Wrightslaw

At Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and skills you need to navigate the confusing world of special education. In this issue, we look at IEPs and IDEA 2004.

Highlights: Take the IEP Quiz; answers to your questions about IEPs; game plan - how to write IEP goals & objectives; IEP tutorials & checklists; frequently asked questions about IEPs; Wrightslaw programs in AZ, NH, IL; IDEA 2004 - What's New; order free pub about IEPs.

Quote of the Week: "Remember that 'measurable' means you can count it or observe it." (To learn who said this and why, scroll down to the tutorials about writing measurable IEP goals and objectives.)

The Special Ed Advocate newsletter is free - please forward this issue or the subscription link to your friends and colleagues so they can learn about special education law and advocacy too. We appreciate your help! Download this issue.

Flyers! Do you want to help others learn about special education law and advocacy? Please print and distribute the Wrightslaw flyer. Where? At schools, doctor's offices, hospitals, libraries, day care centers! Flyer in pdf  List of flyers

Over the next few weeks, The Special Ed Advocate will focus on IEPs, FAPE (free appropriate public education), ESY (extended school year), and advocacy strategies to negotiate for a good program and resolve disputes.

If you visit Wrightslaw, you are likely to have questions about IEPs. Test your knowledge - take our IEP Quiz (you'll receive answers by email). After you review your score, go to the IEP Page for articles, strategies, tips, law and regulations, and free publications about IEPs and IEP meetings.

Many parents and teachers have questions about IEPs. In this issue, we answer questions about long-term planning, transition, and accountability.

"The school wants us to write a vision statement. Do you have advice about how parents can make long-term plans?" Read Long-term Planning & Your Child's IEP

"I want my son to be prepared to enter the workforce when he leaves school. How can we get vocational goals in his IEP?" Sue Heath answers this dad's question in Making the Transition from School to Work.

"My child has made little progress in her special education program. The school says I agreed to their IEPs so I can't complain. Who is responsible for providing an appropriate education?" Read our answer to this parent's question Who is Responsible for Providing an Appropriate IEP?

In Doing Your Homework, Sue Heath answers questions about IEPs, reading, retention, and No Child Left Behind.

More Frequently Asked Questions

Diane writes, "Help! I need good IEP goals and objectives!"

"I know my son's IEP is inadequate - the only goal is 'Commitment to academic success.' I need to find good measurable IEP goals and objectives. Can you point me to a source or site that has a model of a well-written IEP?"

In How to Make Annual Goals Measurable: Examples, Dr. Bar-Lev uses IEP goals from his staff, explains why the goals are not clear or measurable, then walks you through the process of revising the goals so they are SMART - specific, measurable, use action words, are realistic, and time-limited.

Nissan Bar-Lev is the special ed director of the Cooperative Educational Service Agency No. 7 (CESA-7) in Green Bay, Wisconsin. CESA-7 won first place in the Wrightslaw Best School Website Contest. The CESA-7 site is a rich source of information for parents and teachers. We encourage you to visit this website - you'll be glad you did!

IEP Review Checklist

Advocacy Tip: When you make copies of these checklists, bring more than your IEP team will need - leave extra copies for the next IEP team.

Our thanks to Nissan Bar-Lev, Donita O'Donnell, and the staff of Cooperative Educational Service Agency #7 (CESA) for permission to use these checklists.

If you are a new parent or a seasoned special ed veteran, you will learn something new in Frequently Asked Questions About IEPs. This article includes 14 Qs & As about IEP teams, placement, related services, and more.

My child is eligible - what happens next?
What is an IEP?
Who develops my child's IEP?
What can I do to prepare for the IEP meeting?
What are related services? What is assistive technology?
How is placement decided? What options do I have?
Can my child's IEP be changed?

Frequently Asked Questions about IEPs. Learn more about IEPs

Springfield, IL - May 13-14, 2005 (Boot Camp)

All participants receive two books, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law and Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, (Value: $59.90), and our new publication, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004: Overview, Explanation and Comparison of IDEA 2004 & IDEA 97 by Peter Wright.

If you are interested in bringing a Wrightslaw program to your community, please read FAQs about Seminars.