IEP team & Official district rep federal regs
Advice/regs regarding IEP team members:
First of all did the IEP meet federal (IDEA) and your state requirements (required content, team members, etc.).
Second I would find out what the ODR (official district rep, the person who seems to run the meeting) knowledge, credentials, and background consist of pertaining to spec ed and more specifically your child's disabilities. You can check with your district or your state teacher licensing board to see what s/he is certificated in. The reason I say to do this if you are having IEP meeting problems, is b/c if the ODR lacks what is required under IDEA to be the ODR (official district representative) for your child's IEP team you can send a certified letter to your district spec ed dept requesting an IEP meeting with a different ODR with more qualifications and/or knowledge pertaining to disabilities, programs, IEP's, etc..
Third you need to use standardized test scores or similar to measure progress, not grades (they are too subjective and open to interpretation and vary greatly b/w teachers).
Fourth you need to make your own draft IEP, or outline of things you believe need to be addressed and include any ideas you may have on how to address them.
Here are some Federal regs pertaining to things mentioned above:
The regulation at 34 CFR §300.344(a)(4) provides that the IEP team must include:
(4) A representative of the public agency who--
(i) Is qualified to, provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities;
(ii) Is knowledgeable about the general curriculum; and
(iii) Is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency.
34 CFR §300.344(a)(4).
In addition, paragraph (d) of 34 CFR §300.344 permits a public agency to designate another public agency member of the IEP team to also serve as the agency representative, if the criteria in 34 CFR §300.344(a)(4) are satisfied. 34 CFR §300.344(d).
www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/letters/2000-2/cormany052600iep2q2000.pdf --------------------------------------------------
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CTopicalBrief%2C10%2C --------------------------------------------------
IDEA Regulations
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) TEAM MEETINGS AND CHANGES TO THE IEP
<u>IDEA </u><u>Regulations </u>
1. Identify the members of the IEP Team.
The public agency must ensure that the IEP Team for each child with a disability includes:
• The parents of the child;
• Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be,
participating in the regular education environment);
• Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less
than one special education provider of the child;
• A representative of the public agency (who has certain specific knowledge and qualifications);
• An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results and who may also be one of the other listed members;
• At the discretion of the parent or the agency, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
• Whenever appropriate, the child with a disability.
In accordance with 34 CFR 300.321(a)(7), the public agency must invite a child with a disability to attend the child’s IEP Team meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the
consideration of the postsecondary goals for the child and the transition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals under 34 CFR 300.320(b).
[34 CFR 300.321(a) and (b)(1)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(B)]
Identify instances when an IEP Team member may not need to attend.
A member of the IEP Team described in 34 CFR 300.321(a)(2) through (a)(5) is not required to attend an IEP Team meeting, in whole or in part, if the parent of a child with a disability and the public agency agree, in writing, that the attendance of the member is not necessary because the member's area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting.
A member of the IEP Team described in 34 CFR 300.321(a)(2) through (a)(5) may be excused from attending an IEP Team meeting, in whole or in part, when the meeting involves a modification to or discussion of the member's area of the curriculum or related services, if:
• The parent, in writing, and the public agency consent to the excusal; and
• The member submits, in writing to the parent and the IEP Team, input into the development of the IEP prior to the meeting.
[34 CFR 300.321(e)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(C)]
Require that the notice inform parents of other IEP Team participants.
The notice required under 34 CFR 300.322(a)(1) (regarding an IEP meeting), among other things, must inform the parents of the provisions in 34 CFR 300.321(a)(6) and (c) (relating to the participation of other individuals on the IEP Team who have knowledge or special expertise about the child), and 34 CFR 300.321(f) (relating to the participation of the Part C service coordinator or other representatives of the Part C system at the initial IEP Team meeting for a child previously served under Part C of the IDEA).
[34 CFR 300.322(b)(1)]
idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CTopicalBrief%2C9%2C --------------------------------------------
IDEA–Reauthorized Statute
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/tb-iep.pdf