The Foorce

This is really exciting news to me – the IEP’s potential for increased effectiveness and continuity year to year is off the charts, IMO. And, in my humble opinion it is a huge opportunity for parents to see that the potentials of both the IEP and their child are fulfilled – let’s not waste it!

The DOE is launching an electronic IEP this year for special education students and is hosting information sessions in all 5 boroughs throughout the Fall to instruct parents on how it works. The schedule is here: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/SpecialEducation/News/Understanding+the+New+IEP+Form.htm

Here is some more info from insideschools.org:

That the DOE is hosting public comprehensive discussions of this crucial document is great news for parents who have children receiving services. Beginning in the 2011-12 school year and annually thereafter, IEPs developed for NYS students must be on the state-developed IEP form.

Hosted by a team of veteran DOE special education professionals, the power-point presentation encouraged a dynamic and informative discussion of the new standardized state-wide, web-based IEP called the Special Education Student Information System (SESIS). The educators explained in detail the old-to-new transformation, called the “SESIS IEP Crosswalk” and took questions and offered individual help to address specific issues.

Some helpful information and advice:

Parents now have an area of the IEP to voice their own concerns and ideas, ambitions and recommendations. Bring a checklist of questions and ideas.

Be sure that your child’s strengths are included in the document as well as their challenges.

From the time students are about 12 years old, a vocational assessment needs to be completed. By the time the student is 15 years old, the IEP should identify diploma goals and post-high school academic and career ambitions. The idea is the student should be prepared for the transitions ahead. Awesome!

Annual goals should be specific, relevant, realistic, observable and measurable with a time component.

Evaluations, including those done outside of the DOE, will be electronically “migrated” into SESIS, the web based technology system for IEPs.

Don’t take anything for granted on the new form because most parts of the old IEP’s are not electronically imported to the new one. Parents need to pay close attention to every item on the document to ensure that everything your child needs is on the new form in the right place.

All the information on the IEP will be confidential and only key staff members who are directly working with your child will be able to change or even read the document.

Parents will be given a printed copy of the IEP and as a key player on the team, they are encouraged to discuss revision ideas with the team.

Besides learning the new layout and what-goes-where on the form, it’s important that parents attend one of these sessions to familiarize themselves with the new format because it is entirely possible that the people writing IEP’s have not been trained in filling out the new forms. The DOE is offering in-house training sessions but there are 1,600 schools and so the education process is ongoing.