How do I know if my child has a good IEP?
This is a complicated question to answer. First, it is presumed that when a parent signs the IEP contract, they are an equal participant in its design. They are assumed to have complete knowledge of all the variables available for modifying their child’s learning environment. The parent is believed to be aware of the full scope of teachers, specialists, and services that can be called upon to help their child. In addition, a working knowledge of the curriculum and assessments is presumed so that needed modifications can be recommended to compensate for their child’s specific learning limitations. A parent is expected to possess an in-depth understanding of their students’ cognitive deficits and strengths so that appropriate and challenging goals can be set. Most parents do not have the time or instructional experience to achieve mastery of the various components of an IEP.
In addition to creating the IEP, parents must be familiar with the laws that have been put in place to make sure that all school systems respond appropriately to the needs of a special education student. An Individualized Education Plan will require their child’s school to plan for extra time, teachers and services. These will need to be funded from the school’s budget and almost all public schools have underfunded budgets. This inherent conflict places the burden on the parent to not only be knowledgeable, but vigilant and often insistent when it comes to obtaining the needed services for their child.
Resource Education Solutions provides the expertise that most parents lack when it comes to creating an appropriate and effective IEP. We are experienced in the five “I’s” of the IEP:
- Identifying the learning problem
- Indicating the appropriate combination of teaching strategies, services, modifications and goals
- Implementing the plan and monitoring its progress
- Interpreting the plan results
- Intervening at timely intervals to keep the plan dynamic