Individual Education Program in the USA - Dissertation Example

Individual Education Program in the USA Executive Summary Individual Education Program is a program that is run by schools and institutions for improving student outcomes by addressing their educational needs. IEP includes participation of students facing any type of educational problem in general curriculum, followed by Minnesota Statewide Testing (MST), Basic Standard Testing (BST), and providing special education services and support services to the recognized disable students. IEP starts from the first year of school of each student who are facing disability in studies. This process commences even before any kind of special education is provided to the student in fact as soon as possible after knowing the disability and first meeting with IEP team. Schools and parents are responsible to collect disability information before first meeting. There are three types of meeting under IEP. IEP program gets started after first meeting. First meeting deals with decision making of team on eligibility of students for undergoing special education. In this segment, ten categories are listed by IDEA in 1997 and team decides which category to follow. Parents also participate fully in this program through their support. Second type of meeting is the annual planning meeting. Here, an annual review of student’s performance improvement is analysed and the further eligibility of students’ participation is decided. In this meeting, IEP team also makes necessary changes in educational process and communicates all information to the assigned teacher. In the third type of meeting, which is triennial, participation of teachers and parents is must. This meeting occurs to review the improvements in three years data of students. This is done by IEP team for decision making process of students’ requirements for future education process (University of Idaho, n.d). In the bilateral IEP program certain steps are followed in which first specific needs of each student are identified and followed with identification of measurable short term goals and annual goals. After the identification process, objectives and assessment process is programmed. Planning is then followed by implementation of planning process. This program is a core analysis of student needs matched with resource availability for betterment of every student (Kent State University, n.d). Critical Student Needs Students, in early the ages, have no logical sense to understand and react. They perform as per the instructions of the elders. During IEP programs, ten categories are listed for evaluating if the student is disabled or not. IEP has taken every possible measure of providing good guidance to students so that they can improve in their lacking skills. Like in the case Simon, he has been provided with extra classes, home works. IEP teams do a good work in identifying each student’s weaknesses and plan programs accordingly. They also conduct annual and triennial meeting so that the performance can be rated. On basis of information collected, necessary steps are taken and if needed more programs are implemented. But the area it does not consider is mental and behavioral changes that comes in children with age. While planning, they never consider why the particular child is quite, why he has lesser friends, why he hesitates to communicate with others. When child grows, a self attitude also grow with child and their ego hurts when they are treated badly by fellow students and are given extra care. The area in which IEP is lacking is that, they have some fixed objectives and bounded area. They only decide on the basis of those fixed categories but, what they do not consider is behavioral changes, interest of students and their motivational factors. Many institutions like Harvard Graduate School of Education are running masters program in IEP (International Education Policy). This program helps in drawing attention of community towards children educational issues and a platform for creative and innovative discussion. It facilitates a platform for those individuals, who wants to work in this filed by providing them education and a place where they can share their ideas and suggestion in those issues. In these programs, students are distinguished in basis of their understanding level related to all issues in individual educational programs and emphasize on self evaluation of educational policies by developing analytical skills on them (Harvard Graduate School of Education, n.d). The team of IEP consists of these professional teachers who are trained in the field of understanding child need and implementing programs that can bring improvement upon them. Their job is to analyse, evaluate, plan and implement the solution that can help child to the maximum extent. But the area in which they do not master is, to analyses “way of motivation” of each child and motivation based program implementation. Simon Case In the case of Simon, one can observe that Simon, from the very first year is facing LDs problem in reading and spelling and is three years behind his fellow students. He is very much interested in technology and activities that are not related to reading and spelling and always avoid these subjects. His school, Cavalion Primary School, has provided many facilities to improve him in these fields by giving him extra tuitions, special homework, and adopted many more methods but Simon sooner or later loose all interest in those activities. Then a teacher, named David, came and adopted new formula by looking at his interest on technology. He provided him with programs involving technology, which ultimately depicted little improvement upon him. This was primarily because the teacher was successful in engaging his interest to learn. Individual Evolution Programs are good for students but what is important is to understand its actual need to the student, need that goes into the core of students mind and then get the desired solution. In the case of Simon, IEP programs were structured on the basis of his age, educational requirements, but not on his ability. In his case, goals are formulated on the basis of school curriculum so that, he can perform well but, IEP grades is not concern with school, teacher or parents’ goal but is linked with an individual goal. Grading exercise should be adopted to make students participate with their own interest and understanding their needs of self improvement. Simon, as we can see is very much interested in activities related to creativity and technology. If we look at his behavior, he remains very reserve with all, including his parents, teachers and friends too. This is because he feels ashamed when anyone talks about his weaknesses. He ignores matters related to reading because he wants to hide his weakness from others. He made only one friend throughout his curriculum because he found comfort and trust on him for sharing his secrets. These factors show that Simon wants to change his attitude but lack of motivational factors still exist. He doesn’t wants to win but to hide. Why? Because he is ashamed of not been like others. For Simon EIP should include more of technological stuffs because, it’s an attraction and motivation for him. Now to answer why technology and why not other modes, it is primarily because when he studies in computer no one comes to know that what he is studying and everyone think he is learning something very new so that he can study without any hesitation, without sharing his annoyance with others. And the second advantage is this being shy he doesn’t share like to his problem, in computer he don’t have to share to someone who he thinks will spread or react. Here, he can find solution of all of his problems without getting insulted in front of others according to his perception. In such programs, both school and parents should participate. Parents can support by providing him computer and all those software that will enhance his skill and school can support by teaching him use of that software and guiding parents how to work and deal with it. Thirdly, technology is the only area of interest for Simon and it has all advanced solutions in it. He can explore and can find his own way of improvement. It’s a self motivation factor for him. Some student like Simon hesitates to ask question and share their problem in class because they think other will laugh at them. This leads to very low confidence and will power to fight. For this “teacher-student interaction section” can play a big role. Regular interaction can help student to be open with their teachers and share their problems and issues they face in class more easily and freely. Goals are very important for knowing the progress of Simon in this case. For this, technology based spelling and reading assignments can be provided on regular basis like conducting regular tests in class, but no special concern should be shown. Evaluating grades on the basis of his performance, giving individual feedback in class to all and if necessary, providing counseling sessions to Simon separately. Counseling sessions can definitely be a part but not from the school’ end. It should rather be from parents’ side so that he does not have to feel bad in front of his friends and colleagues. Also, parents have to show more care and concern towards Simon and try to be with him as much as they can. This will help them to gain trust and create a comfort zone for Simon. Then only he will be open to share his problem to them and feel comfortable for everything in their presence. IEP gives a platform to both the parents as well as teachers of the disabled students to share their view and get involved in a task that leads towards same goal. This also results in increased communication, involvement and positive interaction between parents and school. Good relationship between school and parents help in development of self determination in students and students will become more open for their needs and issues they face. It also benefits teachers in the long run. In all of the related activities, parents participation is must because they are the link who can motivate students after the school hour. At the initialization stage of IEP, parents’ presence and acceptance is must. Parents need to sign all the documents related to IEP plans of their children. School can collaborate with parents by providing transparent communication system, sending the progress report and special reports on regular basis, providing feedbacks and taking their inputs and opinions. There should be an equal partnership between school and parents in IEP activities. Parents plays three different roles in IEP programs, first, they are communicator between student and teacher for those who don’t share with their teacher. Teachers’ and parents’ frequent communication will help in knowing more about child character and behavioral changes, second is parents participation will encourage students to be more open and parents to have updated reports and last one is that of governance, this provides parents and teachers to know each other opinion and suggestions. Teachers, on the other hand can guide parents by counseling them about curriculum needs and areas their child lacks and the steps that are to be taken to fill these gaps. In the process of IEP, teachers should also understand their role and understand the needs. They should learn to work for the success of every student. It is the teacher, who is basically responsible for the children’s school related activities so their duty is to regularly intimate parents about their children’s behavior, progress as well as lagging areas. Recommendations IEP is a big platform provided for disabled students in the arena of education. It collaborates with teachers, administration and parents for providing full benefit to the student. But the system lacks on considering mental pressure that a student face during this course. Students have to participate in double curriculum both in school and outside provided by IEP. Students also have to face more pressure from parents and emotional pressure from his fellow students. A group from where he belongs plays a very major part in any child’s behavioral changes. Extra care sometimes makes them feel different. IEP, throughout its curriculum, must consider behavioral changes in a student. This can be done by arranging parents-teacher meeting and planning future activities and taking whole lot of other factors into consideration. A growing child easily gets hurt, as at this stage they not only develop in their age and brain but also in their attitude and self esteem. No one desires to be ashamed in front of others so, programs should also take these biological changes in mind. It also looks at the interest and motivational factors of child so they can keep it continuing with interest and not from pressure. My Concern Going through this topic, I realize the difficulties that a disabled student faces that most of us are not aware of. Most parents think that it will reduce with age but it’s really very hard to accept for me that this problem can be so critical. This is the area where every child needs some care and concern but, in major cases we neglect and blame the child for his bad performance. There are generally very less cases where we try to understand the mental pressure that this kind to child faces. While reading this case, I have realized that people have started taking step towards improvement of the children with such disabilities. It is a very novel step to help these children but this also lacks in some area like emotional consideration. Simon was under care and consideration of his parents, teachers and administration but no one had understood why he is not trying to improve or rather what is stopping him form stepping into the path of improvement. Teachers were mainly concerned about him to get passed in curriculum and parents were not taking any step by themselves as they depended on administration for support. Why? It would have been prudent if the parents themselves initiated measures to improve their child’s future. Simon, on the other hand, has also stopped sharing his thoughts with his parents and talking to his fellow members. This shows the mental and emotional pressure he is facing in both at school and at home. IEP is doing well but it also needs to look after all these matters related to a particular student. Conclusion Various children are facing wide range of problems as some cannot remember; some cannot recognize words while some other does not want to understand. They are those who are going through certain disabilities. They need extra care and activities so that they can develop and cope up with other normal students. Every student has different problem so, the solution also varies. IEP, with its team members, who are professionally trained from reputed institutes, has come out with solution for these disabled students by providing them with curriculums including participation in many extra activities so that they can improve. For this, they collaborate with teachers and parents of those students, and make plans considering their suggestions. During improvement process they consider the weak points and find ways for improvements for the lags but often they did not consider the growing needs and the needs of emotional support. Child mental position and behavioral changes are few of the important reasons behind child not taking any activity seriously. They need to be motivated because motivation is the only factor that can encourage them to adapt to the changing needs of themselves. In IEP process, students are made to understand their disabilities that facilitate them to improve all their disabilities. So, the improvement path should also be motivating for them and this can be done by formulating activities based on students’ interest. References Harvard Graduate School of Education, No Date. International Education Policy. About HGSE. [Online] Available on: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/about/index.html [Accessed June 22, 2010]. Kent State University. No Date. Bilateral IEP. In Service. [Online] Available at: http://fp.dl.kent.edu/ecis/Web/Inservice/Lincoln%20Way%20SERRC/Bilateral%20IEP.pdf [Accessed June 22, 2010]. MTSD. No Date. Parents/ Student Collaboration. The State of New Jersey. [Online] Available at: www.mtsd.k12.nj.us/.../lib/.../Collaboration_PowerPoint_PTAC_v3.ppt [Accessed on June 22, 2010]. University of Kansas. No Date. ADAPTATION: BASING PART OF GRADE ON PROGRESS ON IEP GOALS. Teaching Tools. [Online] Available at: http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/main.php?cat=assessment§ion=main&subsection=grading/progressoniep [Accessed June 22, 2010]. University of Idaho. No Date. Types of IEP Meetings. AGLS. [Online] Available at: http://www.agls.uidaho.edu/fcsed/FCS469/IEP%20Meetings.pdf [Accessed June 22, 2101]. Bibliography Johnson & Johnson Collaborative Teaming Process. No Date. PIGS FACE. Johnson & Johnson Collaborative Teaming Process. Read More