherwise the school might not have had. And I think that they were intelligent enough to see that as a means of getting through to Joe, because now they're using the driver's manual as his reading book this year. Narrator: Teacher Erin. Erin Connolly: From student involvement in the IEP, I've learned that they do take it seriously. They might not be aware of what's going on, but boy they really are aware. They really really are aware of what they want, and we need to really really seriously talk to them and get their advice and take it legitimately. Narrator: As a facilitator, Marcy does try to calm both the student's and the parents' fears as much as possible, before the IEP conference. Marcy McGahee: (Talking to the interviewer) One of the things we do prior to the IEP is that the parents know what everything is going to be at the IEP before it happens. Because students practice a lot with their parents prior to the IEP conference -- cos they practice with me and then I talk with the parents on the phone --we haven't had a lot of changes at the IEP conference. (Talking to the class) What do we do when we have an IEP conference? The evaluation schedule... how often are we evaluated? Narrator: Step by step, Marcy is leading her students to greater self-awareness and participation in the educational process. Marcy McGahee: I'm getting the feedback from the student. I already will get the feedback from the parent and the IEP committee but the person I think is most important is the kid. Carol Cash: Don't make the IEP development process less important than it is. Show that you support the process, that you understand the process, and show that you support the teachers and the parents and the students when they develop that IEP. Narrator: Assistant Principal Carol Cash. Carol Cash: First thing I tell an administrator who is getting started as an administrator is to make sure you're aware of the rules for IEPs, make sure you know what the current regulations are, make sure what your expectations are. Get comfortable with your teachers, so that you can enjoy that IEP process and feel comfortable as you and the teachers discuss it. Make a point of getting to know the parents and the students that you're dealing with, so that they're comfortable in the setting with you and that you actually become an active part of that IEP process. Narrator: (With background noises from Marcy's class) As the class ends, Marcy's students get ready for their next teacher. Right now, it's the beginning of the year, and many of Marcy McGahee's students are hesitant to speak up in class. To an outside observer, some of the students, slouched in their seats, look like they won't get involved this year. But most will. Over the years, as she's moved on to another school system, Marcy has even had some students keep up with her and continue to ask for help when it's time for the IEP conference planning to begin. Looking over her class with an experienced eye, Marcy smiles. She's optimistic. It will be another busy year. Marcy McGahee: Once you empower a student, it will amaze you what some students will do to continue the process. Some students will never want to do the process over again, and some students will just never let anybody else do it for them. --------------------------------------------------- Narrator: NICHCY is pleased to offer this audiotape to accompany its booklet, a Guide to Helping Students Develop Their Own IEPs. Both the tape and the booklet are part of NICHCY's Technical Assistance Guide series, and are intended for use by teachers, parents, administrators, and others. Both the tape and the booklet are copyright free. This package can be used in conjunction with a similar package NICHCY has developed expressly for students, the Student's Guide to the IEP. To obtain the Student Guide package, or additional copies of the Technical Assistance Guide package, please contact NICHCY at: P.O. Box 1492, Washington, DC 20013. Or call: 1-800-695-0285 (V/TT), or (202) 884-8200 (V//TT). NICHCY would like to thank the many individuals who were involved and reviewing this audiotape. First, we thank our former Project Officer, Dr. Sara Conlon, at the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, for her time in listening to this tape, her helpful suggestions, and as always for her commitment to the Clearinghouse. We also thank our current Project Officer, Marie Roane, also at the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. Our deep appreciation goes to Alyne Ellis, who produced this audiotape, to editor Lisa Kupper, and to Interface Video, for their technical support of the project. Thanks go as well to Christopher Hannan, who wrote and performed the music on this tape. We send our special thanks and appreciation to the many individuals whose experiences and insights you have heard on the tape. These are: Marcy McGahee-Kovac, of Fairfax County Schools in Virginia, who has helped scores of students become involved in developing their own IEPs; Erin Connolly, of Arlington County Schools in Virginia, who believes in her students, too; Dr. Carol Cash, Assistant Principal at a public high school in Virginia, who shared her administrator's perspective; and Suzanne Ripley, director of NICHCY, and her husband, Scott, who are parents of two teenagers with disabilities who have participated successfully in their IEP meeting. Production of this audiotape and its accompanying booklet is made possible through the Cooperative Agreement #H030A30003 between the Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. We encourage you to copy and share these materials, but please credit the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities -- NICHCY. ---------- End of Document