Transition

When looking at an IEP the transition plan should drive all other parts of the IEP when the students turns 14.  So, where does the plan start?

1. Interview-  This should be where the students interests are discussed. What does the student like to do outside of school?  What are the students hobbies?  What kind of jobs has the student had in the past?  There are many other questions that are asked in the interview, but that is a start.
2. Post Secondary Goals-  What skills do does the student need to work on in order to get a job?  Does the student have a drivers license?  Does the student know how to fill out an application?  Does the student know how to dress appropriately?
3. Outside Agencies-  This is where DORS, DDA and BHA.  These are all the outside agencies and those that help the students outside of school.

Now this is just the basics of the IEP transition plan, but it is vital to know what goes into each one.  This section should be very detailed and organized.

As always send questions or topics you would like to read about. 

Where to start with an IEP

Present Levels-  This is the most overlooked part of the IEP.  This part not only shows the students highlights, but also what they need to work on. 

Student Highlights- This should show how a student functions in a positive way in the classroom.  Do they come in prepared?  Are they happy when they enter a certain class?  There could be many things that are under this section.  This should be a very positive section of the IEP and should not be negative at all.

How the disability affects the student?-  This is the section that will hopefully be across all curriculum areas.  If it defers from class to class then there might be an issue and the parents or teachers should question it.  If it is the same across every class this will help the student achieve their goals faster.

Questions let me know?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYNqOF8PXsU

ALT-MSA

Overview    The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requires that all students be assessed and that students receive an individual score in reading and mathematics in grades 3-8 and a high school grade. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997, also requires that states provide an “alternate assessment” when implementing statewide accountability systems. An alternate assessment is an assessment designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to participate in a regular assessment, even when accommodations are provided.  In Focus 2013 ALT-MSA Handbook Students with disabilities in grades 3-8 and 10 must participate in either MSA or ALT-MSA. The decision for which assessment is appropriate for an individual student is made by each student’s IEP team. In Maryland, students with disabilities participate in either the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) in reading, mathematics and science (with or without accommodations, as appropriate) or in the Alternate Maryland School Assessment (ALT-MSA), as determined by the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team. The MSA is administered to students in grades 3-8 and 10 and tests students' attainment of grade level objectives in reading and mathematics. In addition, the Alt-MSA measures a student's attainment of science Mastery Objecitves in grades 5, 8 and 10. Students with significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in the MSA and the MSA/Science, even with accommodations participate in ALT-MSA. ALT-MSA assesses student attainment of their instructional level reading, mathematics and science mastery objectives that are aligned with grade level Maryland Content Standards. ALT-MSA Participation Guidelines The Alt-MSA participation criteria are described below: Alt-MSA participation criteria. Students with disabilities in grades 3-8 and 10 must participate in either MSA or Alt-MSA. The decision for which assessment is appropriate for an individual student is made by each student's IEP Team. A student with a significant cognitive disability will participate in Alt-MSA if he or she meets each of the following criteria: The student is learning (at emerging, readiness, or functional literacy levels) extended Maryland reading and extended Maryland mathematics content standards objectives. AND The student requires explicit and ongoing instruction in functional skills. AND The student requires extensive and substantial modification (e.g., reduced complexity of objectives and learning materials, and more time to learn) of general education curriculum. The curriculum differs significantly from that of their non-disabled peers. They learn different objectives, may use different materials, and may participate in different learning activities. AND The student requires intensive instruction and may require extensive supports, including physical prompts, to learn, apply, and transfer or generalize knowledge and skills to multiple settings. AND The student requires extensive support to perform and participate meaningfully and productively in daily activities in school, home, community, and work environments. AND The student cannot participate in the MSA even with accommodations. Students not meeting the criteria above will participate in the MSA, with or without accommodations, as appropriate, based on their IEP.  http://marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/testing/alt_msa/

FAPE, parental rights

I had a request by a viewer to talk about if they do not think their child is receiving the appropriate schooling at their current school.  It all goes back to Free Appropriate Public Education, this a federal law as far as I am concerned.  Now the following is according to Maryland, but there should be somewhat similar to your state. 

PARENTAL UNILATERAL PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN IN PRIVATE 
SCHOOLS AT PUBLIC EXPENSE


Public agency made a free appropriate public education (FAPE) available and
the parent chose to place their child in a private school.
IDEA does not require a public agency to pay for the cost of education, including special education
and related services, of a child with a disability at a private school if the public agency made a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) available and the parents chose to place their child in a private
school. However, the public agency shall include the child in the population of children placed in
private schools by their parents, in accordance with the federal regulations. Disagreements between
the parents and the public agency regarding the availability of FAPE and financial responsibility are
subject to due process complaint procedures under IDEA. Please refer to “Resolving
Disagreements” for more specific information.Parental Rights - Maryland Procedural Safeguards Notice - Infants and Toddlers/Preschool Special Education and Special Education
Revised January 2010_FINAL
Effective February 1, 2010
15
If a child with a disability had previously received special education and related services under the
authority of a public agency, and the parents enroll their child in a private preschool, elementary, or
secondary school without the consent or referral of the public agency, an ALJ or a court, may
require the public agency to reimburse parents for the cost of that enrollment if an ALJ or a court
finds that the public agency had not made FAPE available to the child in a timely manner prior to
that enrollment, and that the private placement is appropriate.  An ALJ or a court may find your
parental placement to be appropriate even if it does not meet the State standards that apply to
education provided by public agencies


Limitation on Reimbursement:
Reimbursement may be reduced or denied by an ALJ or a court if:
• At the most recent IEP team meeting parents attended prior to removing their child from the
public school, parents did not inform the IEP team that they were rejecting the placement
proposed by the public agency to provide FAPE, including stating their concerns and their
intent to enroll their child in a private school at public expense; or
• At least ten (10) business days (including any business days that occur on a holiday) prior to
the parents removal of their child from the public school, parents did not give the public
agency written notice of their intent to remove their child, including their concerns regarding
their child’s public placement; or
• If prior to the parents removal of their child from the public school, the public agency
informed the parents, through the prior written notice requirements of its intent to evaluate
their child (including a statement of the purpose of the evaluation that was appropriate and
reasonable), but the parents did not make their child available for the evaluation; or
• Upon a judicial finding of unreasonableness with respect to the parents actions.
Notwithstanding the notice requirements described above, the cost of reimbursement:
• Shall not be reduced or denied for the parents failure to provide such notice, if:
o The public agency prevented the parents from providing notice,
o The parents had not received written notice, under the IDEA notice requirements
described above,
o Compliance with the notice requirements would likely result in physical harm to the
child, and
• May, at the discretion of a court or an ALJ, not be reduced or denied for failure to provide
such notice if:
o The parents are not literate and cannot write in English, or
o Compliance with the notice as described above would likely result in serious emotional
harm to the child.


RESOLVING DISAGREEMENTS
The following procedures describe the processes available to parents and public agencies for
resolving disagreements regarding a child's early intervention or special education program
and related services.  These options include mediation, State complaint, and due process
complaint.
Mediation:
Mediation is a process that may be used to resolve disagreements between the parents of a child
with a disability and the public agency responsible for the education of the child.
An employee of the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) who is qualified and trained in
effective mediation techniques conducts the mediation.  The individual selected by OAH will not
have a personal or professional conflict of interest.
• Mediation is at no cost to the parent or public agency responsible for the child's early
intervention or education, including the cost of a meeting with parents to encourage
mediation.
• A request for mediation is made to the public agency responsible for the early intervention
or education of the child and the OAH. To assist parents with filing a request for mediation a
form is available from the public agency and on the MSDE website at
www.marylandpublicschools.org.  For further assistance, contact the public agency’s Parental Rights - Maryland Procedural Safeguards Notice - Infants and Toddlers/Preschool Special Education.


 Parents or the public agency may be accompanied and advised by counsel during mediation.
• A mediation session will generally occur within 20 days of the receipt of a written request at
a location convenient to parents and the public agency.
• Mediation sessions are closed proceedings. Discussions that occur during mediation must be
confidential and cannot be used as evidence in any subsequent due process hearing or civil
action.  Parents or the public agency may be asked to sign a confidentiality pledge before the
start of the mediation.
• An agreement reached by the parties in the mediation must be set forth in a written
agreement that is enforceable in any State Court that has the authority to hear this type of
case or in a federal district court.
• A public agency may not use mediation to deny or delay the parent’s right to a hearing on
the parent's due process complain

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/D182E222-D84B-43D8-BB81-6F4C4F7E05F6/22796/MarylandProceduralSafeguardsNotice_updatedjanuary2.pdf

Is there a thing such as to much improvement? appeal, parental rights.

I received recently a comment about how a parent is worried that their child might show to much improvement.  As a teacher and special educator I do not think that their is such a thing as to much improvement.  We are never going to create a perfect student no matter how much we improve.  The key is once they accomplished one academic goal, we then shift our focus to the other ones or we work on behavioral goals.  It is important to always to keep moving forward and if you are not getting the answers you want then appeal the IEP decision.

At every IEP meeting parents should receive a "Parental Rights Packet."  In this packet it goes over all of the rights you have as a parent and if you are not happy with the decisions that are made at the IEP meeting, then you have the right to appeal, just like you would at a courthouse trial, when a verdict is reached that you do not like.  It is important that every parent is educated on their rights and what they need to do if they feel their child is not getting the IEP they deserve.  

http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/top-ten-parental-rights-in-special-education/

As always please leave feedback and helpful hints about future posts.