ADVOCATING 4 KIDS

Dear Blogmates:

As we enter into the mid-February, I become keenly aware that we are half way through another school year. As I review many of my clients IEP progress reports, I noticed a common tread. There is no data provided to the parents to support the district’s position that the student is making SP= sufficient progress towards the annual goals. Instead, parents are given the front page of the annual goals with those none descriptive letters SP.  

The purpose of the IEP progress report is to provide parents with a mechanism to monitor a student’s progress toward the annual goals and to evaluate the effectiveness of the student’s special education services. This can only be achieved when the progress report includes informative summaries and samples of the students work production.

Parents, if you are getting anything less, I recommend you ask to schedule a parent-teacher conference and ask the following questions:

How is SP= sufficient progress being measured?

What formula or data, if any, is being used to determine that enough progress is being made to achieve the goals by the end of the year?

Ask the teacher to provide you with examples of your child’s work productions from the beginning of year and compare it with what you child can produce now. You should be able to see progress and when comparing the two.

It’s really an ideal time to make improvements in your child’s special education services. It’s still early enough in the school year to implement changes and modifications that will support your child’s learning before the end of the year.

While the IEP is a critical document, remember that being active, asking questions, and collecting data, will go a long way in ensuring success for your child.

Author Unknown

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