2. What can you do if your child is
struggling in school?
Talk with your child's teacher about your
concerns
Ask for a SST meeting (student study team)
3. SSTs
Student Study Teams
General education meeting with a
multidisciplinary team
Meets the needs of a broad range of students
Parents and team brainstorm a support system
(interventions) for students having difficulty in
the classroom
Interventions are put in place and team meets
again to discuss progress
4. What happens if the interventions put in
place weren't successful?
Multidisciplinary Team may request a screening or a
full evaluation.
Parent may request a full evaluation for Special
Education
If a referral for a full evaluation is done, parents must
first sign an Assessment Plan and agree to testing.
Testing is done at no cost to the parents.
Testing, determination of eligibility, and a meeting must
take place within 60 days of a signed Assessment
Plan
5. Assessments
Your child will be assessed in his/her home language by
the school psychologist and special educator, but they
may also be assessed by other specialists
Psychologist may give psychological, cognitive,
social/emotional, or adaptive/behavioral
Special Educator will administer academic/educational
(Woodcock Johnson III)
Speech Pathologist will administer speech and language
Occupational Therapist will give fine motor skills
*students who are African American cannot have an IQ
test administered
6. Eligibility
A meeting will be held within 60 days of the
signed Assessment Plan
An administrator, school psychologist, education
specialist, general education teacher, other
specialists, and parents make up the IEP team
If your child qualifies for special education under
one of the 13 eligibility categories, a
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be
developed
Parents are part of the IEP team and should be
involved in discussing the IEP
8. Meeting Agenda
If parents speak a language other than English, a translator should be
present
Purpose of IEP meeting (initial, annual, triennial, transition, addendum)
Parents rights/procedural safeguards
Review progress of previous goals and objectives
Review current assessments (if applicable)
Discuss present levels of performance
Develop goals and objectives
Discuss special factors
Discuss placement continuum and accommodations
Discuss Extended School Year (summer school)
Discuss testing options and accommodations
Review IEP Notes
9. What happens at the end of the IEP?
At the end of the IEP, the notes are read aloud to the team
All members of the team sign for attendance
Parents need to check and initial box stating they received their
procedural safeguards
Parents need to check and initial that they have received a copy of
the IEP and/or assessments
Parents have a choice for consent (there are different options)
Parents have the right to take a copy home and look it over before
signing
Parents will receive copies of all documents (IEP and
assessments)
Once consent is signed, the IEP is implemented and progress on
goals are given each trimester
12. Learning Lab Team
Differentiated academic support focusing
on academic goals listed in IEP
Collaborate with teachers
Case Manage—set up & run IEP meetings
Academic testing
Monitor progress of goals
Consult with SST team members
Advocacy
13. Team Inclusion
Collaborate with Administration, General Education,
Parents, IAs, Other Specialists
Case manage—all legal documents are in order and
followed
Set up, run IEP meetings
Academic Testing
Social Skills groups
Monitor progress of IEP goals
Provide accommodations/modifications
Create behavior plans
All day intervention
Advocacy
14. Speech and Language Pathologist
Therapy sessions (speech, language and
pragmatics)
Observations, assessments and reports
Collaboration with teachers, parents and staff
Case manage—set up, run IEP meetings,
complete paperwork
Monitor progress on IEP goals
Servicing and scheduling students throughout
school year using 3:1 model
Advocacy
15. Instructional Assistants
Assigned to children in class
Primary focus—meet needs of assigned
students, help with
accommodations/modifications
Support student's learning in the classroom
Build and foster relationships to support students
Have in-depth knowledge of students’
academic, emotional and social needs
16. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to
make you something else is the greatest
accomplishment." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant
teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our
human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary
material, but warmth is the vital element for the
growing plant and for the soul of the child." -- Carl
Jung
