Resources
Resources Related to Individualized Education Program (IEP):
National:
News and information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) is available from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
For topic briefs including a summary of all relevant statutory language around that topic—along with citations and cross-references to other related briefs when applicable, go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html.
Individualized Education Program (IEP), Team Meetings and Changes to the IEP (2005) explains changes in procedures for IEP meetings, including information about membership, attendance, and making changes to the IEP. To download this two-page fact sheet, go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/tb-iep-meetings.pdf (to download as a PDF) or http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/tb-iep-meetings.doc (to download as a Word document).
NICHCY Connections ... to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) defines the purpose and importance of IEPs. To download the article, go to http://nichcy.org/resources/IEP1.asp. (NICHCY, or the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, provides resources on IEPs for children with disabilities.)
A Guide to the Individualized Education Program assists all stakeholders with the implementation of Part B of the IDEA, which requires IEPs for children with disabilities, including preschool-aged children. To download this guide, go to http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html. (Note: This guide does not address the development of individualized family services plans [IFSP] for infants and toddlers. Also, it is expected that this document will be updated when the final federal regulations are published for the implementation of IDEA 2004.)
State:
Individualized Education Program (IEP) template forms (Revised 2006)
http://www.sccoe.k12.ca.us/depts/selpa/iepforms.asp
The California Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) organization developed these forms to be in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended in 2004.
Standards-Based Instruction: Could it Happen in Special Education? A WestED Web cast (April 2006)
http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/events/standardsbasedspecialed
How can we close the achievement gaps that seem to be persistent or widening for special education students? Research-based systematic standards-focused instruction has tremendously improved outcomes for general education students, but how can this same approach facilitate closing the achievement gap between general and special education students? In this archived web cast presentation, learn how special educators can implement standards-focused instruction and how appropriately written Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) can support the attainment of grade-level standard skills. Silvia DeRuvo, Special Education Resources Development Specialist for Center for Prevention and Early Intervention at WestEd, presented information on how teachers can "unpack the standards" to drive instruction that will meet standards-based IEP goals.
Standards Designed Instruction for Students with Disabilities (2005)
http://www.calstat.org/learningCenter/pdfs/ACSA_Toolkit.pdf
This document is a toolkit to assist teachers with standards, assessment, standards-based IEPs, and mastery teaching and learning. This project was funded by the California Department of Education.
Learn to Connect Curriculum to the Standards Web cast Series (2004-05)
http://www4.scoe.net/connecting/index.cfm
Top educators will help you develop and implement strategies to ensure the participation of students with disabilities in a curriculum that reflects California's content standards. The eight six-hour sessions each focus on important aspects of connecting special education curriculum to the California content standards including handouts and materials. This project funded by the California Department of Education.
Resources Related to IDEA 2004
Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities (Tool Kit)
(May 2006) http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/index.asp
Information, including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities. The Tool Kit is intended to assist state personnel, schools, and families in their efforts to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a quality education.
IDEA Parent Guide (May 2006) http://www.ncld.org/content/view/902/456086/
This guide describes the special education process - a process that is the same regardless of a child's particular difficulties or disabilities. Within the guide, special emphasis is placed on the category of specific learning disability. The guide includes parent perspectives, terms helpful to know, and practical materials for parents such as Checklists, Sample Letters, Charts, and Questions to Ask. This Guide produced by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD).
Response to Intervention (RtI): Training for California Educators Web cast Series (Spring 2006) http://www4.scoe.net/rti/
Learn how to match high quality instruction to students’ needs and use rate of learning to make important educational decisions. Top educators from across the nation provide information on implementing a multi-tier RtI system aligned with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that is designed to improve child academic and behavioral outcomes including handouts and materials. This project funded by the California Department of Education.
Federal Law and Regulations:
Proposed regulations to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), June 21, 2005. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-11804.pdf
For the more information about the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, go to the California Department of Education's website.
Resources for Related California Issues:
California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) Blueprint (June 2006)
The CAPA was initially developed by the California Department of Education (CDE) as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended in 1997. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 allowed states to develop an assessment based on alternate achievement standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities. In January 2005, the State Board of Education (SBE) approved an extension of the CAPA contract with the Education Testing Service (ETS) through December 31, 2006. In addition, the SBE approved adding CAPA to the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program ETS contract. Since CAPA is one of the state assessments used for accountability, it must comply with NCLB requirements. A revision of the CAPA blueprints has focused on strengthening the link between the test items and grade level content standards.
An Assessment Review Panel (ARP) representing educators from both special education and general education was convened December 2–3, 2005, and February 3–4, 2006. The task of the panel was to determine how the California content standards could be reduced in complexity or modified to reflect prerequisite or enabling skills. Since assessments based on alternate achievement standards may cover a narrower range of content than assessments based on grade-level achievement standards, only those standards which were deemed meaningful to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were selected. The objective was to promote access to the general curriculum yet reflect the highest achievement standards possible for the population of student eligible to take the CAPA.
The new blueprints have been developed to reflect the portions of the content standards from kindergarten through seventh grade that are accessible to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Skills assessed through this blueprint will allow CAPA children to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.
New CAPA task will be field-test in 2007. A new standards-setting will be conducted in 2008.
For more information about the CAPA blueprint from the State Board of Education, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/ag/ag/yr06/agenda0306.asp.
California Modified Assessment (June 2006)
The California Department of Education is developing the California Modified Assessment (CMA). Based upon the two percent flexibility guidance on statewide assessments from the United States Department of Education, the CDE is developing a modified assessment for students with disabilities who present persistent academic difficulties. These students are not likely to reach grade level achievement in the same time frame as students without disabilities, but can make significant progress toward grade level achievement. This population should not be precluded from earning a high school diploma. The CMA is aligned with the grade level content standards. There will be no limitation on how many students may participate, but only up to 2 percent can be counted as proficient or above fore the purposed of calculating adequate yearly progress (AYP).