IEPs today

bobbyss

I suppose this query is for those with experience of doing IEPs.

Must students get any kind of testing (dyslexia for example) or is it enough for staff to say that X is a very weak student and needs extra assistance and therefore needs an IEP?

Are IEPs for adults any different from those of children?

I understand IEPs are legal documents as they are a kind of contract between the student and the school. Does anyone know if any student ever took a case against a school regarding an IEP?

What is the stand of the Unions regarding them today?

Thanks in advance.

CraftySue

IEP's are now called student support plans. They were never legal documents as legislation was never enacted to make them so.

Yes, It's enough for staff to say that X is a very weak student and needs extra assistance. Students receive support depending on need, so those with the most need will receive the most support. Just because a student has a diagnosis, does not necessarily mean they will receive additional support.

Depending on how much support they are receiving they may have a support plan, but not enough administrative time is being given to teachers to write these documents. This was the reason unions did not want teachers participating in their writing of them, however, some students won't receive the necessary support without a support plan (RACE accommodations, NEPs support etc).

Treppen

Be very careful, any document you create on a student is potentially a legal document.

I have heard -all be it second hand- about a school which has legal proceedings taken against. Basically from what I gather the school tried to be forward looking and copy the English system by creating their own version of IEP over 10 years ago.

They set out targets for the student.

Student didn't achieve the targets.

Parents claimed school failed to provide a proper education.

Now that's all I heard so I don't know any more. But in the context of this you can see why the union has concerns.

Also is the teacher indemnified if a case is taken? I believe they are not, so it might be on the teachers head to go and get their own legal advice and the school leaves them in the cold. Which you can see why unions legal doesn't want to be picking up the tab.

Also target setting needs to be appropriate. There's a perception by some teachers for example that a student may be 'cured' of their dyslexia by setting interventions and saying, " by week four the student will be able to read and comprehend 2 paragraphs".

Also unions voted down IEPs because the Epsen act never mentioned anything about funding. Hence why you could have a brand new 'Autism Class' announced by the minister..and the school is expected to put all the trained teachers, snas, ot, ed psychs etc in place. So rightly IEPs are in the same vein.

jayo76

In our school, teachers who have been timetabled learning support classes, say an English teacher teaching 5 Irish exemption students in 2nd year for two periods a week are being asked to submit forms to the AEN co-ordinator twice a year detailing SMART targets etc for these students, strategies employed and so on to go into the student support plan

From my reading of last few posts would this be against Union advice? Teachers were told by the co-ordinator they must do this

am_zarathustra

Treppen is completely right, what expertise would random classroom teachers have to set targets? They won't have done a masters or extra training, so they are being expected to upskill for the sake of a couple of hours on their timetable that might not be there the following year. An outline of lesson plans or something similar might be appropriate, with advice on a program from AEN dept but it isn't reasonable to ask a random Geography teacher to work out from CATs or assessments where the gaps are and how they might be addressed. If everyone could do this without training or a masters then those wouldn't exist.

I'd ask the union rep in the school, no harm being sure of the lines and boundaries and making sure management know too. Anything digital with a child's name is FOIable now too.

byhookorbycrook

I’m primary so have quite a lot of experience with support plans .The 1st step is a classroom support plan. You contact the parent and say that you have opening the plan - and that the focus is on whatever.

A target might be X will be observed to remain on task for a period of 10 minutes on at least 4 out of 5 separate days .

If you Google IEP goal bank, you will find hundreds .

People fear the support file, but in reality , it’s a document that should benefit the student and if nothing else , cover you as well .

You identify an issue and flag it . And you put a simple plan in place , with targets agreed with the parent and perhaps the child .

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473143#Comment_121473143

That's basically the learning support co-ordinators job. They should be co-ordinating it, they are the ones who are most qualified.