Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

C. Developing an Individual Education Plan

C.3 Planning

At its core the planning process is the same for all students: it is a collaborative process in which the student, the parents and educators identify educational goals that are appropriate to the student, and the ways of attaining them. For students with special needs it is important that the planning process begin at school entry or as soon as their special needs become known. This process results in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which identifies appropriate goals and objectives, and describes the nature of the commitments which the educational system makes to assist the student in attaining these goals and objectives.

Over the length of their school experience, students with special needs may experience a number of significant transitional steps: from home to kindergarten, from elementary school to secondary school, from program to program, from one school to another, from school to adulthood. Careful and sensitive planning should be undertaken within an IEP that addresses the needs of the student and the family members involved as they pass through each transition. Early introduction to the new environment or staff, assignment of a school "buddy", or early provision of information on timetables and school organization are examples of transition support.

It is important that students with special needs take an active role in the design of their IEPs to the maximum extent that their developmental level and ability permit. Factors affecting student participation in the development of an IEP include: age, level of maturity, and capacity for sustained, considered deliberation based on awareness of possibilities and consequences.

For students with special needs moving into adulthood, transition planning is a key element of their Individual Education Plan. This transition planning should include a statement of transition goals and, where appropriate, should identify inter-agency responsibilities or linkages that should occur before the student leaves the school setting. The school is in a key position to provide a variety of co-ordinated activities that lead to employment and/or further education for students with special needs. The commitment should be to early, collaborative and well-planned transitions from school to further training, supported work, or other environments. The success of an individual student in accessing post-secondary options and necessary supports for the future depends in part on consistent information flow and advanced planning, as well as establishing firm linkages with other available agencies and community partners.

The transition plan in the IEP should incorporate the elements outlined in the Graduation Portfolio Transition Plan which include career, education and personal goals. (See Appendix H.14 Transition Planning).

The Individual Education Plan (IEP)

What is an IEP?
An IEP is a documented plan developed for a student with special needs that describes individualized goals, adaptations, modifications, the services to be provided, and includes measures for tracking achievement.

It serves as a tool for collaborative planning among the school, the parents, the student (where appropriate) and, as necessary, school district personnel, other ministries and/or community agencies.

Typically an IEP includes individualized goals with measurable objectives, adaptations and/or modifications where appropriate, the strategies to meet these goals, and measures for tracking student achievement in relation to the goals. It also documents the special education services being provided as these relate to the student’s identified needs.

Some students require small adaptations and minimum levels of support; other students with more complex needs may require detailed planning for educational modifications, adaptive technologies, or health care plans. The IEP will reflect the complexity of the student's need and, accordingly, can be brief or more detailed and lengthy.

What is an IEP for?
The development of an IEP serves a number of purposes:

• It formalizes planning decisions and processes, linking assessment with programming.
• It provides teachers, parents, and students with a record of the educational program for an individual student with special needs, and serves as the basis for reporting the student's progress.
• It serves as a tool for tracking individual student learning in terms of agreed-upon goals and objectives.
• It documents the relationships between any support services being provided and the student's educational program.
• It provides parents and students with a mechanism for input into the individualized planning process.

IEP documentation provides evidence that:

• the parent and/or student were offered the opportunity to be consulted about the preparation of the IEP;
• the student is receiving learning activities in accordance with IEP; and
• the IEP is reviewed at least once each school year.

What must an IEP contain?
The IEP document does not describe every aspect of the student's program. It makes reference to those aspects of the education program that are adapted or have been modified, and identifies the support services to be provided. IEP learning outcomes are often described as goals and objectives

An IEP must have one or more of the following:

• the goals or outcomes set for that student for that school year where they are different from the learning outcomes set out in an applicable educational program guide; or
• a list of the support services required to achieve goals established for the student; or
• a list of the adaptations to educational materials, instructional strategies or assessment methods.

An IEP should also include the following:

• the present levels of educational performance of the student;
• the setting where the educational program is to be provided;
• the names of all personnel who will be providing the educational program and the support services for the student during the school year;
• the period of time and process for review of the IEP;
• evidence of evaluation or review, which could include revisions made to the plan and the tracking of achievement in relation to goals; and
• plans for the next transition point in the student's education (including transitions beyond school completion) and linkages to Graduation Portfolio during Grades 10-12.

• be set at a high but attainable level to encourage parents, students and staff to hold high expectations.
• be accompanied by measurable objectives developed for each goal to enable IEP review and evaluation.

The IEP may be brief, or it may be more detailed and complex, depending on the complexity of the student's needs. For example, the IEP for a student who needs examinations with adaptations and support with note-taking can be relatively simple. In contrast, a student with multiple disabilities who requires the involvement of a variety of professionals, adaptive technologies and major curricular modifications will require a much more extensive IEP.

Who develops the IEP?
The principal of the school is responsible for the implementation of educational programs (School Act Regulation 5(7)(a)). Though planning occurs collaboratively, the principal of the school should ensure that for each such student a case manager is appointed to co-ordinate development, documentation and implementation of the student's IEP.

As necessary, other school district personnel or staff from regional or community agencies may be involved in the development and have a role to play in its implementation.

Parents must be given the opportunity to be consulted in the planning process, and should receive a copy of the IEP. To the extent possible, the student should also participate in the process.

The IEP should document instances where services are offered but the parent or the student refuses them.

• the student with special needs requires no adaptation or only minor adaptations to educational materials, or instructional or assessment methods;
• the expected learning outcomes established by the applicable educational program guide have not been modified for the student with special needs;
• the student with special needs requires in a school year, 25 hours or less remedial instruction, by a person other than the classroom teacher in order for the student to meet the expected learning outcomes.

Planning and Co-ordinating Community Services
Some students will require services and supports provided by agencies in the community. For example, some students may need medical or therapeutic services offered through child development centres or clinics; others may require the support of a mental health worker or a drug rehabilitation counsellor, or the services of a social worker or a probation officer.

It is essential that school and community services be co-ordinated to avoid duplication, and to ensure consensus regarding goals, consistency in interventions and an integrated approach to service delivery. The school-based team should be responsible for co-operating with these community services, and plays a key role in:

• keeping school staff informed of services available in the community;
• acting as a referral source for these community supports;
• through the case manager, planning the delivery of services with community partners;
• ensuring school-based services are co-ordinated with community services;
• documenting in the IEP the community services provided and those responsible for delivering them;
• assisting in the review and evaluation of service delivery;
• facilitating and planning the transition of students from the school to the community;
• documenting the need for services; and
• facilitating the continuity of co-ordinated supports when students transfer between schools/districts.

Planning and service delivery works best when parents and students are active participants in the process. With older students who live independently, however, parent participation may not be appropriate.

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