The Individual Education Plan A Student’s Guide to the IEP

1. The Individual Education PlanA Student’s Guide to the IEP

2. What is an IEP? • The Individual Education Plan (or IEP) is a written plan that describes the special program that will be used to help you to be successful in your schoolwork. • It describes your strengths as well as your needs and outlines the specific things your teachers expect you to do, the strategies they intend to use, and how they plan to assist you during evaluation periods. • The IEP will be reviewed throughout the school year and it might be changed to include different needs, programs, or strategies.

3. What is a Strength? • Something you are good at • What is a Need? • Something you • need help with

4. An IEP is not… • An IEP does not describe everything that you will be taught and all of the resources and strategies that will be used as part of your regular classroom instruction.

5. What an IEP can do… An IEP can help you to cope with the curriculum and to successfully meet realistic expectations that reflect your learning needs.

6. What an IEP cannot do… • An IEP cannot “cure” or fix the problems that you experience with your schoolwork. You must still be willing to work hard and get help when you need it to successfully complete your courses.

7. Sections of the IEP

8. First Page • The IEP is clearly identified as a working document. This means that your IEP may be changed as your needs change. Your personal information (i.e. name, grade, date of birth), the reason for the IEP, the Identification and Placement, the date of the latest I.P.R.C. meeting, and the names of the people who wrote the IEP are recorded here.

9. Your Strengths (e.g. preferred learning style, learned skills) and your Needs (e.g. missing skills, reading or writing problems, etc.) and any Health Support Services needed (e.g. occupational therapy) are described here.

10. Assessments • Assessments mayinclude: • Medical/health (e.g. vision, hearing) • Speech/language assessments • Occupational/physical therapy • Psychological (ability testing)

11. Academic Assessments usually include achievement tests such as the C.A.T. (Canadian Achievement Test) and the Brigance.

12. C.A.T. Scores are reported in percentiles. • For example: Reading: 48th %ile which means that if 100 students in your grade took the same test, your score would be better than 47 of them.

13. Brigancescores are reported in instructional grade levels • For example: Silent Comprehension: Gr. 7 means that Gr. 7 is a good level for reading materials for you.

14. Exceptionality • What makes you an individual? • There are 4 areas!

15. Communication • LD. • Autistic • Deaf/hard of hearing • Language impairment • Speech impairment

16. Intellectual • Mild intellectually disabled • Developmental disabled • Gifted

17. Physical • Blind • Physically disabled.

18. Behaviour • Acting out • Inappropriate peer / adult interaction / responses

19. Accommodations • Accommodations are the supports and strategies that are put in place to help you to access the curriculum and to manage the work that is required as part of your regular classroom program.

20. Accommodations are divided into 3 categories: • Instructional – teaching strategies (e.g. extra review, scribe, access to technology etc.) • Environmental – supports in the physical environment (e.g. study carrel, strategic seating, etc.) • Assessment – adjustments to help the student demonstrate their learning (e.g. oral evaluation, extra time, access to technology etc.)

21. Human Resources • People who will be involved in providing support to your program.

22. Individualized Equipment • If you have any specialized equipment (e.g. alpha smart) it will be noted.

23. Provincial Assessments • If you are scheduled to participate in a provincial assessment (i.e. EQAO) during the current school year it will be noted.

24. Program Summary • The Program Summary indicates which subjects are accommodated only, and which may be either modified (with expectations that differ from the regular grade) or alternative (not represented in the Ontario Curriculum) programs. Any exemptions from regular programs (e.g. French) are noted and the reasons why are explained. • If you have modified and/or alternative programs, a description of each program is written.

25. The description includes: • Current level of achievement (e.g. C+ in a modified grade 6 program) • Annual goals and specific learning expectations • Strategies and resources to be used • Assessment methods

26. Transition Plan • A Transition Plan is a plan for your transition from elementary to secondary school and for your post secondary transition planning.

27. It is important that your current teachers and any other staff that support you (health support services), communicate with your receiving teachers in order to make sure you have a continuous transition. Guidance and special education should also be included in these discussions. It is very important that you are involved in setting the goals for this transition plan.

28. Parent Consultation • You and your parents play an important role in the development of the IEP. • Good communication and sharing of ideas and things that work for you is very important between home and school. • Your contribution as a team member is invaluable and helps you to be successful. • The summary of Parent/Student Consultation gives parents the opportunity to indicate whether or not they have been consulted in the development of the IEP. It is signed by parents (and students who are age 16 or older). • Consultation can be in the form of a letter, a phone call, or a meeting.

29. Brochure published by the Peel Board • A Parents Guide to the IEP

30. Access information for the Ministry of Education – IEP site. Provides samples, instructions, questions and answers. • https://iep.edu.gov.on.ca/IEPWeb • Username: IEPDemo • Password: demo