Over the years, IEPs have evolved into documents that too often contain little useful information about how a student is progressing in the general education curriculum. Meanwhile, they have become burdensome to write and a few too many classroom teachers regard them as irrelevant.

Participants will explore the implications for accessing the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. Participants will focus on the use of data and curriculum standards to guide decisions throughout the IEP process including:

• Determining present levels of performance;
• Establishing challenging and measurable goals and benchmarks; and
• Progress monitoring of IEPs.

Participants will learn how to identify relevant sources of educational data in order to develop IEPs, identify a variety of progress monitoring strategies, develop relevant student profiles, and articulate the impact of disability in ways that enhance the classroom teacher’s ability to support a student.

Finally, participants will learn how to establish baseline information for present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, project the progress a student is expected to achieve in a year, write measurable goals that address academic, behavioral, related service and/or transition issues, and develop criteria for assessing educational benefit.

Target Audience: special education teachers and administrators

Option A: One or Two-Day Workshop: The purpose of this training is to build general awareness about using the IEP to create connections to the general education curriculum.

Option B: Training & Consulting Series: This option is for schools/districts who wish to place a priority on this topic.

Option C: Five Day Summer Institute with Consulting During School Year: As with Option 2, this is for schools/districts for whom this topic is a priority. Building on the information provided in the one-day workshop, this 5-day, professional development program will provide a comprehensive look at the many variables reshaping the field of special education as we know it. At the end of this Institute, participants will be able to:

1. Connect Curriculum Frameworks, district benchmarks and IEPs;
2. Utilize a range of progress monitoring tools;
3. Articulate the impact of disability in ways that enhance the classroom teacher’s ability to support students;
4. Establish baseline information for present levels of academic achievement and functional performance;
5. Project the progress a student is expected to achieve in a year;
6. Write measurable goals that address academic, behavioral, related service and/or transition issues;
7. Collaborate with general educators throughout the IEP process;
8. Plan appropriate instructional and assessment accommodations; and
9. Anticipate the natural transition points in a student’s life and their implications for IEP planning.