Introduction to the new MA IEP
Allan S Blume, Ed.S.
Special Educator, Associate Professor, Educational Consultant
The New IEP
MA has not had a new IEP form since 2001
© Allan S Blume
2
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Some basic differences between the old and new IEPs
2001 Form
New IEP Form
Let’s take a tour of the new document
Two obvious differences
2001 document
Parent and/or Student Concerns
Student Strengths and Key Evaluation Results Summary (Formal and informal results)
Vision Statement (often written as “It is the Team’s vision”)
An important aspect of the new IEP is the focus on student voice first. What are the student’s concerns as well as the parents. Not just solely parent concerns
For students of all ages, the vision statement is in their voice. Note the use of “I” statements.
Note that other Team members respond to the student’s vision and not necessarily create a new or Team vision for the student.
2001 document
What is the student’s type of disability? Sometimes beginning, middle, or end of this section.
There is now a specific location for the student’s disability or disabilities. It is no longer necessary to identify primary, secondary, or tertiary levels.
Teams identify whether the student is an identified English learner and any program or language needs of the student. In addition, the new IEP provides a location to identify assistive technology devices or services.
Throughout the IEP Teams identify other sections where needs will be addressed.
“Having” is not confirming any diagnosis. Better read as “eligible under the following…
2001 document – Present Levels of Educational Performance – General Curriculum
Often referred to as “PLEP A”
2001 document – Present Levels of Educational Performance – Other Educational Needs
Often referred to as “PLEP B”
There are four Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance pages known as “Present Levels”
Each Present Levels page is divided into three columns. Current performance, Strengths/interest areas/preferences, and Impact of the disability.
Current performance replaces Student Strengths/Key Evaluation Results Summary from the 2001 form. Evaluation results are now distributed across the relevant Present Levels pages. In this case academic evaluation results are inserted in this column.
On this, and subsequent pages autism-specific questions begin to appear
No more acronyms! This is NOT a PLAAFP
Possible focus areas:
Reading, Writing, Math, Executive Function, Classroom readiness, participation, and Play skills
This is the second of four Present Levels pages. Note that each Present Levels page continues in the three-column format
Teams use this section of the IEP to describe and identify any skills, proficiencies, or needs of the student to avoid or respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
Note the continuation of autism-specific questions. Also note the box to identify other locations in the IEP where needs will be addressed.
Possible focus areas: Behavior skills, Self-awareness, Self-management, Social-awareness, Decision-making, and Relationship skills.
This is the third Present Levels page. Note the continued three-column format.
Teams use this part of the document to identify any augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) needs of the student, and how these will be addressed in other IEP sections.
Possible focus areas: Expressive language, Articulation, Receptive language, and Social language skills.
The last Present Levels pages addresses additional areas not previously identified with the now familiar three columns
These boxes appear again specific to student needs
Possible focus areas: Pre-Voc./Employability, Daily Living, Fine, Gross, Visual, Motor Skills
The next three pages of the document are distinct by the dotted green line indicating that these are transition planning pages for students aged 14 and older, or students 13 years of age who will turn 14 in the IEP year.
Note that the three-column formatting continues with this section of the IEP and requiring Teams to consider three areas of Education/training, Employment, and if applicable Community experiences/post school independent living.
This recurring box of options should now start to become familiar
Teams next identify projected graduation date and completion documents as well as planned course of study and the student’s status in meeting those requirements.
On this page Teams identify community or interagency adult agencies that may support the student in the future.
This section identifies when notice and copies of procedural safeguards are sent to the student and parents if the student is 17 or will turn 17 during the IEP year.
Depending upon the decision-making rights of the student they may be able to make their own decisions, share or delegate those to another, or have decisions made for them by a court appointed legal guardian. The new IEP dedicates a place for those decision-making options
For students who may require a 688 referral the new IEP provides space to identify the referral and process
688 referral creates documentation that students with severe disabilities who need continued services and are unable to work 20 or more hours per week in competitive, non-sheltered, non-supported employment at the time they are ready to leave school.
Prior to age 18, if a legal guardian is identified that person is noted here and the date of the guardianship determination.
2001 document – Accommodations and Modifications on two pages
Accommodations often in list format
Accommodations sometimes in categories of setting, presentation, timing and response
Three categories of modifications
The new IEP provides a dedicated page for necessary accommodations and modifications for the student rather than having them distributed across two pages as in the 2001 document.
Accommodations in the new IEP are distributed across four types; presentation of instruction, response, timing and/or scheduling, and setting and/or environment. This format eliminates the list format of accommodations as often seen in the 2001 document.
Modifications are distributed across three types as in the 2001 document.
Methodology/delivery of instruction is now Instruction
Performance Criteria is now Student Output
2001 document – State or district-wide assessment
Identifies assessments planned for the IEP year
Identifies whether accommodations are needed
Identifies whether alternate assessment is planned
The state and/or districtwide assessment page is not dramatically different from the 2001 document. We still identify the planned assessments, whether testing accommodations are required, or if a student participates in alternate assessments
2001 document – Goal Focus, Current Performance Level, Measurable Annual Goal, Benchmarks/Objectives
Area of need that results from the disability
Narrative regarding the area of need (goal focus)
The overarching goal for the IEP year
The steps toward the goal
The goal page is laid out differently than goal pages in the 2001 document.
The goal area is an area of need previously identified in the Present Levels pages (column three).
Baseline (formerly Current Performance Level) is a data-based summary of the student’s goal focus skills
Goals are written in a structured format of four columns identifying; the targeted skill, criterion/criteria, method, and schedule. In addition, the fifth column identifies the person or persons responsible for monitoring the goal. Multiple people responsible for a goal means a more holistic view of the student’s skills/needs rather than compartmentalized approaches of the past.
The last two elements on this page focus on benchmarks or short-term objectives and the schedule of progress reporting
2001 document – Service Delivery
Consultation/Indirect Services
Services in the General Education Classroom
Services in Other Settings
2001 document – Nonparticipation Justification
This statement has always been a response to removal from the general education classroom. The new form starts with the assumption of participation in the general education classroom.
The service delivery grid on the new IEP only differs slightly from the 2001 document. We still have the A, B, and C grids but a new column of location of services is added.
Another change in this document is rather than justifying nonparticipation after the service delivery grid, Teams consider participation in the general education setting BEFORE creating the service delivery and then create the grid to reflect those considerations.
The location column should serve to make the location of services clear to others. As special educators and related service providers we know that B grid is general education classroom and C grid is special education classroom, but do parents and others know that? The location column could help to make this clear.
2001 document – Schedule Modification and Transportation
This page is like that found in the 2001 document. Teams identify transportation needs of the student and any necessary schedule modifications.
A unique aspect of the new IEP is the inclusion of a separate service delivery grid for extended school year. This should provide clarity to Teams regarding school year and extended school year services where the 2001 document did always make a clear distinction.
Not only is there a place for ESY service delivery grid the new IEP provides space for Teams to identify ESY transportation needs separate from school year transportation needs.
The final page of the new IEP is like that of the 2001 document. The Team is afforded the opportunity to identify any additional information not previously stated in the IEP and a response section for school personnel and parents.
There will likely be less need to use this section than in the past. Things that formerly went here now have a place in the new IEP form.
Crosswalk