Student Led IEP Student Led IEP MeetingsMeetings

Self Advocacy in ActionSelf Advocacy in Action

What is your What is your definition of self definition of self

advocacy?advocacy?

Philosophy & Philosophy & Background Background

• President Johnson’s “Great Society” President Johnson’s “Great Society” MovementMovement

• Civil Right’s Movement for children with Civil Right’s Movement for children with disabilitiesdisabilities

• Entitlement Programs: social welfare, Entitlement Programs: social welfare, vocational/rehabilitation services, vocational/rehabilitation services, Medicare, services for the elderly, Head Medicare, services for the elderly, Head Start, and Special EducationStart, and Special Education

• Belief that these systems led to Belief that these systems led to dependence instead of fostering dependence instead of fostering independenceindependence

Philosophy & Philosophy & BackgroundBackground

• Mid-1990’s Welfare Reform & change in Mid-1990’s Welfare Reform & change in belief system for entitlement programsbelief system for entitlement programs

• Special Education = IDEA 97 Special Education = IDEA 97 Reauthorization Transition to Reauthorization Transition to IndependenceIndependence

• Meanwhile in Glenn County…Meanwhile in Glenn County…– Lyn Smith Lyn Smith – Vicki Shadd Vicki Shadd – Kathy BrownKathy Brown

Educational Benefit ?Educational Benefit ?

Was the Transition Plan and Transition Service Language in the IEP reasonably calculated over a 3-year period to provide Educational Benefit in the area of Post-Secondary Transition?

ASSESSMENT (Grade-level Transition Assessment)

Identifies…PRESENT LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE

(Define Areas of Need)Drives…

MEASURABLE POST-SECONDARY GOALS (Written to meet areas of Need)

Which Drives…ANNUAL TRANSITION GOALS

(In the areas of Training, Education, Employment, Daily Living)Drives…

SERVICESEnsures…

PROGRESSDid the student make yearly progress? If not, were the goals and objectives changed?Were there enough transition services/activities to ensure student progress towards?

•Career Education Work-Based Learning•Grade-level Transition Assessment

•Career/Interest inventories•TPP match class

•Senior Portfolio or Senior ProjectStudent-led Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Self-Advocacy Exercises

Drives…INSTRUCTION, LRE & ACCOMMODATIONS and/or MODIFICATIONS

(Does the instruction ensure student post-secondary outcomes?) (Is the Accommodation & Modification Plan complete?)

Ensures…EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT

Competencies of Student Competencies of Student Led IEP MeetingsLed IEP Meetings

• To prepare for life after high schoolTo prepare for life after high school• To develop confidence and promote To develop confidence and promote

ownershipownership• To promote self-advocacy and disability To promote self-advocacy and disability

awarenessawareness• To provide structure and natural To provide structure and natural

setting to practice self advocacysetting to practice self advocacy• To provide immediate feedback and To provide immediate feedback and

assessment for learningassessment for learning

Student Led IEP Meeting Student Led IEP Meeting PROCESSPROCESS

•BeforeBefore

•DuringDuring

•AfterAfter

Before: Gathering Evidence with Before: Gathering Evidence with the Studentthe Student

Psychological evaluationPsychological evaluation

Progress toward goalsProgress toward goals

Executive FunctioningExecutive Functioning

Teacher reports from Teacher reports from General EdGeneral Ed

Transition assessmentTransition assessment

Critical skills assessmentCritical skills assessment

Work experiencesWork experiences

Grades, Attendance, Grades, Attendance, DisciplineDiscipline

What other information What other information do you use?do you use?

Before: Preparing for the IEP Before: Preparing for the IEP MeetingMeeting

With the student:With the student:• Prepare the scriptPrepare the script• PracticePractice• Fill-out a draft of Fill-out a draft of

the documentthe document• Invite the IEP team Invite the IEP team

membersmembers

DuringDuring

The student uses The student uses the script to lead the script to lead

the meetingthe meeting

The teacher coaches The teacher coaches the student and the student and

redirects redirects conversation if conversation if

neededneeded

AfterAfter

• Rubric Rubric – self score and student’s choice– self score and student’s choice• ImplementationImplementation – student’s take a role – student’s take a role

in making sure what was decided is in making sure what was decided is carried outcarried out

• Self- advocacySelf- advocacy - the student is more - the student is more likely to ask for what he needs because he likely to ask for what he needs because he was in on the decisionwas in on the decision

• Increased awarenessIncreased awareness – fosters open – fosters open dialog between the student and other dialog between the student and other school staffschool staff

Middle School and Work Middle School and Work Ability IAbility I

The Beginning ToolsThe Beginning Tools

Student-Led IEP MeetingsStudent-Led IEP Meetings

BEFORE…BEFORE…Transition PortfolioTransition Portfolio

DURING…DURING…WorkAbility I ExpectationsWorkAbility I Expectations66thth Grade Grade

•IntroductionsIntroductions•Share 1 piece of related informationShare 1 piece of related information

77thth Grade Grade•IntroductionsIntroductions•Share an artifact from Service Share an artifact from Service Learning Project, Industry Tour, or Learning Project, Industry Tour, or PortfolioPortfolio

88thth Grade Grade•IntroductionsIntroductions•Share an artifact from Service Share an artifact from Service Learning Project, Industry Tour, or Learning Project, Industry Tour, or PortfolioPortfolio

•Share High School PlannerShare High School Planner

AFTER…AFTER…WorkAbility I SupportWorkAbility I Support

Work-BasedWork-Based• Career InterviewCareer Interview• Industry TourIndustry Tour• Guest SpeakerGuest Speaker• Service Learning Service Learning

ProjectProject

Connecting ActivitiesConnecting Activities• Student Data FormsStudent Data Forms• IEP/ILP meeting IEP/ILP meeting

participationparticipation• High School Planning High School Planning • High School VisitHigh School Visit• High School ShadowHigh School Shadow• Self Advocacy Self Advocacy

DevelopmentDevelopment

Best PracticesBest Practices

Service Learning and ToursService Learning and Tours

Self Advocacy is…Self Advocacy is…

knowing yourself, knowing knowing yourself, knowing your rights, and asking for your rights, and asking for

what you need.what you need.

Knowing YourselfKnowing YourselfSelf-reflection journalsSelf-reflection journals

Who am I?What do I want for myself?What kind of life do I want?What do I like?What don't I like?What am I good at?What do I need help with?What is easy for me?What is hard for me?What is fun for me?What interests will always be important to me?

What is the opposite of fun for What is the opposite of fun for me?me?

What kind of work can I see What kind of work can I see myself doing as an adult?myself doing as an adult?

What kind of work would be What kind of work would be torture for me?torture for me?

What are my values?What are my values?What really makes me upset?What really makes me upset?What makes me feel What makes me feel

comfortable?comfortable?What areas do I want to What areas do I want to

improve?improve?How am I at communicating?How am I at communicating?How am I at organizing?How am I at organizing?How am I at relationships?How am I at relationships?How am I at school? sports? How am I at school? sports?

other interests?other interests?

More “knowing yourself” More “knowing yourself” activitiesactivities

• Self portraits –with Self portraits –with symbols represented symbols represented various knowledge of selfvarious knowledge of self

• Questionnaires – about Questionnaires – about goals, likes, dislikes, goals, likes, dislikes, aptitudesaptitudes

• Learning Styles inventoryLearning Styles inventory• IEP exploration:IEP exploration:

– present levels present levels – name of disabilityname of disability– accommodationsaccommodations– modifications modifications – servicesservices

Knowing my rightsKnowing my rightsteacher and students read, highlighted and took notesteacher and students read, highlighted and took notes

• IDEAIDEA• ADAADA• Rights and Rights and

Responsibilities Responsibilities When You Turn 18When You Turn 18

• Students added Students added these links to their these links to their blogsblogs

www.hhlamb.blogspot.com

Development of StandardsDevelopment of Standards

• Student-Led Student-Led IEPIEP

grade 6 – age grade 6 – age 2222

• Self-AdvocacySelf-Advocacy

grade 6 – age grade 6 – age 2222

Start with the biggest part Start with the biggest part of the whole that the of the whole that the student can handle.student can handle.

How to get started and how How to get started and how to make it workto make it work

• Believe it is importantBelieve it is important• Identify your support partnersIdentify your support partners• Prepare the team members for the Prepare the team members for the

changechange• Reframe the taskReframe the task• Scheduling Day Long IEP MeetingsScheduling Day Long IEP Meetings

Student comments …Student comments …

Tell us about the process of preparing Tell us about the process of preparing the IEP script. What do you learn the IEP script. What do you learn about yourself?about yourself?

What is the difference for you between What is the difference for you between leading your IEP meeting and just leading your IEP meeting and just attending your IEP meeting?attending your IEP meeting?

Questions and Questions and AnswersAnswers