IEP Critique Document

IEP document reviewed:

Anastaica Reed
2/20/2016

Section 1
A statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance

1. List all of the assessments used. Briefly state the name and purpose of each assessment.
Why would these assessments be good to use for this student? The Woodcock Johnson
Tests of Achievement-III. The test is good for the student because it covers anything and
everything. This is a huge test consisting of multiple subtests that also have subtests.
Although I feel sorry for anyone who has to take several hours out of their day to take
this, I admit that it is probably one of the best aptitude tests there is. They also used the
WISC-IV. This test is less skill based and more cognitive thinking based.

2. When writing about the students current performance, it is good practice to start with
positive statements, followed by deficit statements, then a statement about why the deficit
is important to address, and finally a statement about what will be done. For example,
Billy can count to 10. However, he is still having difficulty with skip-counting. This
skill is important to learn because it will help him understand the number system. Billy
will need to work on skip-counting by 2s and 5s. This provides his current performance,
where he needs to go, and why. Find this section in the IEP that you are critiquing. How
does the narrative address the students performance? In a positive light? Mostly negative
comments? Select one paragraph and rewrite it using the format given above. The
paragraph contains both positive and negative comments on Salvadors abilities. They
comment that while he falls short in reading and writing, that his best skill is math. They
also comment that he is very creative and that he likes to draw. This indicates that they
are not just focusing on the negatives, but also trying to help identify positive qualities
and improve those as well.

3. When writing about the effect of the students involvement in the general education
curriculum, it is good practice to begin with a description about what typical students in
that grade level are expected to do. This information can be found on the state department
of education website. After stating what typical students can do in that grade level, a
statement about why the student is unable to access the general education curriculum
should follow. Look at this section in the IEP that you are critiquing. Is it thoroughly
written in a narrative format that addresses how typical students should perform and why
the particular student is unable to perform? Select one paragraph and rewrite it. Sals

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reading and writing problems make it difficult for him to complete assignments on time,
understand what he reads in text books, and express his thoughts meaningfully on writing
assignments. His social and emotional problems interfer with his ability to participate on
group assignments with other students, to follow teacher directives, and to respond
appropriately when criticized by others. This paragraph describes how Sals behavior
makes it difficult for him to cope in a general ed classroom. Although he is smart, he is
very slow. This can slow down the whole class and lead to time management problems
for the teacher as Sal is not the only student in the class that needs attention. The
paragraph is not very well written. Its very short and to the point about something that
should contain more detail. There is also a spelling error. I would be worried about my
teacher putting a spelling error on a official document. I know things happen, but when
its a document like the IEP it should be very professional.

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Section 2
A statement of measurable annual goals.

1. When writing goals and benchmarks, one must remember to make sure that they are
measureable. This means that each goal/benchmark addresses: (1) direction (increase,
maintain, decrease, etc.); (2) area of need (reading, social skills, etc.); (3) level of
attainment or success (grade level, accuracy, etc.); (4) how progress will be measured;
and (5) the setting and responsible staff that will teach it. Look at the annual goals. Are
they discussed in the present levels? Are they related to state standards? Are they written
in measurable terms? Give an example of a goal from the IEP. He has four goals laid out
for him. 1. Acquire and use new vocabulary in relevant contexts 2. Create a first draft
containing the necessary elements for a specific purpose. 3. Identify ways to build mutual
trust and respect and develop an action plan for negotiating concerns. and 4. Cooperate
with a group to achieve group goals in competitive as well as cooperative settings. Some
are related to standards, they are written in measurable terms, and they are discussed in
the present levels. The ones pertaining to reading and writing are standard related. He
needs to be able to complete those tasks to meet standards.

2. Look at the benchmarks for each goal. When writing benchmarks, they should be in
sequential order, contain concrete timeframe, and adhere to the principles discussed
above. Are the benchmarks related to the goals? Are they written in sequential format?
Give an example of the benchmarks for a goal. Only one goal actually has specific
benchmarks. Goal number 2 has four benchmarks, technically two. They repeat for some
reason. They are not in numerical order, but they seem to be in skill attainment order. To
write a draft one needs to first be able to organize writing in a logical sequence.

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Section 3
A description of how the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured

1. What is the method for reporting the student's progress toward meeting his/her annual
goal(s)? Check all that apply.
IEP Goals Page
District Report Card
Specialized Progress Report
Parent Conferences
x Other: Informal testing, Teacher assessments, Teacher observation.

2. How often will the parent be notified of the student's progress?

Quarterly
Semester
Trimester
x Other: Daily and Weekly

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Section 4
Special Education and Related Services
An IEP must include a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary
aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the
child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for
school personnel that will be provided for the child.

1. What types of special education services does this student receive? Check each service
that is indicated in the IEP.
x Written language
Math
x Reading
x Social skills
Organization Skills
Other:

2. Are the special education services indicated on this IEP discussed in the present levels of
academic achievement and functional performance section? Yes. They talk about the
child being weak in reading and writing and also discuss how his distress causes various
social issues.

3. What types of related services does this student receive? Check each service that is
indicated on the IEP.
Speech / Language Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Adapted Physical education
Audiology Services
Psychological Services
x Transportation
School Nurse Services
x Other: Counseling

4. Look at the amount of time the related service(s) is/are provided. Do you think it is
enough? If, "No", explain why you think it is not enough. I think that this is sufficient for
the time being. If the child exhibits that he needs more then we can always offer more

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services. He isnt disabled or anything, just slow and has some catching up to do both
educationally and socially.

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Section 5
Justification for Placement

An IEP must include an explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate
with nondisabled children in the regular class and in the activities. This section is to justify why a
child is being placed in a particular setting. Look for a place in the IEP where it discusses the
least restrictive environment (i.e., regular class, resource room, self-contained, residential
facility, hospital, etc.).

1. What placement has been selected for the student to be educated in?
General Education Classroom
General Education Classroom with Consultation
x General Education Classroom with Supplementary Instruction and Services
Resource Room
Separate Classroom
Separate School
Residential School
Homebound
Hospital

2. Look at the justification paragraph. Read it and try to see if the following questions are
answered. Select, "Yes" or "No" for each question.

Yes No
What specialized instruction, modifications of the curriculum, or x
accommodations does this student require to participate in the general
education environment?

Why can't the specialized instruction, modifications, or accommodations be x

provided in the general education environment?

Describe the student's unique needs and why those needs cannot be met in a x
general education environment.

Describe the non-academic benefits (i.e., self-esteem, social, behavioral, x

observational learning effect, communication) that this student failed to
demonstrate in the general education environment.

Describe how this student's needs impact the teaching and learning in the x

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general education environment.

Describe any potential harmful effect of this recommended placement. x

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Section 6
Accommodations and Modifications

An IEP must include (a) a statement of any individual appropriate accommodations that are
necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on State
and district-wide assessments and (b) whether or not the child qualifies to take an alternative
assessment.

1. What accommodations are listed? Do they seem appropriate? Were they discussed in the
present levels? Remember, accommodations provide access to the curriculum. Yes, the
student will be receiving accommodations in Reading, Writing, and Math. He will
receive a Reading test at a 5th grade level, a Writing test at a 4th grade level, and a Math
test with unknown accommodations. He will do this for both state and district testing.

2. What modifications are listed? Do they seem appropriate? Were they discussed in the
present levels? Remember, modifications provide change the curriculum. Modifications
were adjusted to fit his current level of education. I agree with this when he starts the
program, but his difficulty should increase as he progresses through the program to
provide evidence of improvement. If he is just not learning than perhaps he has some sort
of learning disability that is negatively impacting his ability to learn rather than the
student just being behind.

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Section 7
Dates, Frequency, Location, and Duration

An IEP must include (a) the projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications
and (b) the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications.

1. What eligibility category does the student have?

x Learning Disabilities
Speech or Language Impairments
Other Health Impairment
Intellectual Disability
Emotional Disturbance
Autism
Multiple Disabilities
Developmental Delay
Hearing Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Visual Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Deaf-Blindness

2. Who is required to attend an IEP meeting? Check each required member. Remember, just
because someone is invited to the IEP meeting doesn't mean that he/she is "required" to
be there. Read carefully p. 60.

x The parents of a child with a disability.

x At least one regular education teacher.
x At least one special education teacher.
x A local education agency representative.
An individual who can interpret the IEP (this person may be someone already
listed above).
Other individuals who have been invited by the parents or the local education
agency.
x Whenever appropriate, the child with a disability.

3. In looking at the special education and related services section, do the projected dates
cover an entire year? No, this is a seven month program as indicated in the Special

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Education Services section. It indicates that his studies will begin on 10/2/2004 and end
on 05/20/2005. This is almost the whole school year, but not quite.

4. Would you know exactly where, when, and for how long the special education and
related services should be provided? As a professional I definitely should, but its not
always easy to determine what to do with special education students. If a student has a
severe disability they should be in the special education classroom most of the time and
perhaps even all of the time, but if the student just has a learning disability and they are
just really behind in their classes its hard to say how long it will take before they are able
to return to being in the general ed room all of the time. Every child is different and
therefore its all circumstantial.

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Additional Factors to be Considered

The following factors must also be considered when creating an IEP.

1. After reading the strengths of the child, what is your perception of him/her? That Sal is a
smart kid, he just needs a little extra help that cannot be provided in the general ed room.

2. Are any parental concerns listed? What are they? What does this tell you that the parent
thinks is important? The parents are concerned that Sal is being bullied by students
because he is having a hard time learning how to read. This, by the way, indicates another
set of paperwork since the child is being bullied in addition to having an IEP document
filled out. They seem concerned, but they do not attend parent teacher conferences.

3. Indicate whether or not the child has any of the following special factors:

Yes No
Behavior that impedes his/her learning or the learning of others x
Limited English proficient x
Is blind or visually impaired x
Is deaf or hard of hearing x
Requires assistive technology x

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