Accommodations, Modifications, and IEP Service Times - Oh My!
Hi there,
Today we wanted to talk about…
IEP Meetings and tips to help you navigate them
One of the most challenging things about walking into an IEP meeting for both parents and educators is that there are so many things you need to consider.
1 - What does the evaluation data tell us?
Given the evaluation data and school-based observations, does the student qualify to get help based on his or her data? Click here to learn more about interpreting the testing data!
2 - How do we close the educational gap?
Which goals make the most sense to begin closing academic gaps? Are these goals best accomplished through 1:1 pull-out support (the student is being pulled out of the classroom individually to work with the appropriate professional), small-group pull-out support (the student is being pulled out of the classroom with around two to six other students to work on the goals in a group setting), or through push-in support (the appropriate professional is spending time in the classroom to support the student and possibly others who need help).
3 - Which accommodations will be most helpful?
Accommodations are basically a way of leveling the playing field. Students are still required to meet the exact same expectations but are allowed to receive the information in different ways, produce the information in different ways, or demonstrate overall knowledge in different ways Check out our Accommodations & Modifications Guide here.
4 - Are modifications to the curriculum necessary?
Are modifications appropriate? Modifications change the field the student is playing on. Students receiving modifications are not required to meet the exact same expectations. For example, they may need to complete 10 spelling words of a modified list presented at their level instead of the general list being given to everyone else in the classroom. Check out that list above for ideas there as well!
5 - How much time needs to be spent to close educational gaps?
What amount of time needs to be provided to meet each of those goals?!? This discussion needs to happen with the school as they will be able to tell you how many minutes your child will need to spend outside the general education classroom (it’s usually quite minimal) to begin working toward the goals established in Step 2!
Grab the Accommodation, Modification, & Goal Tracker
We also wanted to share this >>>tool<<< as a great way to help organize thoughts and goals going into the IEP meeting to make sure that everyone is on the same page and agrees with the plan. It's a great concrete way for parents and/or educators to go into the meeting prepared with written thoughts ahead of time. Who doesn't love that level of organization?!?
For more information about the components of structured literacy intervention that MUST be included, check out our FREE training - 7-Steps to Reading Intervention that Works, below!