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My professional perspective comes from working as the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) Coordinator and bilingual teacher. I was the LPAC coordinator for six years, and I was often invited to assist in Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) meetings as the interpreter. This Padlet was specifically created to aid teachers and parents while creating Individualize Education Plan (IEP) goals. After participating in many meetings, I often notice that the goals were created prior to the meeting by the special education teacher without the input of the general education teacher or the parents. Lack of communication among the special education teacher, the general education teacher, and the parents often lead to unsuccessful goals in a child's In IEP. As a future counselor, collaborating in the formation of IEPs is essential to assure students needs are addressed and met.

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I interviewed Ms. Laure Colvin, the counselor for Como-Pickton Junior High. Ms. Colvin has been a counselor for 17 years and we talked about challenges that general education teachers and parents face while developing IEPs, and how counselors can help in the process.
Ms. Colvin explained to me that Individualize Education Program (IEP), is a regulation that falls under the  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA ensures that students with dissabilities receive free and appropiate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive enviorment (LRE).

What challenges do general education teachers and parents encounter while creating an IEP?
Ms. Colvin shared with me that during the creation of the IEPs, parents often feel like they don't have enough input in their child's IEPs because they lack knowledge on the subject. Parents often feel uncomfortable asking questions during the meetings because they are afraid to be perceived as dumb, (Colvin, 2019). As for general education teachers, Ms. Colvin shared that most of them feel overwhelmed due to that fact that special education teachers create goals they are familiar with without the collaboration of the general education teachers. Once general education teachers receive the goals, they experience frustration because they were not involved in the creation of the goals and do not receive any training on how to apply the goals (Colvin, personal communication, July 3, 2019).

How can counselors assist during IEPs meetings?
Under the IDEA, it is required that a committee meets. The committee includes, the parents, administrator, special education teachers, and general education teacher. Although the presence of the school counselor is not required, the counselor may assist as a facilitator during these meetings to advocate for the student. The counselor may also assist the members of the committee by creating a more inviting environment to avoid conflict due to multiple views and inputs (Colvin, personal communication, July 3, 2019).

Best Practices for creating IEPs:

Create student-focused IEP goals that include SMART (speciﬁc, measurable, use action words, are realistic and relevant, and time-limited).

Increase parent participation in the process.

Setting time aside for special education teacher and general education teacher collaboration.

Emerging Issues:
IEPs are the documents that establish goals, modification and accommodation for students with disabilities to receive adequate education within their abilities and in the least restrictive environment. Establishing unrealistic goals due to the lack of input from the people that are frequently involved with the child has been an ongoing issue. The heavy involvement of parents and the collaboration among teachers can aid in addressing this issue.

Laure Colvin, personal communication, July 3, 2019.

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Slide # 3 National Association of Special Education Teachers

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Slide # 3 National Association of Special Education Teachers

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The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET), is a professional organization dedicated to meet the needs of special education teachers. The organization offers online support and professional development  for special education teachers. These are among the many professional resources that can be found on their website:

Board Certification in Special Education

Exceptional Students and Disability Information

Resources for Special Education Teachers

Forms, Tables, Checklists, and Procedures for Special Education Teachers

IEP Development

Literacy - Teaching Literacy in English to K-5 English Learners

Professional Development Program (PDP) Free to NASET Members

Special Education and the Law

Transition Services

The website provides educators with support and resources to achieve high quality education programs.

National Association of Special Education Teachers. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=exceptionalstudents2

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Slide # 4 Most Classroom Teachers Feel Unprepared to Support Students With Disabilities

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Slide # 4 Most Classroom Teachers Feel Unprepared to Support Students With Disabilities

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This article discusses the results of a survey from 1,350 teachers, conducted by National Center for Learning Disabilities and Understood.org. The purpose of the survey was to find out how equipped general education teachers feel to teach students with disabilities and these were the findings.

Only 30% of the teachers on this survey feel like they are well prepared to teach students with disabilities.

One third of the teachers reported to not have ever received training on special education.

Teachers that reported to have received some kind of training, felt the courses left them unprepared.

General education teachers lack training on how to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

The results of this survey show the concerns that special education teachers expressed in a survey released by the Council for Exceptional Children earlier this year. Special education teachers discussed their concerns over the abilities general education teachers have in working with special students. According to the article, the two surveys show the difference in how special education (SPED) teachers and general education teachers view IEPs. The SPED teacher believes the IEPs are very important in order for students to reach success while the regular education teachers feel IEPs are more paperwork. However, the research also shows that general education teachers are eager and open to learn on how to better support their students with disabilities.

Mitchelle, C. (2019, May 29). Most Classroom Teachers Feel Unprepared to Support Students With Disabilities. Education Week's Blog. Retrieved from: https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2019/05/teachers_feel_unprepared_to_teach_students_with_disabilities.html?r=1351872295

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Slide #5 Feds say Texas Illegally Failed to Educate Students with Disabilities

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Slide #5 Feds say Texas Illegally Failed to Educate Students with Disabilities

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"A U.S. Department of Education investigation concluded Thursday that Texas violated federal law by failing to ensure students with disabilities were properly evaluated and provided with an adequate public education" (Swaby, 2018). Texas Education Agency (TEA) had to go under investigation due to allegations from the Houston Chronicle accusing TEA from denying support and services stated under The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to students across Texas. TEA has denied accusations, however, the U.S. Department found during the investigation, that TEA was not complying with law requirements. TEA must immediately take action and provide:

Documentation that shows school districts are properly evaluating students.

A timeline that includes evaluations of students who were previously denied services.

Educators with guidance and resources to properly identify and support students with disabilities.

Governor Gregg Abbott has demanded TEA to develop legislative recommendations to help ensure districts comply with federal and state special education laws (Abbott, 2018).

Swaby, A. (2018, Jan 11). Feds say Texas illegally failed to educate students with disabilities. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved from: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/01/11/federal-special-education-monitoring-report/

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14 th Amendment
Constitutional Law

The 14th Amendment creates the foundation for educational equity. "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" (U.S. Const. Amend. XIV). This means that regardless of ones religion, citizenship, color, and disability, the state must provide free and public education to any one within the jurisdiction.

U.S. Const. Amend. XIV
https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2016/07/08/amending-america-the-14th-amendment/

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (42USC § 12101 )
Statutory Law

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is a federal law that assures students with disabilities access to education and appropriate services to meet their needs. The Act was originally known as the Education of Handicapped Children Act of 1975. The act was amended in 1990 changing its name to IDEA. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that all students with disabilities have access to adequate education, protect the rights of students with disabilities, aid education agencies in the implementation of services, provide support for parents and educators, while providing tools to improve education for students with disabilities.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C § 12101)

http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section12101&num=0&edition=prelim

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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Statutory Law

Section 504 is the first civil rights law enacted by the United States to eliminate discrimination in the basis of disability to any institution receiving federal funding. Section 504 guarantees certain rights to students with disabilities and the access to free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children regardless of their disability. Section 504 states, "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” (34 CFR§104).

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794)
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=adb2207cd6a3fc53ed52a795084e861b&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title34/34cfr104_main_02.tpl

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The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee (19 Chapter 89 TAC § 89.1050)
Administrative Law

Under law, every school district is required to establish an admission, review and dismissal committee to ensure that federal laws and regulations specified on 34 Code of Federal Regulations are met. The ARD committee should include a parent or guardian, special education teacher, regular education teacher, administrator, diagnostician, and an interpreter if the student has been identified as an English language learner. The committee works together to develop a plan tailored to meet the students needs.
The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee (T.A.C § 89.1050)

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter089/ch089aa.html#division2

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Princeton Independent School District (PISD)

"Princeton ISD’s goal is to provide appropriate educational services that are designed to meet the individual needs of qualified students to the same extent that the needs of students without a disability are met" (PISD, 2018, p. 3).

Princeton also has set policies for teacher development in order to offer best practices for students and comply with State requirements:

Princeton ISD endorses the position that quality staff development cannot be overemphasized.  Princeton ISD will ensure that all teachers receive ongoing, in depth staff development for teaching students with disabilities. The district shall provide training through district and/or campus in-service sessions or Region 10 Educational Service Center, (PISD, 2018, p.3).

Princeton Independent School District.(2018). PISD Handbook. Retrieved from: https://www.princetonisd.net/cms/lib/TX01001410/Centricity/Domain/21/Section%20504%20Handbook%202018%20English.pdf

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Slide # 11 American School Counseling Association Ethical standards for school counselors

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Slide # 11 American School Counseling Association Ethical standards for school counselors

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A.10. Underserved and At-Risk Populations
f. "Advocate for the equal right and access to free, appropriate public education for all youth, in which students are not stigmatized or isolated based on their housing status, disability, foster care, special education status, mental health or any other exceptionality or special need."

In my future role as a school counselor, I will advocate for every student to receive an equal opportunity to an education that will allow them to develop academically, personally and socially. I will collaborate with teachers, administrators, and parents to create plans that will address the needs of each student.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical standards for school counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

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Slide # 12 The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child

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Slide # 12 The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child

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This book provides parents with useful information for understanding the complicated procedures of IEPs. It explains the rights and requirements that take part of the IEP process. The tools provided by the book will aid parents in making adequate decisions while advocating for their child to receive the best services possible.

Siegel, L. (2011, March 10). The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Berkeley, Calif: NOLO.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-IEP-Guide-Advocate-Special/dp/1413313132

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Best Practices and recommendations:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 requires that a committee creates an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to provide students with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).

The IDEA promotes parent involvment to allow parents to be active in the decisions made on their child IEPs.

Collaboration among teachers and parents creates IEPs that are student focused and attainable.

Strength based IEPs allow for students to utilize their strength to reach annual goals.

Creating "SMART" IEP goals targets specific skills allowing students to reach their potential.

A data collection system to analyze goals and objectives set on the IEP.

As a future counselor, it is essential that I stay up to date on policies, student progress and interventions to advocate for an adequate education. The ASCA states that as a counselor, one must "Recognize the strengths of students with disabilities as well as their challenges and provide best practices and current research in supporting their academic, career and social/emotional needs"(ASCA, 2016).

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical standards for school counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C § 12101)

The Understood for Educators Team. (2019).  Understanding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans. Retrieved from:
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/learning-and-attention-issues-basics/deep-dive-article-page