IEP Case Study

By: Chase Kennedy

IEP Process and Meeting Summaries:

-The IEP process for Ridgely Middle School is similar to many others. It starts with the prereferral process. A series of interventions are put into place for the targeted student, depending
on the type of problems that the student faces. This stage of the process is designed primarily to
document and explain the challenges that the targeted student faces, assess the effectiveness of
different interventions in a classroom setting, test how effective classroom modifications and
accommodations are, and monitor the progress of the targeted student. This is a screening
process where family members and professionals work together to see if any behavior or
educational problems can be resolved in a general education system. Assessments in this course
of action are intervention based and are used in the general education classroom to measure the
targeted students performance level. Here general education teachers work closely with special
educators to develop appropriate accommodations and differentiation practices. Students that
still face learning challenges after these interventions are referred to the next step in the IEP
process.
If general education practices are not successful, then the student may be referred to special
education services. Referrals can come from teachers, parents, social service agencies, nurses, or
even doctors. This process begins much sooner for children with more severe disabilities so
Ridgely primarily deals with students facing ADHD, other health impairments, or traumatic
brain injury.
The next step is identification. The purpose of this step is to determine if a disability is present
in a targeted student, what types of services are needed, as well as if the student qualifies for
special education. At this stage, evaluations are conducted on the student by qualified
professions from each area of concern. For example, if hearing is an issue for the targeted
student than an audiologist should be present at his evaluation. The person who coordinates this
process varies by state but at Ridgely it is the SST. Medical history, adaptive behavior, behavior,
social interactions, and educational performance are the types of data collected in this step of the
process. Information on every aspect of the students life should be collected. Formal and
informal tests on intelligence, achievement, and acuity are used to make decisions on students
special education status in the school system.
The next stage of Ridgelys IEP process is eligibility. The information from assessments taken in
the identification process is used to determine if the student actually has a disability and if he/she
requires special education services. An IEP committee figures out the full scope of services
needed for the target student so that an appropriate education is delivered. If a student is found
not to have a disability then their education remains in the capable hands of general educators.
If a student is found to have a disability then an IEP is then developed. This step requires that
IEP team members and the parents/guardians of the targeted student make appropriate decisions

about placement, education, and services of the child. The IEP team will use the information
they have acquired to determine the resources needed for the student to have access to the
general education curriculum as well as measurable goals and objectives in order to develop an
educational program for the targeted student.
Once the IEP has been developed by a team, the students individualized program begins in
earnest. This IEP will now lay out what accommodations the student will receive for testing as
well as instruction, multidisciplinary services from related services that supports the students
program, and the total extent in which the student can be a part of the general curriculum. Minor
changes in the students IEP do not require an IEP meeting but major changes do and also
require parent notification.
The final step in Ridgelys IEP process in one of evaluation and review. IEPs require a certain
level of accountability and are reviewed frequently. The purpose of these reviews is to make
sure that students are making progress in the curriculum and meeting their goals.

IEP Meeting SummariesIEP Annual ReviewTeam membersSpecial education Intern

School Counselor
Special education teacher
Team leader
Parent of the student
IEP Summary #1The IEP team started by asking the parent if they had any questions or concerns about their child
before they began the meeting in earnest. The meeting officially began by discussing the
students progress in many of his classes. It was made known that in health class, the student
received a final grade of 81% with 90% homework completion. Based on observations and
documentation from the teacher, it was made clear that the student is focused in class and is
polite but rushes through assessments and struggles on tests. The student receives extended time
on tests and modified assignments which aide him in receiving an appropriate education. In
science, the student had an overall grade of a 78.8%. He achieved an 80% on classwork, 78% on
formal assessment, and 73% on homework assignments. The student struggles with the science
curriculum but it was made known that he has a strong desire to do well. The student is
respectful and responsible in class but rushes through assignments and makes numerous errors.
The material in this class is chunked and the student receives extended time and preferential
seating accommodations. The student refuses to have a reader in class. The team then discussed

his grades in band which were excellent; he achieved an A overall. The student just began to
play the steel drums and so far is making great strides with the instrument. The special educator
pointed out that he is well behaved, works intensely, and asks many questions during class. In
pre-algebra the student has an 88% overall with 96% homework completion. The student works
hard and participates often in this class. Finally, the student received a 75% overall in world
cultures. He received 75% for homework completion and 76% overall for formal assessments in
this class. The student avoids reading in this class due to a low fluency level. It was at this point
once the team had finished talking about the students current classes that his mother pointed out
that she has noticed a sharp decline of proficiency in this language course. He mentioned that
she would like him to take Latin next year in order to aide in his Spanish proficiency. She also
let the team know that getting him to study for anything was next to impossible. She explained
that her son refused to study for tests even with parent involvement. To reassure the students
mother, the special educator let her know that her son had made a significant amount of progress
over the course of this year. The special educator then started to go over testing data to back up
the statement that he made. He explained that testing was done the week before and the student
had jumped from a fifth grade reading level to a 6.5 reading level. He achieved his word per
minute and fluency goal so there was discussion to drop it in order to focus more on content.
The students writing has gotten better and his organization has improved exponentially as well
has his ability to process information. The special educator pointed out that he still wanted to
keep the students vocabulary and comprehension goals in order to completely achieve mastery.
Once testing was discussed, the parents and the team were offered some time to discuss anything
else concerning the student. His mother pointed out that he was starting to play online on youtube and x-box a lot more. She pointed out that he was stepping away from more negative
behaviors and making better choices, but that he has a problem respecting authority; hes not
afraid to say no to adults. By the end of the meeting it was determined that they would leave
most of his accommodations alone and if something needs to be changed at a later date, that this
can be done. The team decided to keep him in an inclusion model for now unless a need to
change this decision arises. The meeting ended by asking the parents and the IEP team if they
had any more questions. When none were asked, the IEP leader thanked all of the members and
dismissed the team.

IEP Meeting Summary 2Team membersParent

General Educator
Special Educator
School Counselor
IEP team leader

The IEP team officially began by asking the students parent if he had any special concerns about
his child that they could address before the meeting began in earnest. He did not have any so the
general educator was asked to begin the meeting. She started by saying that she has seen
improvement in his focus and work completion in her class. She explained that he is not avoiding
classwork as much but still is trying to take a 10min break in the beginning of class. The teacher
explained that there is improvement in the amount of achievement seen in work samples but he
does not complete his homework for accuracy but instead to rush through it. It was at this point
that the students father pointed out that at home, his son just wants to skip homework and watch
T.V. instead. He points out that his son will try to manipulate him or his ex-wife into thinking
that he does not have homework or that it is already completed. The special education teacher
then pointed out as a possible solution to this problem that his son could utilize the resource
room in Ridgely to complete his homework before he leaves school for the day. He points out
that the resource room was designed with BLS children in mind and that this might be a solution.
At this point the students performance in his classes is discussed by the team. The student has a
72% in science and in this class he is more focused and cooperative than he has ever been before.
Unfortunately, the student is not completing homework or assessments and this is bringing his
grade down. In language, the student is also more focused, motivated, and engaged. All the
accommodations mentioned on his IEP are being implemented in this class and because of this
the student is thriving. In math, the student has a 72%. His behavior has improved and he is
very engaged during class discussions. In P.E. the student has a 77% overall. Here, the student is
frequently late for class and needs to improve his attention during instruction. It was then
pointed out that the student has to walk across the entire school to reach the P.E. room and that
perhaps some extra time could be allotted for him to reach class at an appropriate time. In world
cultures, the student achieved a 96% overall. He is very engaged during class and no longer asks
to leave in the middle of instruction. At this point in the meeting the special educator points out
the students behavioral improvement over the past couple of months. He states that in
December, the student visited the resolution room seventeen times. Over the course of the last
four months though, the student has only visited the resolution room twenty-one times total. He
states that this is extraordinary improvement and something the student and parent should be
commended on. The special educator then discussed the students formal assessment. He
explained that the student was basic in reading and math but needed instruction and phonics in
decoding and fluency; specifically words in isolation and words in paragraph form. The student
did well when it came to vocabulary development and comprehension in reading but had some
problems with numeration as well as simplifying expressions in math. The special educator then
went on to discuss the students behavior goals. They were developed to address his compliance
issues and impulse control. It was explained that the student was doing very well and is
continuing to work on these issues. Due to the fact that his goals have not quite been met, the
FBA is still in place. In the classroom setting it was mentioned that the student has an assortment
of accommodations including verbatim reader, a scribe, extended time on tests, and small group
seating when available. The special educator at the meeting then stated that due to the students
progress, he was not recommending an extended school year. The parent of the student then
explained that he thought that his son may benefit from ESY especially in math. The team then
stated that they could recommend the student for ESY if he met the qualifications and that they

would look into it. It was at this point that the school counselor explained that she no longer
needs to meet with the student for a full thirty minutes a week but instead would like to decrease
this time to fifteen minutes. Finally, the special education intern then discussed the observations
he had made about the students behavior and emotional state over the course of the three months
that he has been at the school. He stated that he was very kind, talkative, and eager to please.
He discussed the students personality/social/emotional state and how it factored into his present
levels of achievement. At this point the meeting came to a close. The team leader then asked if
there was any questions for the parents or for any of the teachers. When no one had any
questions, the members of the meeting were dismissed to leave.
- The student in question has a specific learning disability that effects his mastery of concepts in
mathematics, reading, and writing. This disability also cause deficits in his emotional, social,
and behavioral health. Due to the nature of his disability, the student receives accommodations
in his English and math classes including extended time on assessments and projects, a scribe,
verbatim reading, small group arrangements in classroom settings, and modified assignments. To
address his behavior needs, the student has multiple adult supports that follow him to classes and
keeps him on task. The student also has a point based contract that keeps track of negative
behaviors throughout the school day. The student can also take ten minute breaks in the
resolution room four times each day in order to keep himself on track. The student has a FBA
and a BIP in place to address his behavior issues.

Content:

Background Information/ timelineThe student was initially referred for IEP in New York, the state where he was born, by an SST
as well as his parents due to a perceived disability in reading, math, and written language.
Behavior problems also factored into this decision. Due to the severity of his disability set, the
student was classified under multiple disabilities, speech/language impairment, and other health
impairment. This classification was later changed to specific learning disabilities. A series of
interventions were put into place in the year of 2011 by the students general education teacher to
determine if special education services were required. When these interventions failed, a referral
was sent out and the student was then identified as having a disability in the winter of 2011. It
was determined that he was eligible for special education services and on 3-7-12 an IEP was
developed for the student. An IEP meeting was held, the draft IEP was finalized, and on 3-19-12
it was implemented. The current IEP was reviewed on 1-20-15, and implemented a week later.
As of this year, services provided for the student include 90min in a general education
classroom, 10 hours outside the general education classroom, 15 sessions of ESY in a general
education system, transportation services, and counseling services in 15min increments weekly.
The students parents are divorced and he lives with his mother. He takes medicine for his
multiple behavior problems and this factors into his learning characteristics, especially the
attention he is able to give during class. The student shows a great deal of work avoidance and

will often leave the classroom or ask for a ten minute break to get out of homework that becomes
too involved. The student becomes agitated and will resort to disruptive behavior in order to
aide his avoidance strategies. No linguistic differences are present, though his move from a large
city to a more rural setting was a culture shock, one that briefly led to an increase in disruptive
and violent behavior. The students speech and language impairment was major reason for
referral in 2012 but since then he has met all language goals.
Present levels- The student has scored low/basic in the areas of reading, writing, and math. His
present levels of performance in reading indicate further learning in phonics, vocabulary, and
comprehension. He is reading at 60wpm with strengths in reading, basic sight words, and reading
short books. In math, he needs further learning in numeration and applied problems but has
strong basic math skills which include counting money. Behaviorally, the student has strong
attendance and is personable with students and teachers. The student lacks impulse control and
cannot comply with demands made by those in authority. His disability affects his short term
memory, retrieval skills, his ability to solve non-verbal problems, the depth of acquired
knowledge, as well as his auditory integration and attention skills. He has difficulty following
directions, as well as comprehending written and auditory information for long periods of time.
Accommodations- Due to these difficulties in the general education setting, the student requires
verbatim reading as well as the use of a scribe. The students handwriting is illegible so the use
of a human scribe will allow the student to keep track of homework and classwork as well as
keep him up to date on class notes. In math, the student requires the use of a calculator as well as
manipulatives, number lines, and calculation charts in order to be successful in his math classes.
The student should use these accommodations for classwork, tests, and quizzes. Due to his
attention issues, the student will require preferential seating in order to reduce distractions for
himself and for other students. The student will participate in the Maryland School Assessment
as well as PARCC assessments. Tactile graphics, spelling and grammar devices, and calculation
tools on these assessments will be allowed as specific accommodations for these tests.
Supplementary Aids/Services- The student receives supports that include allowing him to repeat
or paraphrase information, allowing the use of manipulatives/organizational aids, limiting the
amount he can copy from the board, as well as providing him with a copy of his teachers notes.
The student benefits from organizational aids and the processes of repeating back information to
the teacher helps with his short term memory deficits. Adult support will further keep the
student on track in the classroom. A copy of his teachers notes will make sure that he has all the
information he needs to achieve mastery in his subjects. The students participation in the
Language curriculum will aide his spelling deficiencies.
The student will receive modified assignments with deleted extraneous information, use pictures
to support reading passages, and separate long paragraphs into bullets. These modifications
should be utilized in the classroom setting whenever possible to allow the student to focus on
instruction as well as to clarify reading assignments.
The student will be provided manipulatives and sensory activities to promote listening and focus,
strategies to initiate and sustain attention, and reinforcements to focus on positive behavior.

They will be used as social and behavioral supports when needed and the student will be given
breaks when they are most appropriate. The student will also carry a daily point sheet to help
him monitor positive and negative behavior.
Adult support can be provided throughout the day to assist the student in classroom instruction,
transitions, and classroom tasks to redirect behavior, provide reminders, and give note taking
support.

Goals/Objectives- (Displayed in IEP)

SEE IEP BELOW

Procedures:

1. The IEP notice included all relevant information including a description of the action
proposed, a list of options the IEP team considered, a description of the evaluation procedure and
assessment record, all relevant information for the LEAs proposal, a statement of parent and
childs protection under the law, and sources for the parent to contact if needed.
2. All appropriate persons were attendance at the meeting including the parent, the IEP chair, the
school psychologist, a general educator, as well as a special educator.
3. Timelines were followed appropriately. The student was evaluated, and determined eligible
for special education services at the beginning of the year. The IEP was developed in a timely
manner, and it was implemented days after the IEP annual review.
4. A copy of the procedural safeguards was shared with the family when the IEP notice is sent to
the parents and they are offered another copy at the start of the IEP team.
5. The meeting did start on time so that parents and professionals could ready themselves for the
meeting and think if they had any questions and concerns before it started.

6. The meeting was held in a conference room on the first floor of Ridgely Middle School. The
room was small but comfortable and the table that the members of the team sat at allowed a
vantage of every member of the team.
7. Each member was seated next to each other around a large rectangular table. The Team
leader was at the head of the table, the special educator was next to the parent, the general
educator and school psychologist sat next to each other and the intern sat across from the parent.
8. The agenda of the meeting was followed, with minor deviations that were quickly corrected.
9. The team leader led the meeting, kept track of time, and kept every member on track during
the course of the team. The school psychologist was there to aid in any behavioral information
that she could share as well as to talk about the childs mental health. The general educator
discussed the childs progress in her class and his performance levels there. The special educator
went over assessment results, goals and objectives, and presented the IEP. Everyone at the
meeting was very cordial with each other. The childs father seemed to be uneasy at the
beginning of the meeting but with support from the team members his mood seemed to lighten
somewhere in the middle of the meeting. The interactions between the team leader and the other
members of the IEP team were professional. Everyone at the meeting seemed to hold her in the
highest respect and valued her desire to move on from certain subjects as well as to linger on
others in order to get a more accurate picture of the students achievements and present levels.
10. Everyone seemed enjoy a great deal of collaboration at the meeting. One member would say
something and the other members would add onto that statement. They were more than willing
to work with each other and develop ideas to raise achievement. They were especially
collaborative with the students parent. They gave ideas on how they could help the child at
home and took advice from the parent on how he thought that the student could reach his goals in
a classroom setting. The members of the team seemed to be very accepting of his ideas and viceversa.

Reflection:

Out of all of the signature assessments this semester this was the most important in my opinion.
One of the major components of being a special educator is writing and implementing an IEP.
Many of the skills that we will be asked to showcase in our professional careers are investigated
in this assessment. I think that this project would have been better to give students in their fall
and spring internships to truly understand the IEP process. Not only is there a lack of meetings
during the spring, but having to contend with the weather during the winter months was a hassle.
Due to white weather throughout the majority of our internship, the date of my IEP team was
often rescheduled and it did not allow me to do as much with this assessment as I would have
liked. Mr. Sunderland was very helpful in helping me to understand the process of writing and
implementing the proposed IEP as well as going over the purpose of team meetings. During the
IEP meeting my role was to elaborate on what Mr. Sunderland said on the students present level

of performance as well as to discuss my observations of the student in and out of the classroom
setting. I made inferences on the students behavior as well as means that could be used to
improve it. The parent of the student looked to me to discuss his sons personality during school
hours and how it affects his relationships with teachers as well as his peers.
Agenda1. Questions about student
2. Discussion from general educator
3. Go over IEP
4. Discuss IEP
4. Discuss behavior with school psychologist
5. Discuss services provided (ESY)
6. Ask parents and professionals any questions about IEP or meeting.
7. End of Team