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The IEP document does not describe every aspect of the student’s program. The IEP describes: • what the student knows and can do • what the student will learn next • what strategies will be used

Steps to Follow When Developing an IEP:

1. Identify priorities for the student and family. 2. Determine long-term goals based on priorities. 3. Break down the goals into short-term objectives. 4. Determine what strategies will be used and what

resources will be required to assist the student to reach the objectives.

5. Establish ways of assessing student progress and dates for review.

6. Complete the IEP form. (See Appendix 14 for step-by- step instructions.)

What Should be Included in an IEP?

The IEP must include:

< the present levels of educational performance of the student;

< essential information about the student including relevant medical, social, and educational

background;

• who will do what • what the student will do to demonstrate learning

• when will IEP be reviewed

The IEP should not contain jargon and it should be written in such a way that it is easily understood by current and future IEP Team members.

< degree of participation in the regular program;

< goals appropriate to the student in one or more of the following domains or areas: cognitive, life skills, social, motor and behavioural;

< specifics related to the classroom such as changes to expectations, instructional and assessment strategies, material and resources, facilities or equipment; < information on where and under what circumstances

the student’s educational program will take place; < the names of personnel responsible for implementing

the IEP;

< how the evaluation of the student’s progress in meeting IEP goals will be carried out;

< the period of time and process for review of the IEP (at least annually);

< plans for the next transition for the student (including transitions beyond school to post-secondary

education, work, or community placements); < signatures of parents (unless there are extenuating

circumstances making it not possible), educators, and student (as appropriate);

< the goals set for that student for that school year where the goals are different from the goals set out in the regular curriculum;

< all the required modifications to educational materials, and to instructional and/or assessment methods;

To be truly reflective of the ‘whole child’ an IEP must be developed collaboratively with parent involvement at all stages. No two IEP’s will ever be exactly the same.

< information about the student’s current learning strengths and needs

Identifying, Prioritizing and Writing Goals and Objectives

The main steps in identifying, prioritizing and writing goals and objectives are:

Step One:

Step Two:

Step Three:

Step Four:

Step Five:

Determine student’s strengths, interests,

and needs.

Prioritize and categorize strengths and needs into domains.

Describe present level of performance in each domain or subject area.

Determine major goals to be addressed in the IEP.

Break down goals into smaller, more manageable objectives.

Domains are the areas of

development considered in planning for the student.

Step One:

Determine student’s strengths, interests and needs.

One of the first responsibilities of the Individual Education Planning team is to determine collaboratively the student’s strengths, interests, and needs. This information should be gathered and shared as part of the IEP process.

The IEP coordinator will have compiled and reviewed all of the student’s documentation, including cumulative records, relevant medical information, report cards, previous IEPs, assessments and reporting from teachers, counsellors, consultants or other related services professionals, reports from outside agencies and parent information.

Step Two:

Prioritize and categorize strengths and needs into domains. Based on the assessment information, the identified needs are prioritized and categorized into Domains. Domains are the areas of development considered in planning for the student and could include cognitive, behavioural, mobility,

social/emotional, language and/or life skills. When choosing which domains or areas of development will be the main focus of the IEP keep the following priorities in mind:

• students’ values and goals

• parents’ values and goals for the student • urgency of need

• usefulness across environments • importance and contribution to:

< overall intellectual achievement < social development

< career development < independence

Present Level of Performance is a specific description of the student’s skills , needs, and strengths in each domain or subject area. Goals are targets, not promises. Step Three:

Describe present level of performance in each domain or subject area.

After needs have been prioritized according to domain or subject area, the student’s Present Level of Performance is described. Present level of performance is a specific

description of the student’s skills, needs, and strengths in each domain or subject area. Sometimes this will be in the form of test scores, but often is an anecdotal description, for example:

Sam is reading at a grade 2 level (decoding) with comprehension at approximately mid-grade 1 level. Spelling is early phonetic. (Resource/special education teacher assessment 07/09/05)

This information is essential for:

• selecting appropriate goals and objectives;

• determining instructional strategies, materials, and assessment tools; and

• providing a baseline or benchmark for assessment purposes.

Step Four:

Determine major goals to be addressed in the IEP

Goals are long-term and must address the prioritized needs of

the student in pertinent domains. They are concise

descriptions of what the individual student will know and be able to do by the end of the school year and will be expressed by such terms as increase, improve, etc. (See Appendix 17 for List of Action Verbs). Remember: goals are targets, not promises. There are a number of important issues to consider when determining individual goals for students.

Goals must:

• be manageable in number ie. 3 to 5 • be age appropriate

Effective student-specific goals are SMART. Specific: written in clear, unambiguous language. Measurable: allow student achievement to be described, assessed, and evaluated. Achievable: realistic for the student. Relevant: meaningful for the student. Time-related: can be accomplished within a specified period, typically one school year.

• be relevant to the student’s individual needs • include only areas where the student is following

alternative curriculum

• be stated positively (ie. “The student will...”) • be derived from student’s present level of

performance, past achievement, and rate of learning • give pragmatic consideration to the time and

resources available to support the achievement of goals

• incorporate elements of the student’s transition plan if applicable

• increase the student’s access to and benefit from the regular curriculum and other school activities. SMART

Student-specific goals address individual needs. This is accomplished by writing with a student’s present level of performance in mind. The scope and degree of specificity varies according to the needs of the student. A student- specific goal that is appropriate for one student may be too broad for another.

Although goals should indicate the level of performance to be achieved by the end of the school year, some goals may be achieved sooner and some may take more than a year.

Because some students may show extraordinary progress and some may experience a delay in progress at certain times, goals may require revision throughout the year in addition to the annual mandatory revision.

Step Five:

Break goals down into smaller, more manageable objectives The Objectives represent the steps between the student’s present level of performance and the goals to be attained. They are specific statements which describe observable and measurable behaviours broken down into small, manageable components.

Goal: Joan will improve her reading for functional purposes.

Objective: Joan [student] will read [action] to locate specific information in two daily

newspapers [what/how] within the L. Arts class [where] with 95 percent accuracy [by

what criteria] by June [when].

Objectives represent the steps between the student’s present level of performance and the goals to be attained.

Consider the following when breaking down goals into objectives:

• Identify the steps and/or targeted skill involved. • Organize sequential tasks.

• Focus on essential components.

• Describe how and under what circumstances the student will demonstrate the learning.

Tips for writing effective student-specific goals and objectives:

• Write two or three measurable, short- term objectives for each goal that will enable families, students, and educators to monitor progress during the year and, if appropriate, revise the IEP.

• Focus on what the student is to learn (not what will be taught). e.g., Johnny will correctly follow one- step directions.

• Describe what the student will do, rather than what he or she will stop doing. e.g., Mary will walk down the hall with assistance. Not Mary will stop running in the halls.

Template:

[Student] will [action] [what/how] [by what criteria] [where] [by what date].

Be clear about what the student will do. Avoid vague descriptions of improvement.

Choose verbs that express an action.(See lists of action verbs in Appendix 17.)

• The individual education plan must include a clear statement on how a wide variety of methods will be used to assess and evaluate the student’s progress on the goals and objectives.

Assessing and Evaluating Student Goals and