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Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
Educational Benefit Review
Training of Trainers for IU TaC
February 3, 2012
PaTTAN’s Mission
The mission of the Pennsylvania
Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN) is to support the
efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of
Special Education, and to build the
capacity of local educational agencies
to serve students who receive special
education services.
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PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Our goal for each child is to ensure
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
teams begin with the general
education setting with the use of
Supplementary Aids and Services
before considering a
more restrictive environment.
Training Outcomes
Trainers will be able to:
• Present the Legal Basis for Educational Benefit Review
(EBR)
• Describe the 4-step process of Educational Benefit
Review (EBR)
• Describe the application of EBR as a tool for LEAs
• Present an EBR training to LEAs
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Role of TaC in EBR Process
Trainers (TaC)…
• are FACILITATORS
• train LEAs in EBR procedures ONLY
• are NOT a part of the EBR process
• DO NOT help LEAs make decisions about the
process or educational benefit
• are not responsible for the LEA’s EBR process
Materials Needed for Training
1. EBR PowerPoint
2. EBR PPT Handout
3. EBR Steps
4. EBR Worksheet
5. EBR Standards to be Met
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Training Materials on CD
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
Educational Benefit Review
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PaTTAN’s Mission
The mission of the Pennsylvania
Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN) is to support the
efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of
Special Education, and to build the
capacity of local educational agencies
to serve students who receive special
education services.
PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Our goal for each child is to ensure
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
teams begin with the general
education setting with the use of
Supplementary Aids and Services
before considering a
more restrictive environment.
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Training Outcomes
Participants will:
• Identify the Legal Basis for Educational Benefit
Review (EBR)
• Describe and implement the four-step process
of Educational Benefit Review (EBR)
• Use the EBR as a tool for improvement of IEP
development, progress monitoring and
determining educational benefit for students
with disabilities
EBR: LEGAL BASIS
Educational Benefit Review
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Rowley (Supreme Court 1982)
Define a two-pronged test to determine if IEP
was appropriately developed:
1. Does IEP meet procedural compliance?
2. Was IEP reasonably calculated to enable child to receive
educational benefit?
►But, what is “educational benefit”?
Rowley Standard
►Defined educational benefit as “if the student
derives more than minimal or trivial progress”
►Did not require schools to maximize a
student’s potential
►Provided access, but did not require identical
access
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How does Rowley align with the standards movement,
IDEA 2004 & NCLB?
►Rowley set a threshold that districts need only
provide a "basic floor of opportunity" for
students with disabilities. IDEA '04 furthers the
Rowley standard because it:
– Adds emphasis on functional and developmental
performance.
– Requires that programs be based on peer-reviewed
research.
– Requires more comprehensive transition plans.
– Requires highly qualified staff.
How does Rowley align with the standards
movement, IDEA 2004 & NCLB?
►Under NCLB, state content standards must:
– Specify what children are expected to know and do.
– Contain rigorous content.
– Encourage the teaching of advanced skills.
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Educational Benefit Post-IDEA 2004
► IEP identifies present levels, needs related to disability and impact on involvement/progress in general curriculum
► Measurable annual goals
► Services planned to support progress toward goals and in general curriculum
► Education in LRE, participation in extracurricular & other nonacademic activities
► Transition needs are addressed (14-21)
► IEP adjusted if progress not made
Measuring Educational Benefit
Can be measured in a variety of ways
►Achieving passing marks
►Advancing from grade to grade
►Making progress toward meeting annual goals
►Improving scores on statewide/district wide
assessments & alternate assessment measures
►Graduating with a regular diploma
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Educational Benefit Review Process
►Focus is on second part of Rowley
Determine whether design of IEP is
reasonably calculated for student
to receive educational benefit
EBR: A FOUR STEP PROCESS
Educational Benefit Review
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EBR: A Four Step Process
1. Record IEP information for 3-years
2. Analyze relationships among components
3. Compare progress across consecutive IEPs
4. Look for patterns and determine if IEP was
reasonably calculated to result in educational
benefit
Educational Benefit Review (EBR)
►Purpose
– Determine if the student’s IEP is reasonably calculated for the student to achieve educational benefit
►Sample parameters
– 10 records over 3 years
– Stratified random sample
– All primary disability categories
– Elem / Middle / High School
►Team members
– Special Education Teacher
– General Education Teacher
– Someone knowledgeable about the programs
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Conducting the EBR
►Review student record for three years
– Chart IEP information
– Analyze relationships among components
– Compare progress and look for patterns
– Determine if the IEP was reasonably calculated to
result in educational benefit
– Complete the 10 questions for each student in the
sample
Step One: Chart IEP Information
►Copy verbatim phrases from IEP
►Abbreviations are acceptable, but do not
paraphrase or summarize
►Capture progress from progress reports, test
scores, report card grades and comments
►Identify sections (academic, social, physical) or
content areas (ELA, Math…) for better
organization
►Was IEP adjusted?
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EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT REVIEW WORKSHEET
Instructions: School districts participating in LRE Focused Monitoring are required to use this worksheet to address the Educational Benefit Review (EBR) in FSA #3. The school
district is to form a team, and complete one worksheet for each student on the EBR/FSA #3 list provided to the district by the BSE. The school district is to have the completed
worksheet for each student , as well as each student’s educational record, available for review by the BSE team chairperson during the onsite review.
The overall purpose of the EBR process is to determine whether the IEP was reasonably calculated to provide for educational benefit. Specific instructions about how to complete
the EBR were provided by the BSE during the monitoring training.
Name of Student ___________________________ School District ___________________________
Student’s ID Number ________________________
Present Levels of Performance
Needs/Concerns Annual Goals/Accommodations & Modifications
Services/Placement Progress Was IEP Adjusted?
EBR Chart
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Step Two: Analyze Relationships
►Consider each IEP (years) separately
►Determine alignment – the district
relationship between two or more
components (column to column)
►Look for patterns of progress across years
►Broken chains may indicate gaps
Step Three: Compare to Prior Years
►What about items that are on one year but not
other years?
►What if an item disappears from one year to
the next? Why did it disappear? Was the goal
achieved?
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Step Four: EBR Decision
1. Are the assessments complete and do they identify all of the student's needs, including postsecondary outcomes and/or career assessment/functional vocational evaluation for secondary students?
2. In Year 3, does the IEP, through the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement or other IEP information, identify all of the student's significant needs?
3. In Year 3, are all of the student's needs addressed by goals and objectives, transition services, and/or supplementary aids and services, including, for secondary students, postsecondary outcomes, preferences, and interests?
4. In Year 3, are there programs and services to support all of the student’s goals and objectives?
EBR Decision
5. Do the transition services provided for the student over the
three year period of review represent a coordinated set of activities
related to the student’s vision for adult life?
6. In reviewing the comparison of the PLAAFP from Year 1 to Year
2 and from Year 2 to Year 3, if the student did not make progress,
were the goals and objectives, transition activities, or programs and
services in Year 3 changed in the IEP to facilitate the student's future
progress?
7. In reviewing the comparison of the PLAAFP from Year 1 to Year
2 and from Year 2 to Year 3, if the student did make progress, were
the goals and objectives, transition activities, or programs and
services in Year 3 changed in the IEP to facilitate the student's future
progress, including participation in general education?
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EBR Decision
8. Were sufficient services provided to ensure that the student would make progress?
9. Is this student provided with supplementary aids and services to support participation in extracurricular and non-academic activities if determined to be needed by the IEP team?
10. Based upon the review of Worksheets Year 1, 2 and 3 and questions # 1-9 above, the school district has determined that the student has received educational benefit?
What did you Find?
►When you review multiple IEPs, you will begin to see patterns of issues
►These patterns may identify:
– Professional development need areas
– District policies/practices needing revision or improvement
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Questions?
Contact Information www.pattan.net
Insert your contact
information here
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Tom Corbett, Governor
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary
Dr. Carolyn Dumaresq, Deputy Secretary
Office for Elementary and Secondary Education
John J. Tommasini, Director
Bureau of Special Education
Patricia Hozella, Assistant Director
Bureau of Special Education
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Questions?
Follow Up
• Look for training materials CD to
arrive via mail in the next week
• Review materials and call if you
have any questions or concerns
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Training Evaluation
• Complete the Training Evaluation and Assessment of
Learning Outcomes
• The link to the electronic evaluation is:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22ELNPSKSQ2
• We appreciate your honest feedback
Contact Information www.pattan.net
Patrick Scanlon
724-465-6535
Donna
Westbrooks-Martin
1-800-446-5607 x6854
To receive a training CD, please
contact:
Kristen Olszyck
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Tom Corbett, Governor
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary
Dr. Carolyn Dumaresq, Deputy Secretary
Office for Elementary and Secondary Education
John J. Tommasini, Director
Bureau of Special Education
Patricia Hozella, Assistant Director
Bureau of Special Education
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