IEP – Indiviualized Education Plan
When my daughter started second grade, she required an IEP for reading, writing, and math. An IEP is a formal outline of specific academic goals and steps to meet the goals. The IEP can also include emotional support goals. The IEP meeting felt overwhelming while learning the process and understanding all of the paperwork.
It took me four years to understand the process. After discussing the process with a teacher, I learned about my right to schedule a pre-IEP meeting. My daughter’s previous IEPs were instrumental in her reading and writing progress. Her current IEP includes math and emotional support goals.
PRE-IEP MEETING
The pre-IEP meeting included her case manager, school psychologist, and her guidance counselor. The items I wanted to cover included the following:
- Is the current math a good fit?
- Are resources available outside of the school year for additional academic success?
- Is a full academic assessment available to determine if she requires additional accomodations for class tests?
- Is academic sucess center schedule working?
The meeting was great because we were able to identify additional areas of improvement. My daughter’s math goals are on target for grade level progress, the extended school year for summer is available, a full academic evaluation was moved to 6th-grade year, and her academic success center days were increased on her roster.
Middle school is a major transition with more responsibility. I feel more confident my daughter is on track for academic success. As a parent/guardian, I would suggest staying connected to the process and asking for changes if necessary. The IEP includes rights as a parent/guardian and education resources to assist with academic progress.