Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) can be lengthy documents. And about 15% of students in the US have them. So, in a class of 25 students, you could expect 3 or 4 will have an IEP. However, a common practice in schools is to try to group together students with similar needs and abilities. That practice can lead to some classrooms having a much greater number of students with IEPs.
Educators across all grade levels have a responsibility to read their students' IEPs and understand their role in implementing them in their classroom. To aid in that process, some IEP writing software will create a one- or two-page summary of the IEP. But not all do. And while I wish educators were given enough time and support to read and understand every learner's IEP, I'm also realistic and know there is only so much time in the day and I want teachers to do what they do best- teach and be with their students.
To be clear, as a parent or guardian, it isn't your job or responsibility to summarize your learner's IEP for school staff. But here's the thing... you can do it anyway.
Why?
Summarizing your learner's IEP will give you a deeper understanding of what it says. Think about it. When you understand a topic (like your learner's IEP) so thoroughly that you are able to successfully teach someone else about it, then you know you truly have a solid understanding of that topic.
It will save time. Again, it isn't your job to do this, but it is something you could do in a relatively short amount of time that could save a lot of time for staff who are a part of your learner's day. And because it is a big time saver, staff who may not typically read the entire IEP (like a substitute) can easily access the most important stuff.
It supports your learner. The more staff who read your learner's IEP (or the IEP-at-a-Glance), the more staff who are aware of your learner's strengths, needs, goals, and supports.
Are you on board? Great! So, what are we going to include in our IEP-at-a-Glance? Below are the main things you should consider.
Date of IEP
Demographics (include parent contact info)
Condensed Present Levels- Describe your learner's strengths and needs.
Goals
Supports
Related Services
Behavior Plan
Schedule
Anything not listed that you consider important
You can write an IEP-at-a-Glance in any format you're most comfortable with. And if you Google "IEP at a Glance" you will find other templates are available, some for free and some for a small fee. When I've done this in the past for my own learner, I made a simple one-page Word document with bullet points. Remember, our objective with this is to take that thick IEP and turn it into a quick one- or two-page document that is easy to read.
To help get you started, I created a fillable PDF you can use and went with a trifold pamphlet design. Below is a link to that PDF. I've also added it as a free resource on my Resources page.
When might be a good opportunity to share your learner's IEP-at-a-Glance? Back to School nights or Meet the Teacher nights are a great time to share your summary with the team. If your learner's school has an open house that allows you to meet not just the classroom teacher but also all the "specials" teachers like music, art, STEM, PE, etc., that would be an ideal place to hand out your summary to each person on your learner's team. Give your learner's case manager and a building level administrator a few copies (okay to send as an email attachment too!) and request they give one to any new or temporary staff. And if it is the middle of the year already, go ahead and share it anyway!
It is true that you could write an IEP-at-a-Glance and no one will read it. But I encourage you to do it anyway and update it at least annually. I have found that I was able to slightly tweak my learner's IEP-at-a-Glance and repurpose the info for our childcare provider and our summer camp counselors. The one (or two) page format is so quick and easy to read that it can be useful across settings outside of school. I hope you give this a try!
With Love, Light & Gratitude, Janell
P.S. Are you in need of support navigating special education? Please check out my packages and schedule a free consultation.
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