As a building administrator, one of the most demanding strains on your time will be the needs that come from special education, so it is critical you are well-versed and effective in the support of students serviced under special education and their teachers and families.
To be eligible for special education under IDEA, a student must be identified with one of 13 disability categories ranging from things like “Other Health Impaired” if a medical diagnosis impacts their educational progress to “Intellectually Disabled” when cognitive impacts and delays are severe.
Each child who qualifies will have an Individualized Education Plan, or an IEP, that outlines specifically what areas of need exist and how the school team is legally bound to provide services that meet each of those needs.
What is an Individualized Education Plan?
The IEP is a legally binding document between the school and family that ensures the student receives services they are entitled to based on information evidencing a discrepancy in their performance compared to same-age peers. There are critical components of the IEP that must be in place to validate your support.
The “Present Levels of Academic Performance” captures the student performance to indicate a deficit inability. If any area in this section of the IEP indicates that a child is not performing at grade level, there must be services and supports in place to address that gap. This section should be data-driven with assessment information demonstrating the need.
Next, goals and objectives are written to close the gap for the child between that performance and grade-level expectations. Each goal should be measurable and specific to the need identified in the present levels section. They should be designed with the intention for the child to master them in one calendar year.
Finally, the team will allocate services and accommodations to meet those goals in 365 school days. Page eight of the IEP is a go-to guide when you want to see what you as the administrator need to ensure is in place for the child. All services will be listed and environmental supports like preferential seating, visual schedules, built-in breaks, and so on.
How Do the Needs of IEP Students Differ?
The needs of students with IEPs differ in every way possible! Every child is a miracle and has their own unique needs, which is why an IEP begins with the words “individualized.”
While the goal is to provide the least restrictive environment (LRE) and promote as much independence as possible, there are IEP students that have an abundance of services and supports. This can include full-time adult support to provide health and safety support or a longer list of related services:
- Speech
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Counseling services
On the flip side, you may find a student who receives more minimal support to ensure one specific targeted need is addressed, like academic support for study skills or organization once a week. The range of services is broad; thus, each IEP should be carefully crafted to provide each service in relation to a documented need through assessment data, goal to fade support overtime to promote student independence with grade level or age-appropriate expectations.
How have IEP Students been Impacted by COVID?
The pandemic has had two significant impacts on school practices in special education. First, it has made it far more challenging to reliably identify a learning disability through the assessment process.
One must take into account any lost learning due to school closures or extended absences of both student and staff that would have impacted the child. A school team must be judicious in making diagnostic decisions based on data collected in a way that showcases a reliable implementation of instruction and intervention.
Creating somewhat of a double-edged sword, the pandemic has also increased need on special education teams to address current learning progress concerning age and grade expectations, regardless of pandemic impact. Therefore, schools have seen a significant increase in services provided to address the learning needs of students with IEPs that the pandemic has exacerbated.
Ways Administrators can Support IEP Students
Acknowledge Growing Needs
The other major impact special education teams and administrators have had to acknowledge is the growing social-emotional needs presented in students, particularly our students with IEPs. Special education encompasses learning disabilities and disabilities that present themselves with social relationships such as autism or emotional disturbances.
Enhance Services
Counseling services must be enhanced, while also being linked to direct goals and objectives that can be measured incrementally by providers. We will see this increase in need for years to come for school-aged children as we adjust societally to life after the pandemic.
Parent Input
The most important thing to know for administrators is that the IEP reflects what a school-based team proposes for a child’s program that the parent can accept or deny. However, capturing parent input is a critically important step to demonstrate that the parent or guardian, as part of the Planning and Placement Team, was involved in the process.
The crux of the challenge is that any agreement on the school’s behalf must be based on school-based evidence that the student needs service or support, not because of a parent’s interest or at-home challenges. These conversations can be tricky, but grounding them in a goal to be partners and for the child’s independence at school can help you navigate them.
Interested in making an impact and furthering your education as an administrator or special education teacher? Check out our administration & leadership and special education graduate programs and start your next journey today!
