How to Conduct Friendly and Productive IEP Meetings” – a · • Welcome to “How to Conduct...
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• Welcome to “How to Conduct Friendly and Productive IEP Meetings” – a presentation developed by the Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System (WSEMS) with input from parents, districts and agencies. • The WSEMS was founded in 1996 by 3 partners: a parent (Jan Serak, WI FACETS’ CEO), a special education director (Nissan Bar-Lev, CESA 7), and a mediator. The current mediation partner since 2007 is Nina Meierding. WSEMS assists in the resolution of special education disputes through facilitated IEP meetings and mediation. WSEMS has been honored as an exemplary system by the National Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education, in part because of WSEMS’ unique core principle of maximizing stakeholder involvement on a continuing basis. WSEMS staff includes Jane Burns, Administrator & Intake Coordinator, & Nelsinia Ramos Wroblewski, Multicultural Outreach Coordinator. • This PowerPoint is an example of how parents, teachers, administrators, advocates and attorneys can work together, to welcome, honor and connect in a collaborative way for the best interests of students in WI’ public schools. • Through initial surveys, pilot presentations, and a review of the PowerPoint program and accompanying notes by hundreds of individuals and groups including WSPEI, WIFACETS, and WCASS, each group has given valuable feedback and perspective. The result is a presentation that brings the ideas together and models a process where parents and districts work together for the needs of the student– just like a friendly and productive IEP meeting! • Let’s find out who is participating today with some quick introductions, - Or: poll the audience (as, with apps as “Kahoot” or “Poll Everywhere”). Include: How many are: (1) Parents (2) School Staff (3) Both (4) Other • Also, if desired, poll to rate how your recent IEP experiences have been: (1) poor (2) fair (3) good (4) great (5) excellent 1
Transcript of How to Conduct Friendly and Productive IEP Meetings” – a · • Welcome to “How to Conduct...
• Welcometo“HowtoConductFriendlyandProductiveIEPMeetings”– apresentationdevelopedbytheWisconsinSpecialEducationMediationSystem(WSEMS)withinputfromparents,districtsandagencies.
• TheWSEMSwasfoundedin1996by3partners:aparent(JanSerak,WIFACETS’CEO),aspecialeducationdirector(NissanBar-Lev,CESA7),andamediator.Thecurrentmediationpartnersince2007isNinaMeierding.WSEMSassistsintheresolutionofspecialeducationdisputesthroughfacilitatedIEPmeetingsandmediation.WSEMShasbeenhonoredasanexemplarysystembytheNationalCenterforAppropriateDisputeResolutioninSpecialEducation,inpartbecauseofWSEMS’uniquecoreprincipleofmaximizingstakeholderinvolvementonacontinuingbasis.WSEMSstaffincludesJaneBurns,Administrator&IntakeCoordinator,&NelsiniaRamosWroblewski,MulticulturalOutreachCoordinator.
• ThisPowerPointisanexampleofhowparents,teachers,administrators,advocatesandattorneyscanworktogether,towelcome,honorandconnectinacollaborativewayforthebestinterestsofstudentsinWI’publicschools.
• Throughinitialsurveys,pilotpresentations,andareviewofthePowerPointprogramandaccompanyingnotesbyhundredsofindividualsandgroupsincludingWSPEI,WIFACETS,andWCASS,eachgrouphasgivenvaluablefeedbackandperspective.Theresultisapresentationthatbringstheideastogetherandmodelsaprocesswhereparentsanddistrictsworktogetherfortheneedsofthestudent– justlikeafriendlyandproductiveIEPmeeting!
• Let’sfindoutwhoisparticipatingtodaywithsomequickintroductions,- Or:polltheaudience(as,withappsas“Kahoot”or“PollEverywhere”).Include:Howmanyare:(1)Parents(2)SchoolStaff(3)Both(4)Other
• Also,ifdesired,polltoratehowyourrecentIEPexperienceshavebeen:(1)poor(2)fair(3) good(4)great(5)excellent
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• ThegoalofthepresentationistoprovidefeedbackfromparentsanddistrictswhoweresurveyedabouttheirexperienceswithIEPmeetings.
• BylookingatverypracticaltipsandtechniquesthatcanincreasetheproductivityofanIEPmeetingandreduceconflict,thispresentationhopestosupportbothparentsanddistrictsindevelopingstrongproductiverelationshipsandeffective,forwardlookingconversationsabouttheneedsofstudentswithdisabilities.
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Takeafewminutestothinkaboutandwritedownafewthingsthatyouarecertainthatyoualreadyknow,whatyouthinkyouknow,andwhatyouwanttoknowaboutproductiveIEPmeetings.
(Ifwebinar,youcanaskpeopletotypeafewoftheirthoughtsintothechatbox)
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• InapproachingthetopicofproductiveIEPmeetings,wewilldividethepresentationintofourareas.
• Thefirstwillbe“People” – gettingtherightpeopletogether– notjustwhothelawmandatesasfarasattendanceattheIEPmeeting,butindividualswhocanhelpmakeaconnectionbetweentheparentandthedistrictandhavetheskillstohandlepotentiallydifficultoremotionalsituations.
• Thesecondareawillbe“Process:PreparationandMeeting.” WewillfocusonhowathoroughpreparationfortheIEPmeetingcanhelpitrunmoresmoothlyandhow,duringameeting,certaintechniquescanbuildconnectionandleadtoproductiveconversations.
• Thethirdareawillbe“Outcome” – theimportanceofdevelopingaconcreteandspecificIEPwithaclear,on-goingcommunicationplanandmeasureableresults.
• Andthefourtharea,willbe“Process:FollowThrough.” Thefirstthreestageswillmeanverylittle,ifthereisnotcoordinated,effectivefollow-throughoftheIEP.Bybuildingstrongandtrustingrelationshipsineachofthesestages,along-termpositiverelationshipcandevelopbetweentheparentsandthedistrict.
• Ineachofthesefourareaswewillgiveabriefintroduction,sharecommentsbybothdistrictsandparentsaboutthatarea,andthenprovidetipsandsuggestionsthatwillhelpcreateaproductiveandfriendlyIEP.Each“tip” pagewillbeindicatedbyanIdea“lightbulb” intheupperrighthandcorner.
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Thefirstareawearegoingtofocusonis“People”
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• WhoisinvolvedintheIEPmeetingiscrucialinbuildingtrustandrapportbetweenparentanddistrict.
• Aretherepeoplewithwhomtheparenthasanexistingtrustingrelationship.Forexample,• Ateacherwhodevelopedaspecialrelationshipwiththe
student,orwhohascommunicatedregularlywiththeparent?
• Aprincipalwhohasbeenveryeffectiveinfollow-through?• Afriend,relative,orothersupportpersonswhoalsoknow
thestudent?• Alwaysaskifthereisanyoneelsethattheywouldliketoinviteto
themeeting.• Havingpeopleattendwhohavearealknowledgeofthestudent,
whoknowtheavailableservices,whocanexplorethecreativeopportunities,andwhoknowthedatathatprovidesinformationtotheIEPteamisanimportantcomponentforaneffectivemeetingenvironment.
• Giventhenewemphasisonaccessingthegradelevelstandards,itisimportantforthegeneraleducationteachertobepresent.
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• Asyoucansee,eachsectionincludessomeactualcommentsfromparentsandorschoolstaffwhoweresurveyedabouttheirexperienceswithIEPmeetings
-------------------------------------------------------------------• PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslide
yourself,orinvitesomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• UnderIDEA,certainpeoplearerequiredtobeatthemeeting.Makecertainthattherightpeoplearethere.
• Astudentcanbringhisorherownperspectivetothemeetingandmayfeelmoreempoweredastothedecisionsthatarebeingmade.Inaddition,ifthestudentfeelspartoftheteam,thestudentmayfeelmoreconnectedtotheIEPgoalsdiscussed.
• Asmentionedbefore,itisimportanttohavesomeoneatthemeeting,wheneverpossible,whohasanexistingpositiverelationshipwiththeparentand/orthestudent
• Beconsciousofanylanguageneedsorotherspecialneedsoftheparentsandthestudent– usetermsthatareunderstandable.Also,beawareofallthespecialdynamicsifthestudentwillbepresent–especially,theimportanceofpositivelanguageandtoneintheconversations.
• Asyouwillseeonthenextslide,astudentcanfeeldiscouragedifthereisanegativetoneinthemeeting.
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Herearesomemorecommentsfromsurveyparticipants.----------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• Ifastudentorfamilyisnewtothedistrict,reachouttothembeforethemeeting.IfaparenthasnevermetanymemberoftheIEPteam,itisimportanttocreateapositiveconnection(inperson,byemail,orbyphone)withtheparentandthestudentpriortothemeeting.
• Atthemeeting,makesuretotalkdirectlytothestudentandaskthestudentquestions.Studentswillfeelleftoutiftheconversationisaboutthemandnotwiththem.
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Herearemorecommentsfromparentsandprofessionals.---------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• InordertofeelsafeandcomfortableinanIEPmeeting,havingskillsinunderstandingsourcesofconflict,effectivecommunicationtechniques,problemsolvingtechniques,andmanagingdifficultconversationsisveryhelpful.
• Understandingwhysomeoneisfrustratedorangry,learningtoactivelylistenwithoutjudgmentandtospeakinawaywhereyourideascanbeheard,understandinghowtoproductivelybrainstorm,andfeelingcomfortablewhenthingsgetdifficult,canhelppeoplefocusonthestudent,ratherthangettinglostinpersonalemotions,animosityordistrust.
• Furthertrainingforparentsandstaffisalwaysrecommended,astheseskillshavepracticalpurposesnotjustforIEPmeetings,butformanysituationsinbothourpersonalandprofessionallives.
• TheWISpecialEducationMediationSystemwebsite(linkisonslide)includesmanygreatresources.
• ThereisaMediationTrainingManualandalsomanyvideosandrecordedtrainingsthatincludeideasandsuggestionsintheseimportantskills.
• ThesitealsolinkstothemanyresourcesofCADRE(theNationalCenterforAlternateDisputeResolutioninSpecialEducation).
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• Beawareofanypositiveornegativerelationshipsthatalreadyexistbetweentheparentandthedistrict,aswellasanytopicsthatseemtotriggerhighemotionsbyanymemberoftheIEPteam.
• Byplanningaheadandthinkingabouthowtohandlethesedifficultsituationsbeforetheyhappen,particularIEPteammemberswhoarehighlyeffectiveatmanagingeitherdifficultconversationsoremotionalhotspotscanbereadyifneeded,tobringthefocusofthemeetingbacktothestudent.
• SpendingtimeinanIEPmeetingonangerordistrustissuesusuallymeansthatthereareissuesbeyondthefocusofanIEPmeetingwhichcouldbebetterdealtwithinaseparatemeetingsuchasIEPfacilitationormediation.
• SometimesyoucansuspendtheIEPmeetinginordertohaveamediationtodealwiththeissues.Ifyouareinatime-sensitivesituationandneedtocompletetheIEP,youcanfinishtheIEPmeetingandschedulethemediationtodealwiththecommunicationortrustissues.
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PRESENTERNOTE:Qs1&2specificallyrelatetothisfocusareaof“People.” Qs3-7aremoregeneral&thesamequestionswillalsobeincludedaftereachfocusareasection.
Iflimitedtime,youcansuggestthatpeoplethinkaboutthesequestionsontheirown.Ifmoretime,youcanuseQs1&2andafewfromthegeneralquestions,3-7.Ifwebinar,youcansuggesttypingsomeanswersintothechatbox.
Somecommentsprovidedsofar:Q1.Techniquestobuildrapport:invitetrustedpeople;connectbeforethemeeting;uselanguageeveryonecanunderstand;haveknowledgeablepeopleattendingwhoreallyknowthestudentandresourcesavailable;usepositivelanguage
Q2.Handlingtoughsituations:haveateammemberreadytohandlewhoiscomfortablewithemotion;suggestaseparatemeetingtodealwithmoredifficulttopics.
Thesecondfocusareais“Process– PreparationandMeting.
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• SometimesIEPteammemberscanbesofocusedontheoutcome,thattheyforgetorignoresomeverybasicguidelinesthatcanleadtoamoreproductivemeetingandabetteroutcome.
• Rememberthatthebeginningofthemeetingwillimpacttheend– socareneedstobetakenateverystage.SeparatingpeoplefromtheproblemmeansthatIEPteammembersshouldfocustogetheronsolvingwhatisbestforthestudent.Itisnotaboutusvs.them,orparentagainstthedistrict.BringingpeopletogetherasateamisanessentialcomponentoftheIEPmeeting.Settingthetoneofthemeetingfromtheveryfirstmomentisimportant.
• Everyoneshouldbetreatedwithrespectasanimportantmemberoftheteam– allofwhomarededicatedtofocusingonthestudent’seducationalneedsinanopen,creative,andnon-judgmentalway.
• Sometimesinameeting,thecenterofattentioncandriftawayfromthestudentandfocusinsteadontherelationshipoftheparentsandthedistrict,andthingsthathavehappenedinthepast.Itisessentialthattheteamstayfocusedonthestudent’sneedsandeducationalgoals,andwhattheteamcandotoprovideforthatparticularstudent.
• Findwhatisimportantandthegoalsbehindthepositionorrequests.Understandingwhy someoneisexpressingwhattheyareexpressingwillgivemoreinsightintohowtocreativelysolvethequestions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTES:Afterthelastbullet,iftimepermits,tofurtherillustratethedifference
betweenpositions&interests:• Show6½minuteCADREvideo,UnderstandingPositions&Interests.
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/flashtours/positions_demonew.htm• Or,give“TheOrange” example- Thereare2kidsfightingoverlastorangeinrefrig.
Theirpositionistheybothwanttheorange.Theirmomcutsitin½- 1foreach.Neitherkidisveryhappy.Hadthemomsoughttofindtheir“interest” inhavingtheorange,shewouldhavefoundthatonetheorangerindforacake&theotherwasjustlookingtosqueezetheorangetodrink.Bothinterestscouldhavebeenmet.
In2014,aspartoftherequestofWSEMStodistrictsandparents,parentsgaveWSEMSvaluablefeedbackasfarastheirownexperiencesinIEPmeetings.Therewereover70responsesbyparentswhosharedthefollowinginformation.
• Overhalfoftheparentsstatedtheyhadbeengivenatleastamonth’snoticeoftheIEPmeetingwhichallowedthemtocometothemeetingmorefocusedandprepared.
• 76% wereaskedfortheirsuggestionsastothetimeofdayandthepossibledateswhichgavetheparentsasenseoftheirimportanceasamemberoftheIEPteam.
• and65%wereaskediftherewasanythingspecialabouttheirchild’sacademicorfunctionalperformancethattheywouldliketodiscussatthemeeting.
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HerearesomecommentsfromoursurveyrelatedtoProcess.--------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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HerearesomecommentsrelatedtoProcess–preparationforthemeeting.--------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• PRESENTERNOTE:readtheslideorasksomeonefromtheaudiencereadtheslide
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------• Asyoucanseebythelastthreeslidesofcomments,thereisa
widerangeoffeedbackfromparentsregardingpreparationfortheIEPmeeting:
• SomeparentsbelievedistrictscometotheIEPmeetingwithcompletedIEPs.
• SomeparentssaidthattheywereinvitedbythedistricttoapreparationmeetingbeforetheactualIEPmeeting.
• Somesaidthattheyhadnoknowledgeastowhowouldbeatthemeetingorwhatwastobediscussed.
• OtherssaidthedistrictcontactedtheminadvancetostresstheimportanceoftheirparticipationintheIEPmeeting.
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• So,whatworksbestasfarasestablishingthetrustandconnectionthatleadstoaproductivemeeting?DistrictsgaveusmanyexamplesandtechniquesthathaveprovensuccessfulthroughouttheIEPprocessinestablishingandmaintainingapositiverelationshipwiththeparents.
• First,beprepared.• Considersendingparentsaquestionnaireabouttheirchild
(askingforconcerns,strengths,thoughts)orastudentprofile. AskthemiftheyhaveanyquestionsorthoughtsabouttheIEPmeeting.Thiswillhelpthedistrictunderstandpotentialissuesthatcouldarise.
• ThePositiveStudentProfileform,oneofyourHANDOUTS forthispresentation,isanexampleofhowdistrictsandparentscanshareinformationinadvanceaboutastudent.
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PRESENTERNOTE:Iftimepermits,askparticipantsiftheyhaveusedsimilarforms&howtheyhelped.(Ifwebinar,cantypeinchatbox)
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• Thecasemanager cancontacttheIEPteammemberstogoovertheagenda,themeetinglocation,date&time,andanyneededaccommodations.
• TheIEPTeammeetingneedstobescheduledataconvenienttimeforallmembersoftheIEPteam.
• Schedulethemeetinginatimeframethatisnotclosetothestatutorydeadlinesothattherecanbeasecondmeetingifeverythingcannotbeaccomplishedinonemeeting.
• WhilemostIEPmeetingsdocompleteanIEPinonemeeting,itisimportantthatthestatutorytimelinesforcompletingtheIEParenotaddingpressuretoeithertheparentordistrictpersonneltocomeupwithadocumentthatisnotthebestitcanbeduetoahurriedorrushedatmosphere.
• AllIEPmembersareanimportantpartoftheteam.Stresstotheparentstheirimportance– andthevalueoftheirknowledgeandinputaboutthestudentatthemeeting.
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• IfparentsareunfamiliarwiththeIEPformitself,sendthemacopy.OfferingtoexplaintheformandIEPprocessfullytoparentsbeforethemeetingcanbeveryhelpful,includingthenewI-7forms(statewideassessment)andthePostSecondaryTransitionPlanning(PTP)online.
• TherearealsosomehelpfulDPIresources,includingthe IntrotoSpecialEducation;SpecialEducationinPlainLanguage,publicationsandtrainings.
• MostschooldistrictsdeveloptheagendaandtheIEPduringtheIEPmeeting.Somedistricts,inadditiontosharinganagendainadvance,mayalsodevelopadraftIEP.Ifdeveloped,thedraftshouldbesharedwithall IEPteammembersinadvance.StressthatitisONLYadraft– andasuggestedstartingplacefordiscussionamongallteammembersastothegoalsandservicesforthestudent.
• ToavoidtheperceptionthatthedistricthasmadeupitsmindastothecontentoftheIEP,tellallIEPteammembersthattheirinputisabsolutelyessentialtodevelopmentoftheIEPandthatanywrittendocuments(agendaordraftIEP)aredraftsfordiscussion.
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• ItisimportantforthedistrictandparentstoprovideIEPreportsandanyothercriticaldocumentsbeforethemeetingsothatnoonehastoreadalengthyreportduringthemeeting.
• Ifitisnotpossibletoprovidethereportsbeforethemeeting,thenbringenoughcopiesforallIEPteammemberstothemeetingandalsobepreparedtoprovideasummaryofthereportatthemeeting.
• Parentsarealsoencouragedtoprovidetheirinformationtothedistricts.ThegoalshouldbetominimizesurprisesforallIEPteammemberswheneverpossible.
• Ifthereisalotofdataorcomplicatedorconflictinginformation,itmaybeusefultohaveashortinformalmeetingbeforetheIEPmeeting,togooverdataandrecenttestresults.
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• Thedistrictmustnotifytheparentsastowhowillattendandtheparentsshouldnotifythedistrictwhowillattendaswell.
• Itisverydisconcertingtobecountingontheattendanceofaparticularperson– andtheydon’tshowup.
• Itisalsoequallysurprisingtocometoameetingandbefacedwithpeopleyoudidnotexpecttobethere.
• Ifanessentialpersonoftheteamcannotbethere,theparentshavetheoptionforre-schedulinginorderforthepersonwhoiscurrentlyunavailabletoattend.
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• Inthesurvey,parentsindicatedthatonly21%hadactuallybeenmetandwelcomedoutsidethemeetingroomandlessthan6%wereofferedwater.Somedistrictsindicatedtheyprovidedbeveragesandlightsnacks(crackers,candy.)
• Someparentsindicatedthattheyhadnevermetsomeofthedistrictpersonneluntiltheyweresittingacrossthetableinthemeeting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:• Youmaychoosetoconductapoll:Whatdidyouexperiencecomingtothemeeting(checkallthatapply):oWelcomedoWatero Snackso Introducedtoeveryoneo Noneofthese
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• Meetingscanbescaryorintimidating– especiallyifitissomeone’sfirstIEPmeeting.Haveacomfortablewaitingareaforparentsandarrangethemeetingspaceinawelcomingway.
• Nolittlestudentchairsthatcausepeople’skneestobeuptotheirchin.
• Noextremelycoldorhotenvironments.
• Nonoisyareaswhereyoucan’thearthepersonacrossthetable.Provideeasyaccesstorestrooms(showtheparentwherethesearepriortothemeeting).
• Havewaterand,ifpossible,snacksintheroom.Providepensandpaperandtissues.
• Createaseatingarrangementthatiscustomizedtothemeeting–manypeoplepreferamorerelaxedenvironmentwithalargewhiteboardorpadofpaperthattheteammemberscanallsee.YoucanputthedraftIEPuponasmartboardorcomputerscreenforimmediaterevisions/additionsthatallcansee.
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• Someonefromthedistrictshouldwelcometheparentsintheoffice.Preferably,itshouldbesomeonethattheparentsalreadyknowandwithwhomtheyhaveapositiverelationship.Ifthedistrictrepresentativedoesnotknowtheparents,heorsheshouldintroducehimorherselfandtheirrole.Thiswillusuallyimmediatelyreduceanxietyandnervousnessaboutthemeeting.
• Onceintheroom,goaroundthetableandhaveeveryonere-introducethemselvesandtheirroleontheteam.Trytocreateapersonal,aswellasprofessionalconnection.
• Havenamecardsthatareeasytoread,insteadoforinadditionto,nametags.
• Insomeculturesthataremoreformal,peopleprefertobeaddressedasMr.andMrs.So-and-So.Inothers,peoplemayprefertheirfirstnames.
• Peopleshouldbeaddressedbytheirnamesnottheirrole.forexample,“Susan” insteadof“theparent.” Avoiduseofacronyms,forexample,introduceyourselfas“JoeSmith,SpeechandLanguagePathologist”not“SLP.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:• Iftimepermits,ask,“WhatmadeyoufeelwelcomedtotheIEPmeeting?”
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• HerearesomemoreparentanddistrictcommentsrelatedtotheProcess.
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Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• Keepingameetingfocusedonthestudent’seducationalneedscansometimesbedifficultiftherelationshipbetweenthedistrictandtheparentisstressful.
• Thecasemanagershouldsummarizethegoalsatthebeginningofthemeetingandrefertotheagenda.Thecasemanagershouldrefertotheagendafortime-frames,indicatingthatthereisstructure,aswellasflexibility,intheprocess.
• StatethatmostIEPscanbedevelopedinonemeeting,howeverasecondmeetingcanbescheduledifnecessary.
• IfissuesareraisedthatarenotspecifictotheIEPandtheIEPmeeting,thecasemanagercankeeptrackofthoseissuessothattheycanbedealtwithinanothermeeting.
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• Mostpeopledonotliketobetoldhowtobehave.Ontheotherhand,guidelinesthatapplytoallmembersoftheIEPteamcanmakeameetingmoreproductive.
• ThecasemanagercanindicatethattherearesomeguidelinesthatareroutinelyusedinIEPmeetings,statewhatthoseare,andaskiftheyareacceptabletoeveryone.Orthecasemanagercanasktheteammemberstosuggestguidelinesthemselves.
• Somepopularguidelinesaretolistenwithoutjudgmentandberespectfultoallideas,totalkoneatatime,thateveryonewillhaveachancetospeak,thatplainlanguagewillbeusedandthattechnicallanguagewillbeexplained.
• Telltheteammembersthatinordertofocusonthestudent,alldistractionsshouldbekeptatanabsoluteminimum– includingtheuseofcellphoneswhichshouldbeputonvibrateorsilent.
• Itcanbeverydistractingtohavepeoplecheckingtheirwatchesorcellphonesforthetime.So,havingaclearlyvisiblewallclockwillalloweveryonetopacethemselves&followthetimelinesintheagenda.
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• Herearemorecommentsrelatedtopositiveexperiencesduringthemeeting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefrom
theaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• Hereisanexampleofapossibleexercisetodoatthemeetingthatinvolvesallmembersofteamworkingtogethertoidentifybothstrengthsandchallengesofthestudent. (Readslide.)
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Herearemorequotesaboutexperiencesduringthemeeting.--------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• Thebeginningofthemeetingshouldbethetimetoaskexploratoryquestions- findingouttheinterests,issues,andparticulargoalsforthismeeting.
• Allmembersshouldhavethechancetotalkuninterrupted,howeveritisgoodtokeepthetimebalancedandfocusedonthestudent.
• Keeptrackofthepoints,theoptions,theagreementsanddisagreements,aswellasapagethatdealswithnon-IEPissuesthatarestillimportant.
• Theterm“parkinglot” isusedtodescribetheprocessoflistingissuesthatareeithertobediscussedatanothermeetingorinamediation– usuallybroaderthanthegoalsofanIEPmeeting.
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Herearemorecomments.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------• SometimesIEPmeetingscanlosetheirfocusandstarttostrayintoareasthatarebroaderthantheIEPmeeting.• Ratherthanhavethemeetingfallapart,orhavepeoplebefrustratedorangry,itisbettertoacknowledgethatanothertypeofmeetingmightbetheplacetohandletheadditionalissuesorproblems.• SometimesanIEPfacilitatorfromWSEMScancomeinandhelpthemeetingstayfocused;othertimesamediationisthemoreappropriateforumtoaddressthebiggerissues.
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• WSEMSprovidesneutral,trainedfacilitatorstohelpinIEPmeetings.
• AfacilitatedIEPisafreeoptionforearlyconflictpreventionthatisnotrequiredbyIDEAtobeavailable,butisavailableinWI)
• WhilethecasemanagerisstillresponsiblefortheIEPcontent,theIEPfacilitatoristheretohelp.ThefacilitatorisnotanIEPteammember.
• Whenthereisadifficultrelationshipbetweenthedistrictandaparent,ormembersoftheIEPteamdonotlistenwelltoeachother,aWSEMSfacilitatorcanassistinkeepingthemeetingfocusedonthestudent,establishingamoreworkableframeworktotalkabouttheIEPgoals,helpbrainstormoptions,andmovetheprocessforwardtocompletionoftheIEP.
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PRESENTERNOTE:• ProvidetheaudiencewiththeWSEMSbrochureHANDOUTand
pointouttheIEPFacilitationtabonthebrochure.• HANDOUTS alsoincludeaFacilitatedIEPRequestform. 3
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• WhenpartiesreachimpasseorthebiggerissuesthreatentoderailtheIEP,mediationmaybeappropriate.WSEMSprovidestrainedmediatorswhocanhelpaddressthebroaderissues,thesourcesofresistance,theissuesoftrustandlackofcommunication.Thisserviceisfreetoparents&schoolsinWI.
• AmediationsessionisseparatefromtheIEPmeeting.WhileeithertheparentorthedistrictcanrequestmediationthroughWSEMS,bothpartiesneedtoagreeinorderformediationtogoforward.
• Thereisnosuchthingasa“mediatedIEP.” ThereisIEPfacilitationandthereismediation.Eachfollowstheirownprocessandtheirowngoals.
• AnIEPfacilitationisfocusedondevelopingtheIEP,amediationisfocusedonresolvingaspecificdispute,ormultipledisputes.
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PRESENTERNOTE:• RefertoWSEMSTrainingManual:EffectiveParticipationinthe
SpecialEducationMediationProcess(locatedonwsems.us/publications)
• PointouttheMediationtabontheWSEMSbrochure.
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• HANDOUTSalsoincludeaRequestforMediationform.
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HereisavisualpictureoftheintakeprocessatWSEMS.• Asyoucanseearequestforinformationisreceivedandthecaseisscreenedandanalyzedbytheintakecoordinatorwiththepotentialuserstohelpdeterminetheappropriateprocess.• Theintakecoordinatorhelpspeopleunderstandthedifferentchoicesandprovidesfeedbacktotheparentsandthedistrictabouthoweachoptionmightmeettheirneeds.• Thechoiceofwhichprocessandmediatororfacilitatortouseisuptotheparentsandthe schooldistrict.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:•LinktoWSEMSVideoonEffectiveParticipationinMediationandIEPFacilitation.(linkisontheslide’sMediationbox)http://www.wsems.us/multimedia/training-videos/
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Qs1,2&3specificallyrelatetothisfocusareaof“Process.” Qs4-8arethemoregeneralquestionsincludedaftereachfocusareasection.
Iflimitedtime,youcansuggestthatpeoplethinkaboutthesequestionsontheirown.Ifmoretime,youcanuseQs1-3andafewfromthegeneralquestions,4-8.Ifwebinar,youcansuggesttypingsomeanswersintothechatbox.
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OurthirdfocusareaisOutcome.
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• TheprimarygoaloftheIEPmeetingistocompleteanunderstandableandworkableIEP.
• TheIEPshouldhavespecificandmeasureableannualgoalswithclearlanguagethatisunderstandabletoallteammembers,aswellastoanyonewhomayberesponsibleforimplementingtheIEPwhoisnotatthemeeting(applythe‘strangers’ test).
• Describeorsummarizehowparentsassistedindevelopingthegoal(s)inIEP
• Iftheparenthasconcerns,itisimportanttonotethemontheLFIEPform(LinkingPresentLevels,Needs,GoalsandServicesForm).
• IftheparentdisagreeswiththeIEP,itisstillthedistrict’sresponsibilitytocompleteit.Butitmightbehelpfulforparentsifthedistricttooktimetoprovideadditionalinformationaboutservicesandsupportsbeingsuggested.
• IftheparentstilldisagreeswiththeIEP,theparentshouldbereferredtothespecialeducationdirectorwhocandiscussnextstepswiththeparent– perhapsanIEPfacilitation,mediation,IDEAcomplaintorultimatelyadueprocesshearingiftheparentsandthedistrictstillcannotreachagreement.
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Herearesomecommentsaboutoutcome.--------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• IftheIEPwasnotcompletedatthemeeting,thecasemanagershouldreviewwhatwascompletedsofarbytheteam,andschedulethenextIEPteammeetingwithinthestatutorytimelines.
• Checkinwithalltheteammembersaboutanyunfinishedagendaitems;follow-upthatmightbehelpfulbeforethenextmeeting.
• Ifcopiesofthereportshadnotbeenprovidedpriortooratthemeeting,thecasemanagerconfirmshowcopiesofthereportswillbeprovidedafterthemeetingandaspecifictimeframewhereeveryonewillreceivethecopies.
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• AkeypartoftheIEPwhenitisdevelopedistoestablishaconcreteandspecificcommunicationplan.
• Whattypeofcommunicationworksbestinthisspecificsituation?Dotheparentshaveeasyaccesstoacomputerinordertoreceiveemails?Ifnot,oritisonlyavailableattheirworksite,phonecallsareusuallypreferable.Discusshowfrequentlytherewillbecommunicationbetweentheparentsandthedistrict.Somegoalsmayneedmorefrequentfollow-up.
• Asyoucanseebytheparentcommentsintheprecedingslides,someparentsreceivedminimalfollow-upaftertheIEPmeeting.
• Rememberthatapositiverelationshipwithallteammembersisimportantandthathavingregularandconsistentcommunicationisakeyingredienttobuildingandmaintainingthatrelationship.
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• IfanIEPhasbeendeveloped,useeasytounderstandlanguageandmakesuretouseobjectivecriteriainmeasuringprogress.§ Howwillyoumeasureeachgoal?Whowillmeasurethe
goals?Whenwillyoumeasurethegoals?• Ifpossible,givetheparentacopyoftheIEPatthemeeting.Ifitis
notready,giveaspecificdateonwhichtheywillreceiveitandhow.Forexample,mailedbythedistricttotheparentbyNovember13th.
• Inthemeeting,providefordatesandtimelinesforreviewofthegoalsandcoordinateitwiththecommunicationplanmentionedonthepreviousslide.
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• HerearesomeexamplesofwhattoconsiderwhenwritingtheIEP.
• Readslide• RefertoDPIBulletin10.07DescribingSpecial
Education,RelatedServices,SupplementaryAidsandServices,andProgramModificationsorSupports
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PRESENTERNOTE:Readtheslide.
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PRESENTERNOTE:Readslide.
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• Itisoftenhelpfulforparentsandteacherstoworktogetheron‘funlearningactivities’ thattheparent(s)candoathomewiththeirchild. Theteachercanshowandprovidetothetheparenteasyandfunactivitiesandgamesthataregearedtothechild’sspecificIEPgoalsandlearningstyles. Thiscanbuildastrongparent/teacherteamapproachtohelpingthechilddotheirbestandalsohelpscreatesapositiveparent/teacherrelationship.
• RecentresearchconductedbytheHarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation*showsthatschooldistrictsusingKarenMapp’sFamilyEngagementFramework“linkingfamiliestostudent’slearning” increasedstudents’reading&mathachievementbetween10– 20percentagepoints.
• Forexample(directionsforlettersoundbingo):1.Givethechildthebingocard2.Parentwillcallalettersoundforthechildtofindonthecard3.Thechildwillfindtheletterthatmatchesthesoundthenwilluseacoin/bean/paperscrapasacoverupforthatletteronthebingocard.
*AdualCapacity-BuildingFrameworkforFamily-SchoolPartnerships,2013.PublishedbySEDLandtheU.S.DepartmentofEducation
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PRESENTERNOTE:Readslide.
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PRESENTERNOTE:Qs1&2specificallyrelatetothisfocusareaof“Outcome.” Qs3-7aremoregeneral&alsoincludedaftereachfocusareasection.
Iflimitedtime,youcansuggestthatpeoplethinkaboutthesequestionsontheirown.
Ifmoretime,youcanuseQs1&2andafewfromthegeneralquestions,3-7.Ifwebinar,youcansuggesttypingsomeanswersintothechatbox.
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Ourfourthandfinalfocusareais“Follow-through”.
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• EveryonehasworkedhardtohaveacompletedIEP.• Theteammembershavehopefullybuilttrustintheprocessand
thereisasenseofcommitmentandcompletionwhentheIEPisfinished.
• Allofthatcanbedestroyedifthereislimitedfollow-through.Inadditiontodestroyingthetrustandrapport,thedistricthasalegalobligationtoimplementthetermsoftheIEP.
• Ifthegoalsturnouttobeunrealistic,communicationwiththeIEPteamisessential.TheIEPteammaydecidetoreview/revisetheIEP.
• Keepthepositivecontactthroughouttheyear– ayearlymeetingisnotenoughtosustainarelationship.
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Herearesomecommentsabout“Follow-through”.--------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:Youcaneitherreadtheslideyourself,orasksomeonefromtheaudiencetoreadtheslide.Eachcommentcomesupseparately,soyoucanclickthroughquicklytohavethemallappearatonceifyouwish.
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• SometimesIEPsarenotsenttotheparentinthetimeframethatwaspromised.
• Thedistrictshouldcontacttheparentandexplainthereasonforthedelay.Donotassumethattheparentwillsimplyunderstandthatsomethinghas“comeup” orthattheremustbeareasonablereasonforthedelay.
• LetthemknowwhentoexpecttheIEP.• AboutaweekaftertheIEPissenttotheparent,thecase
managershouldcallandseeiftheparentshaveanyquestionsandtalkaboutthecommunicationplanforthefuture–remindingthemaboutthatportionoftheIEP.
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PRESENTERNOTE:Qs1specificallyrelatestothisfocusareaof“Follow-
through.” Qs2-6aremoregeneral.
Iflimitedtime,youcansuggestthatpeoplethinkaboutthesequestionsontheirown.
Ifmoretime,youcanuseQ1andafewfromthegeneralquestions,2-6.
Ifwebinar,youcansuggesttypingsomeanswersintothechatbox.
Readslide• WehopethatthispresentationhashelpedprovideasolidbasefordevelopingmoreproductiveandfriendlierIEPmeetings.• Weknowthatthesuggestionsmayinvolvemoreworkandmayalsoinvolvespendingmoretimeinthepreparationandplanningstages.However,thoughtfulplanning,solidcommunication,andpositivecontactswillultimatelysavetime.• Whendistrictsandparentshavegoodrelationships,everythingrunsmoresmoothlyandwithlessconflict.• Manyoftheparent/schoolrelationshipswilllastforyears.Rememberinoneslidewesaid“thebeginningimpactstheending.” ThebeginningandplanningstagesofarelationshipandtheveryfirstIEPmeetingwillsetthestageforyearstocome.InvestingtimeandenergyinmakingaproductiveIEPbenefitseveryone.
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Pleasetakeafewminutestocompleteeachsentence….IamgoingtoSTOPdoing…IamgoingtoCONTINUEdoing…IamgoingtoSTARTdoing…
PRESENTERNOTE:Ifwebinar,askparticipantstotypeanswersintothechatbox.
Iftimepermits,youcansolicitaskafewparticipantstosharethingsthattheyaregoingtoStop,Continue,orStartdoing..
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Herearesomeresources.Also,seeadditionalHANDOUT ofResourcesavailabletosupportyoureffortsinachievingproductiveandfriendlyIEPmeetings.
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