“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”
— Pablo Picasso, painter
The IEP is one of the crown jewels in the education of children with disabilities and the primary vehicle for each child’s individualized program. Now that we’re back to school, IEP questions and concerns are no doubt in full swing.
Mindful that CPIR has a large number of IEP resources that your center can use in capacity building, meetings with families, and workshops for families and professionals, we’ve put together this Buzz to make it easy for you to find those resources. Most are available in English and Spanish. They range from easy-to-read overviews to more detailed FAQs for parents to in-depth, vetted training modules. Please do help yourself to whatever fits your needs and those of the families you serve.
It’s our pleasure and honor to serve you,
The CPIR Team | Debra, Debi, Lisa, Jessica, and Myriam
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IEP Resources for Families
The Short and Sweet Overview of the IEP | (Also available in Spanish.)
Share this crash course on the IEP with families new to special education. It’s not long, it’s easy to read, and it answers questions such as: What’s an IEP? Who develops it, and what does it contain? May parents participate in writing it? May students?
Parental Right to Participate in Meetings | (Derecho de los Padres de Participar en Reuniones)
Such an important parental right! This short article answers questions such as: When must the school notify parents of an upcoming meeting? What info must the notice include? What happens if neither parent can attend? May the school hold the meeting without parents in attendance? What is not considered a meeting?
Special Factors in IEP Development
Don’t forget about the 5 special factors the IEP team needs to consider for the student. Is behavior an issue? How about limited English proficiency? Blindness or visual impairment? Communication needs or deafness? Does the student need assistive technology? If any of these factors apply to the student, the IEP team must address that factor in the IEP.
For Parent Centers: Staff Favorites
Questions Often Asked by Parents about Special Education Services | (Preguntas Comunes de los Padres sobre la Educación Especial)
Great for new staff orientation and as a memory refresher, this publication answers many of the basic questions that parents have about special education in the beginning. Share it with families, of course! It’s not a quick read because there are a lot of basics, but the answers are short and straight to the point.
Contents of the IEP | (Sobre Cada Componente del IEP)
Here’s a useful, quick refresher that branches into deeper explanations of the individual parts of the IEP, from present levels to annual goals to… well, all the way through to transition planning and age of majority!
Training Modules on the IEP Team, IEP Contents, and the IEP Meeting
(All 3 modules are available in Spanish also, at the link above.)
In 2016, CPIR updated the 3 central IEP modules in the Building the Legacy training curriculum on IDEA and hosted a webinar to let centers know about their availability and contents. These materials were all vetted by OSEP and designed expressly for Parent Centers and other trainers to use for their own learning and in workshops with families and professionals. Connect with each module, its slideshow, trainer’s guide, and handouts for participants. Listen to the webinar to get a thumbnail sketch of each module’s contents.
Want a quick way to find other CPIR training modules on IDEA?
See our quick 2-pager guide in Word, just updated for 2019.
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The CPIR hopes that you’ve found useful and relevant resources listed in this month’s Buzz from the Hub. Please feel free to write to the editor, Lisa Küpper, at lkupper@fhi360.org to suggest the types of resources you’d like to see in the future. CPIR is listening! Your input is extremely valuable to helping us to craft newsletters that support your work with families.
Debra, Debi, Myriam, Jessica, and Lisa
The CPIR Team
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Publication of this eNewsletter is made possible through Cooperative Agreement H328R130014 between OSEP and the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or by the Center for Parent Information and Resources.