The Individualized Education Program (IEP):

Education in Transition

Keywords: disproportionality, acculturation, micro-aggressions, Pluralistic Model, Positivist Tradition, Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality (TACD), Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS), Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Work Based Learning Experiences (WBLEs), Daily Report Card (DRC), Business As Usual (BAU), Individual Education Program (IEP). Special Education (SPED)

What is the IEP? A written statement of the educational program

designed to meet a child’s individual needs

Purpose: to set reasonable learning goals for the child as well as to define the services that the district will provide for the child

First meeting to be held no more than 30 days after it is determined that a child has a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and reviewed annually

At the age of 16 years, transition planning begins (post-secondary school placement/employment)

Labeling How should we refer to those with

disabilities?

Label first

The “SPED kid”

The “disabled kid”

Person first

or the “child with a disability”

Why does it matter?

Social Conditioning Acculturation: individual’s cultural identity

is erased in an effort to assimilate (Kalyanpur et al., 1999)

Pressure to assimilate: “one of us” “melting pot” mentality - microaggressions (Sue et al., 2007)

“You will accept what we decide to call you!”

Pluralistic Model: “separate but equal”

5 Core American Values

Core American Values

1. Freedom of speech

2. Rights of the individual

3. Achievement through hard work

4. Social mobility

5. Equality

But is the playing field level? Think about “cultural capital”

“Fixing” the Family/Community

Why are poor/minority children with disabilities not successful in school and life?

We need to “fix” disenfranchised people rather than the conditions that disenfranchise them (Gorski, 2010). “Parent/culture blaming.”

Minority children on IEPs would be more successful if:

Poor/minority groups had a stronger work ethic (achievement via hard work equals upward social mobility)

Poor/minority groups valued education

Poor/minority groups could control drug/alcohol abuse in their community

However, there is no evidence that these claims are true: prejudice (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2012)

Expectations of SPED

Positivist Tradition

Reality is objective and unchangeable and SPED teachers are merely, “technicians” following a list of instructions

The pedagogy of the classroom is “obedience” and “participation” as skills for adulthood and employment, hence, “success.” This is what we call, “structure”

Under the confines of this tradition, what happens to those who fail to “comply?” They fail to graduate or find gainful employment after high school

What are we overlooking? (Fergus, 2010)

Impoverished communities have inadequate facilities

Impoverished communities have insufficient materials needed for success

Impoverished communities have more teachers teaching outside their licensure

Impoverished communities have greater teacher vacancies

Impoverished communities have a less rigorous curricula needed to be competitive with wealthier schools

What are we overlooking? (cont.)(Fergus, 2010)

Impoverished communities have less experienced teachers

Impoverished communities have greater student-to-teacher ratios

Gaps in the curriculum: lack of instructional approaches for the broad range of learners

Inconsistent pre-referral process: each school has its own version of this process resulting in a lack of uniformity in the district.

Limited belief about the abilities of the disabled: they are “unfit,” in need of “fixing,” and “not ready” for traditional schooling

Current outcomes of the IEP

Graduation Rates (2010):

High school graduate/GED with no disability = 57%

High school graduate/GED with disability = 43%

29% enrolled in post-secondary school (Sulewski et al., 2012)

Employment Rate Ages 16-21 (2010):

Without disability 37% employment rate

With disability 22.3% employment rate

Current outcomes of the IEP (cont.)

Equal pay for equal work (ages 16-21)?

Without disability is about $7,218 per year for 25.5hrs/wk.

With disability is about $6,020 per year for 24.4hrs/wk.

This equates to about $900 less a year for the same amount of work.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

According to Ruble and McGrew (2013) schools are the primary provider of diagnosis and intervention of children with ASD

Survey of 185 teachers of students with ASD

Lack of strong scientific support for 5 most common teaching methods

Survey of 90 teachers with training in autism

5% reported using research supported strategies

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Make up a considerable proportion of students who receive special education services in schools

Study by Fabiano (2010)

Use of a Daily Report Card (DRC) and Business As Usual (BAU) model to measure effects on inappropriate levels of inattention, impulse control, and activity modulation.

DRC sent home daily (with the child) for parental intervention on behavior at home

63 students between 6-12 years were divided into two groups

33 children = DRC

30 children = BAU

Those on DRC model demonstrated

greater academic productivity (p = 0.019)

greater academic success (p = 0.015)

also reported significantly reduced rates of disruptive behavior compared to the BAU model

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) cont.

Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS)

Parent-teacher consultation implementation intervention

Systematic, comprehensive assessment and treatment selection process based upon collaboration and shared decision-making.

Study by Ruble (2013)

One variable that could affect the success of a child on an IEP – “teacher burnout”

Students whose teachers reported greater burnout at the start of the school year made less improvement in child attainment measured at the end of the school year.

Teacher risk factors can now be spotted early and avoided

Study by Zabel and Zabel (2002)

Causative link between lack of support by administration and teacher’s emotional exhaustion

Thus programs that foster increased administrative support for teachers may be helpful to buffer stress and burnout

However: small sample size = increased risk of a type II error. It is possible that there is another cause of teacher burnout.

Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS)

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (signed 1990)

Schools are responsible for transition services, minimal level of readiness for citizenship after basic schooling ends

Services start at 16 and are designed to be results-oriented processes focused on improving academic and functional achievement in post-secondary services (Darden, 2013)

e.g. Post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation

Standardized evaluation district wide to collect, examine, interpret, and outline core root causes.

How can we fix it? Where do we start?

Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLEs)

Post-school outcomes are likely to improve (Cease-Cook, 2015)

7 WBLEs

Career exploration, job shadowing, job sampling, service learning, internships, apprenticeships, and paid employment.

Study by Milson (2007)

1/3 of high school counselors not involved with post-secondary transition planning

IEP teams fail to identify related services

Results led team to develop 7 characteristics of a good IEP team

Leadership, pre-group planning, establishing a clear agenda, promoting clear communication, promoting member participation, managing conflict, and reflecting on group process.

How can we fix it? Where do we start? (cont.)

Review by Sapon-Shevin (2003)

Learn to be inclusive first

Attempt to understand other perspectives so that we can create a more diverse curriculum that is capable of reaching out to a greater amount of the student body.

Challenge exclusion by enforcing inclusion of kids into group activity

Teachers strictly adhere to confronting bullying (so that there is no fear to join in and be inclusive)

Teachers should foster courage while challenging oppression

How can we fix it? Where do we start?Conclusion:

REFERENCESBowen, M. L., & Glenn, E. E., (1998). Counseling interventions for students who have mild disabilities. Professional School Counseling, 2, 16-25. Cease-Cook, J. et al (2015). Strategies for Creating Work-Based Learning

Experiences in Schools for Secondary Students With Disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 47(6) 352-358. DOI: 10.1177/0040059915580033.

Darden, E. (2013, March). What’s so special about an IEP? Kappan, 94(6), 66-68. Epstein, M., Atkins, M., Cullinan, D., Kutash, K., & Weaver, R., (2008). Reducing behavior problems in the elementary school classroom: A practice guide. (NCEE No. 2008-012.) Washington, DC: National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Educational Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Fabiano, G. (2010). Enhancing the Effectiveness of Special Education Programming for Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Using a Daily Report Card. School Psychology Review, 39(2), 219-239.

REFERENCESFergus, E. (2010, October). Distinguishing Difference from Disability: The Common

Causes of Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education, Equity Matters: In Learning, for Life, OESE and Office of Special Education Program.

Guerra, P.L., & Nelson, S.W., (2009). Changing professional practice requires changing beliefs. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(5), 354-359. Gorski, P. (2010 December). Unlearning Deficit Ideology and the Scornful Gaze:

Thoughts on Authenticating the Class Discourse in Education, George Mason University. Kalyanpur, M. and Harry, B. (1999). Culture in Special Education: Building Reciprocal

Family-Professional Relationships. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes. Milson, A. et al (2007). School Counselor Contributions to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process. Preventing School Failure, 52(1) 19-24.

REFERENCES Ruble, L. and McGrew, J. (2013, July). Teacher and Child Predictors of Achieving IEP Goals of Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Discord, 43: 2748-2763. DOI: 1 0.1007/s10803-1884-x.

Sensoy, O., and DiAngelo, R. (2012), Is Everyone Really Equal? An Introduction to Key

Concepts in Social Justice Education. Teachers College Press, New York, NY.  Sue, D. W. et al (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice, 62(4) 271-286. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271.

Sulewski, J.S., Zalewska, A., and Butterworth, J. (2012). Indicators for Improving

Education, Employment, and Economic Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A National Report on Existing Data Sources. University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion. (3-14).

Sapon-Shevin, M., (2003). Inclusion: A Matter of Social Justice-how can we create schools that

will help students thrive in a diverse society? Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY. (9-12)

 

REFERENCES

Vasquez, C. (2007). Comments from the Classroom: A Case Study of a Generation – 1.5 Student in a University IEP and Beyond. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(3), 345-370. Zabel, R. H., & Zabel, M. K. (2002). Burnout among special education teachersand perceptions of support. Journal of Special Education, Leadership, 15(2), 67-73.

 

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