Creating Child/Student Centered Outcomes through Collaborative IEPs. Presented by Beth Swedeen and Sue Albert at the 2012 Circles of Life Conference.

1. Creating Child/Student
Centered Outcomes
through Collaborative IEPs
Beth Swedeen and Sue Albert
April 27, 2012
Circles of Life Conference

2. Collaborative IEPs
What do you think is the #1 predictor
of post-school success for students
with disabilities?

3. Collaborative IEPs
This session is premised on these core values…
• Segregated education leads to a segregated life;
inclusive education is the door to an inclusive
life in the community
• Collective thinking is always richer and broader
than a single person’s ideas
• The most important indicator of success is a
child’s academic/social progress and enjoyment
of school

4. Collaborative IEPs
What is a collaborative IEP process?
• The IEP should be a master plan for how a child
will be supported to be successful and make
maximum progress in school
• It should be a living document for the whole
year
• It is not one big meeting once a year

5. Collaborative IEPs
What is a collaborative IEP process?
• It is not just a service plan
• It is developed with a team who work
collaboratively
• It includes school staff, the family, the student
and others who may have useful information
and ideas that would improve the student’s
plan

6. Collaborative IEPs
What is a collaborative IEP?
• A document developed by the family, student,
school and community staff who know the
child/student.
• A document developed by a team who works
collaboratively.
• A document that provides a master plan for
how the child/student will be supported to
maximize progress.

7. Collaborative IEPs
Beginning the collaborative process: building the
team
• Who do you want there
• The LEA rep
• General and Special educators
• The role of the student

8. Collaborative IEPs
What are the steps to a collaborative IEP
meeting?
All IEP members come to the meeting prepared to
share information about the child/student

9. Collaborative IEPs
The flow of the meeting
• Preparing ahead of time
• Why an agenda is important

10. Collaborative IEPs
What are the topic areas discussed at a
collaborative IEP meeting:
• What is the child/student able to do now (strengths,
needs and parent concerns)?
• What are other children/students same age doing?
• What do we want the child/student to be doing one
year from now?
• What services are needed so the child/student can
accomplish these goals?

11. Collaborative IEPs
What are key components to conducting a
collaborative IEP meeting?
• Facilitator
• Time-keeper
• Recorder

12. Collaborative IEPs
Gathering information
• Student history
• Family dreams and goals
• Top areas to focus on for the year
• Strengths and resources
• Concerns for the future

13. Collaborative IEPs
Choosing goals
• Should have a limited number
• Prioritize importance
• Think through the lens:
• age-appropriate • achievable in a year
• useful • based on current level
• in line with student of performance
preference • reflect communication
needs

14. Collaborative IEPs
What is the purpose of goals?
• Reflect the student’s goals and dreams for the
future
• Provide the tools and preparation needed to
live that life

15. Collaborative IEPs
Matching goals with services and supports:
the triangle for success

16. Collaborative IEPs
Personal Supports
Triangle
of
Supports
Curriculum Accommodations Instructional and
and Modifications Assistive Technology
Castagnera, E., Fisher, D., Rodifer, K., Sax, C., & Frey, N. (2003). Deciding what to teach and how to teach it:
Connecting students through curriculum and instruction (2nd ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: PEAK.

17. Collaborative IEPs
Personal Supports
• Full/part-time staff
• Preservice student staff
• Peers
• Can be intermittent
• Preferably fades over time
• Based on student needs, not staff/school
schedules

18. Collaborative IEPs
Curriculum supports

19. Collaborative IEPs
Accommodations: changes to the “how”
• An accommodation provides a student with
access to information to create an equal
opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and
skills.
• Accommodations do not change the
instructional level, content, or performance
criteria for meeting the standards.
the How

20. Collaborative IEPs
Modifications: changes to the “what”
• A modification is a change in what a student is
expected to learn and/or demonstrate.
• While a student may be working on modified
course content, the subject area remains the
same as the rest of the class.
the What

21. Collaborative IEPs
WARNING!
Modifications and accommodations are only as
good as the curriculum they are derived from.
Nothing will compensate for boring, meaningless,
and ineffective instruction and materials.

22. Collaborative IEPs
Technology supports
• Assistive technology
• Low-tech items
• Mid-tech items
• High-tech items

23. Collaborative IEPs
Assistive technology
Assistive technology is any item used to maintain
or improve functional capabilities

24. Collaborative IEPs
Low-tech items
Low-tech items like pencil grips, tilt trays,
magnifiers, and raised line paper.

25. Collaborative IEPs
Mid-tech items
Tape recorders, talking calculators, computers,
and spell checkers.

26. Collaborative IEPs
High-tech items
High-tech items like augmentative communication
devices (ACD), like speech recognition software.
Also can include non-disability technology like:
iPads, cell phones, MP3 players, and alarm clocks.

27. Collaborative IEPs
Other considerations…
• Measuring progress
• Regular communication: what modes are most
effective for you?
• When challenges come up….

28. Collaborative IEPs
A word about placement…
• It is the final consideration in the IEP process
after all other portions have been considered
• Least Restrictive Environment premise: ALL
children are in the general education
classroom; if other locations will be used, there
must be documentation why
• LRE includes extracurriculars and other
activities

29. Collaborative IEPs
Thank you for attending!
• Beth Swedeen, WI-BPDD
beth.swedeen@wisconsin.gov
• Sue Albert, Preschool Environments
susan.albert521@gmail.com