Standard and Nonstandard Assessment for Individual Educational Plans

Standard/NonStandard Assessment for SPED

Individual Educational Plans (IEPS) are a way in which teachers and the school system can address special services that provide programs for children with delayed skills or disabilities. A child that has difficulty learning and functioning and may be identified as a special needs student is the type of candidate for an IEP. However, in order for there to be a fairer way to administer and develop programs so that children may take advantage of them, there is a process and set of procedures necessary prior to implementing the IEP that is important so that fairness and equality are assured. In fact, one of the Special Education Standards, III, notes "The special education teacher knows how to communicate and collaborate effectively in a variety of professional settings." (See Ahearn, 2006).

When we reflect upon this particular standard we find that there are five different settings in which this is an important aspect of communications within the educational setting: teacher/student, teacher/colleague, teacher/administration, teacher/parent, and teacher/community and other professionals.

Teacher/Student -- This is often the beginning of the dialog process regarding the need for an IEP. The teacher sees the student on a regular basis, typically dealing with a variety of subjects. The teacher is able to document and view the difficulties that the student may be having, and meet one on one with the student to try to understand the level of difficulty and whether it is cognitive or simply subject-matter related. In addition, the teacher has the opportunity to mitigate the situation by using micro-interventions over time. It is when these smaller interventions do not work that we understand we may need to take the process to the next step. Additionally, asking the student about various needs and confusions on issues may clear up some of the confusion between academics vs. developmental issues.

Teacher/Colleague -- Effective communication and contact with colleagues regarding special needs students is important, particularly when these other specialists may or may not agree than a formal IEP is necessary, or is necessary at a particular time. Usually, too, it is more effective to have a collaborative effort between teachers so that any program implemented has cohesion between subjects and courses, is a united front with the Administration, and is supported and implementable over time.

Teacher/Administrator -- Because IEPs often require more monetary (budget) resources, the Administration must be an integral part of the discussion prior to meeting with the parents. Reasonable accommodations are required by law, but they do not necessarily mean that thousands of dollars must be spent. The accommodations, in fact, are designed to mitigate the fatigue and frustration that are often the results of cognitive delay. The Administrator is often in a position to call in additional resources from other classes, schools, volunteers, etc. when necessary and clearly provides a needed voice when dealing with parents.