Individual Education Programme
What is an IEP?
The term ‘IEP’ (Individual Education Programme) is widely used and often confused. Many people have come to see it as a document to access teacher aide hours and resources. This is not its purpose. The term has a range of meanings. It can represent:
- the complete cycle of assessment, planning, provision and evaluation
- the meeting at which the individual needs of a student are discussed
- a plan for an individual student
- a documented programme for an individual student.
Sometimes the term ‘Individual Transition Plan’ is also used for students as they prepare to leave school.
Who needs an IEP?
Students with special education needs are learners with a disability, learning difficulty, or behaviour difficulty who require any or all of the following:
- extra assistance, adapted programmes or learning environments
- specialised equipment or materials to support them in special or regular education settings.
These IEP Guidelines are intended to support planning for students:
- verified for support from the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes
- identified for support from the Behaviour Initiative, including support from the Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB)
- identified for support from the Speech-Language Initiative
- identified by their schools for support from their Special Education Grant
- identified for support from other Special Education 2000 initiatives
- identified by their parents and/or teachers as requiring collaborative support.
Note: Students in the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes are required to have a service agreement that links their identified resourcing requirement to their IEP. The service agreement is a separate document from the IEP document.
When is an IEP needed?
An IEP plan is a living document that provides guidance for a student’s programme for a defined period. It is usually reviewed every term, but this may vary depending on the needs of the student and changes in circumstances.
It is needed when:
- barriers to effective learning have been identified which cannot be overcome by regular classroom strategies
- the regular classroom planning cycle does not provide enough support for an individual student
- there are key transition points eg, students are changing class, changing school or preparing to leave school
- there is a change in the student’s personal circumstances such as deterioration in health, emotional trauma, or a substantial gain in skills.
Why is an IEP needed?
An IEP is needed to unite those directly involved with the student by:
- sharing information
- identifying outcomes
- selecting priorities
- planning actions
- agreeing on responsibilities
- determining teaching and support strategies
- deciding on resources (materials and personnel).
It also ensures that schools fulfil their obligations in terms of the:
- National Education Goals
- National Administration Guidelines
- Special Education Policy Guidelines.
An IEP ensures that students with special education needs achieve identified learning outcomes.
Who should contribute to the IEP?
A student with special needs may be the focus of many IEPs during their years at school. Many people from a number of organisations are likely to be involved over this time. Some will physically attend the IEP meetings, more will contribute to the wider IEP process. All should provide a brief written report of their assessment or review findings, current programme and recommendations.
The success of both the IEP meeting and the overall process depends on:
- commitment to listening and valuing all contributions
- clarity of roles and responsibilities of the contributors
THE IEP PROCESS
The IEP process brings together a team of people who are closely involved with the student to plan a programme to meet that student’s needs.
The process is based on the basic teaching model of assessing, objective setting, teaching, monitoring, evaluating, re-assessing and further planning. It provides a systematic approach to programming for a student with special needs.
The core IEP team
Student
Contributes energy and information. Effective implementation of any plan depends on the involvement of the student.
Parent/caregiver
Knows the student in a range of settings and situations. Often the parent is the first to notice small but significant changes in skills and behaviours. Sometimes professionals are concerned that parents may hold unrealistic expectations of their child’s abilities, because students often demonstrate skills within the familiar surroundings of their home before they appear in the school setting.
Classroom teacher
Links the curriculum learning areas, essential skills and classroom programme to the abilities and characteristics of the individual student. The teacher orchestrates the overall planning and classroom programme, monitors student progress, and provides direction to the teacher aide, if there is one.
Key worker
This role may be held by any member of the IEP team who has key responsibility for the programme. The key worker:
- is crucial to the success of the process and programme
- provides the continuity between the IEP meetings and the implementation of the programme
- co-ordinates services across agencies and settings.
The wider IEP team
Family, whanau support
This may include kaumatua, whanau member, friend, relative or parent advocate. These people will be chosen by the parents.
Other school personnel
May include the principal, assistant principal, teacher with responsibility for special needs and other subject teachers.
Specialist teacher
Such as a Resource Teacher of Students with Hearing Impairment, or the Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). This person has specialist qualifications or expertise in assessment, programming and teaching strategies for students with special education needs.
Specialist service provider
Includes Ministry of Education special education staff and other disability, rehabilitation and special needs specialists. They bring in-depth expertise in identification, assessment, programme planning, delivery and evaluation. Some have highly specific expertise in such services as assistive technology (equipment), and rehabilitation after brain injury. They also hold a key role in co-ordinating services across agencies and settings.
Therapist
Includes speech-language therapist, occupational therapist, and physiotherapist. Therapists will provide both hands-on therapies for students, and supervise others (such as parents, teacher aides) in implementing the programme. The key task for education therapists lies in assisting the student to overcome barriers to learning, rather than in achieving clinical outcomes.
Teacher aide
Supports the classroom teacher in implementing the student’s programme. Interactions with the student include physical assistance eg, for personal care, and learning assistance such as providing cues and task organisation. The teacher aide does not have the training to develop individualised teaching strategies, nor to select appropriate learning objectives.
Meeting together
Following assessment the team members meet to pool their knowledge and ideas and make decisions about the student’s programme. Depending on the wishes of the parents this process can take different forms:
- a meeting of the core members of the team plus other members who will provide key information and skills and/or support for parents/student
a meeting with the parents and student and the student’s teacher or key worker who will bring information from other team members to share and discuss.
The parents should be consulted on the venue and time of the meeting. Venues could include:
- parents’ home
- marae
- school
- community centre
- support person/friend/whanau/home.
Serious consideration should be given to including the student in all or part of the meetings whenever possible. Consideration should also be given to the existing commitments of school staff.
Effective IEP meetings have two main functions: task activities and people activities.
The task activities are those that ensure the work of the meeting is achieved. For the IEP meeting these:
- identify the present needs of the student in relation to the important aspects of their life
- identify the achievement objectives and specific learning outcomes that will address these needs
- allocate the roles and responsibilities for planning and implementing programmes to help the student achieve the outcomes
- set a review date where the programmes will be evaluated and further planning will take place.
The people activities of the meeting are those that help the group develop as a team with a common purpose. These:
- ensure everyone has a chance to speak
- ensure everyone understands and is understood
- value and respect all members of the team
- deal with differences of opinion and concerns.
It will be vital to the success of the meeting that team members leave feeling they and their contribution have been valued and included.
For more information go to the Ministry of Education fact sheets at their website
