An IEP can be daunting, especially if you are a new teacher, or haven’t been a part of an IEP process before. IEP is short for Individual Education Plan. It is a written document that is used in schools to help make sure everyone is on the same page when they are working with and supporting a student with additional learning needs.
IEP is short for 'Individual Education Plan'
Let’s explore some ideas that can help make your first IEP meeting a success:
Be prepared
Although this probably goes without saying, preparation is important for an IEP meeting. This is not a time when you want to be rushing in at the last moment, or struggling with internet connections and calls. It is also not the time when you want to be struggling to find the key document or piece of information that is needed in your meeting. Make sure you have checked your documents, written and planned your ideas, confirmed the meeting details and organized a space where you will not be interrupted.
Student focus
The student should be at the heart of everything you do before, during and after the IEP. The ‘I’ in individual refers to the student, and reminds you that they are an individual with their own unique set of learning needs, characteristics and abilities. These should be fundamental to the planning of the IEP and the goals and objectives that are developed within it.
Meeting details
Make sure everyone who will attend the meeting has the details they need – time, date, place, travel arrangements, parking and accessibility are all important for a successful meeting. You will need to decide if the meeting will be a face-to-face or online event., and how much time you should allow for it. Send out the details to everyone who is invited ahead of time, and check-in with parents individually to make sure they know how to reach you at the last minute if there is a problem or they cannot find the right location or log in to an online meeting.
Confirm the time, date, place and accessibility plans for the meeting
Parents as experts
Parents and caregivers are generally pretty expert at both knowing the needs and abilities of their own child and at participating in meetings. They are likely to have already met with many different professionals and education workers before now, and will come to the table with a host of experiences that will guide the way they participate. Encourage the parent to be the expert in their own child, but also remember that you are an expert in your own field and in your classroom.
Safe space
Make sure the meeting is structured so it is a safe space. It should feel warm, inviting and supportive. No one should enter the meeting feeling intimidated, worried or stressed by being there. Think about all the things you can do to make the meeting feel and be a safe space for everyone. This could include placement of furniture, use of technology, meeting agenda and minute taking, use of a professional interpreter and use of plain English documents. Some successful IEP meetings are not run in a meeting room at all, but rather in a friendly, outdoor neutral space such as a coffee shop or park.
Host the IEP meeting in a space which feels safe for everyone
Measurable goals and objectives
Remind yourself that the purpose of the meeting is to establish new goals and objectives and to report on progress. A goal is a longer-term, overarching statement while an objective is a shorter duration statement with a single focus. Both goals and objectives are important for students and they should relate closely to each other. Make sure they are clear, achievable and able to be measured. Assign a date for progress reporting for each objective, and be clear about what success will look like. Make sure you include the student in setting goals and objectives, by asking open or closed questions, providing a choice using the student’s preferred communication method or inviting them to speak at the meeting.
If you don't measure it, you can't report on it
Celebrate achievements
Take the time to celebrate what has been achieved towards goals and objectives and make sure you acknowledge the involvement of the student and their parents and caregivers as well as other significant people. There is often a team of people behind every learning success, and it is vital that their efforts are recognized. You can bring in photos of successful activities from the classroom or community experiences, talk about items from a reflection journal or show a piece of work the student has completed. Make sure you have the permission of the student before you share their image or work with others in the IEP team.
Allow time for following up
It is possible that you will not resolve all the issues or complete all the work that is needed during an IEP meeting. People may have questions or need to do some research prior to finalizing objectives or they may simply need time to think and reflect. Allow some time before you finalize the IEP meeting notes and documentation, and be prepared to do the work needed to follow up any loose ends. This can be a time when you make individual contact with a parent or other worker and allow them to voice any concerns or ideas that were not addressed for them in the meeting.
Student focus
Read through the IEP document or a modified version of it with the student. Seek their approval before submitting or filing the IEP within your school administrative systems. Make sure the student is happy with what has been discussed and agreed to at the meeting. You could make a version of the IEP that uses Plain English or which has graphics or illustrations added to build understanding. Remind everyone in the IEP team that the student must be the central focus of the document and they need to have the final say in how it affects their learning and activities in the classroom and beyond.
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