Download - How to Conduct Friendly and Productive IEP Meetings” – a · • Welcome to “How to Conduct Friendly and Productive IEP Meetings” – a presentation developed by the Wisconsin

• 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.

--------------------------------------------------------------PRESENTERNOTE:

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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