An Individualized Education Plan(IEP) is a document created so that educators can follow and deliver a student’s educational needs. The IEP is created for students between ages and three and twenty-one. 

There are 7 steps to to identifying and referring a student. As in RTI the first step is Pre-referral. 

During Pre-referral parental consent is obtained and then there are a series of interventions that happen which aim to document student difficulties, test accommodations and modifications, and monitor student progress. These are used to screen students and check that changes in behavior and emotions can be solved in the general classroom before referring the student for special education. Educators should consult with specialists during this time to modify and accommodate their practices for the student. If none of this is successful the student is then referred.

Once this happens steps will be taken to determine whether the student has a disability. Many things are taken into account for this such as relationships, performance in school, and home life. These are monitored to collect data. This data is then used by a multidisciplinary team to decide the student’s needs. 

Assessment is important. Here, it is determined whether a student has a disability, if they require special education, and what services the student needs. A team of specialists evaluates the student using many different data sources including interpersonal relationships, school assessments, and less formal assessments. Here, one result can be that the student does not have a disability. If it is determined that the student does have a disability the data found here is used to determine what services are needed and individualize it for the student. This ensures the student will receive a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. 

At this stage, the parent and the IEP team use the data collected to determine services the student needs. This includes resources that will help the student access the general education classroom. The IEP works like a road map for the the educational goals of the student. These goals should reflect greater success in the curriculum or preparation for the student’s later life. Once developed, the student’s IEP is implemented. This states exactly what is appropriate for the student, the accommodations the student will receive. If a student is not within the general education curriculum the IEP also states alternative assessment procedures. If major changes to the student’s goals are made the IEP should be modified and the parents must be notified in writing. 

In most states, student’s IEPs are reviewed annually. The purpose of these reviews are to ensure the student is meeting their goals. Accountability is used to measure the student’s success. Because of this educators are very careful to describe the skills the students need to learn.   

(The National Center for Learning Disabilities). 2012, 8/30). What is an IEP? 

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2XlAWcMAUk

In Tier One all students receive instruction. Periodically, all students are screened to help identify students who are at risk. These students then receive supplemental instruction in the general education classroom. Students who do not show adequate progress move on to Tier Two.

Tier Two students are introduced to increasing intense instruction. These interventions are presented in small group settings as well as in the general education setting. Students who continue to show no progress in this setting are moved to Tier Three. 

At Tier Three students receive individualized instruction. This instruction targets the student’s deficit skills. If students still show no progress they are then referred for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Act.  

The IDEA was signed into law originally by President Ford in 1975. This law made free and appropriate education available to all students and ensures these students have special needs services. The IDEA also ensures a Free and Appropriate Education(FAPE) and an education in the Least Restrictive Environment(LRE).

The Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) is another law which states that employers may not discriminate against employees with disabilities. Employers must also provide accommodations for the employee. Additionally, the ADA requires public buildings to make accommodations for those with disabilities such as physical barriers being removed and buses being accessible.    

       

In One Teach/One Observe, as the name suggests, one teacher leads and the other collects data from the classroom. Here, the observing teacher can collect data for the IEP or check to make sure students have appropriately understood the material before moving on to the next topic. This model uses less co-planning time and is often used in secondary school. The observing teacher can also support positive behaviors while the students work. 

In Team Teaching both educators share the job of planning, delivering, instructions, and assessment. Co-teachers should plan sections of the lesson that each will teach to be better prepared. They should be prepared to jump in to clarify concepts and pose questions. 

Parallel Teaching involves splitting the students into two groups each taught by one teacher. The groups cover the same content but because there are fewer students per teacher the students have more opportunities. These groups can be homogeneous or heterogeneous and it’s important to recognize each group’s goals and allow for movement between them. Groups that are heterogeneous can be split in many different ways such as students who need remedial help and students who need more complex work. 

Station Teaching is a model which is also sometimes known as Centers. It is often used in Primary Education but can be used at all education levels. In this model, the educator teaches smaller groupings of students different content. As with Parallel teaching, the groups can be homogeneous or heterogeneous.

One Teach/One Drifts is often used as a support role. In this model one educator teaches while the other floats. The floater can be used to distribute supplies, check for understanding, and aid the students.   

 
The website Quizlet not only allows you to make your own flashcards, but also to engage in different learning games with them. The different modes allow for a certain amount of individualization for the student to better help them learn. These modes vary from Learn which gives you the definition and asks you to name the disability, traditional flashcards, Write which gives the student a fill in the blank answer, Spell which has the added benefit of having the computer read aloud to the student, and Test which mixes all the modes. Using this website, I think, at least in some ways makes using this artifact more inclusive for students. 

The third artifact deals with legislation and while all of the laws leading to the Individuals With Disability Act(IDEA) are important, as a class we seemed to focus on the IDEA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and No Child Left Behind. Because of this, I focused on those in the brief synopsis I typed and also created a timeline highlighting important points from the three for easy reference. I personally think when teaching the history of special education it helps to begin with these three and then go further in depth with the other legislation that helped make education as inclusive as it is today.  

With the IEP I found I learned it best when I paraphrased the steps of the IEP process along with other Special Education steps. I think, as a beginner myself who is still learning about the process, it helps to have someone break it down in simpler terms than many of our texts did. Aside from that, I also included a video What is an IEP?(The National Center for Learning Disabilities) which gives a more thorough explanation from a trained professional. 

The fifth artifact related to positive behavior and supports is something that I really became interested in over the semester. I reminded of the quote at the bottom of the artifact from The Catcher in the Rye because this competency really stresses how educators make a very real and lasting change in student's lives. Educators can help students realize how much they can do and guide them towards being successful, but only if they manage their classrooms well and understand how to best work for the students.

The final artifact, related to co-teaching I chose to do simply as audio with the script presented as well. I had used video and images, and although the video includes audio, I wanted to touch all the bases. One thing I learned throughout the class and especially from the presentations is how helpful having a script to reference can be.  

Looking at this holistically, I think it’s a useful tool and portfolio not only for myself, but also for anyone who is beginning to educate themselves on special education. It’s easy to look at something as large as the topics we covered in class over a semester and not know where to begin, but these artifacts give some information and allow for exploration in more than one way and often with more than one sense. As a first semester graduate student I sometimes get the picture of traditional lecture classes in my head which I think is what the first artifact about categories portrays, but as you progress you notice there’s so many more ways to convey and communicate ideas. It’s important to allow students the modifications and accommodations they need such as a video that teaches or desks with tennis balls on their feet to avoid loud noises. Simplified aids to texts such as timelines can help reinforce important information as well as interactive study aides like flashcards. Educators need to be cognizant of what their students require, which the IEP should inform them of, but they also need to be up to date on current special education methods and actively seek to make their classrooms as inclusive as possible for all students.  

Lee, A. M. (n.d.). The 13 Conditions Covered Under IDEA. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/conditions-covered-under-idea

(The National Center for Learning Disabilities). 2012, 8/30). What is an IEP? 

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2XlAWcMAUk

Anagha Wankhede. (16/07/2016). Insightful Quotes (Infograph) Retrieved from https://reacho.in/discover/10-insightful-quotes-from-the-catcher-in-the-rye-thatll-make-you-want-to-devour-the-book-rightaway