Q: I have an IEP annual and a 3-year reevaluation due in the same year, but we did not hold the meetings together. Any thoughts?
A: The most important thing to remember is that our Special Education Database holds only the most recent IEP paperwork. Once new information is inputted, the previous is deleted. Because of that, it is imperative that you plan ahead.
When an annual and a 3-year are done in the same year, but not at the same meeting (for instance, two weeks apart), you will need to send in the paperwork for the first meeting, BEFORE the next meeting is started so that it can be reviewed and corrected, if needed, before it is erased with the follow-up paperwork.
Q: Do you have any tips on how to determine appropriate accommodations for students during instruction and testing?
A: As always, accommodations for testing need to be accommodations that are regularly used by a student during instruction in the classroom. That being said, a student can add/delete accommodations throughout his/her academic career. Teachers should:
– Plan how a student will learn to use each new accommodation.
– Be certain there is sufficient time to use the instructional and assessment accommodations before test day.
– Plan for the ongoing evaluation and improvement of accommodation use.
Understand that for a student to receive the intended benefit of accommodations during testing, the above three bullets need to be considered and accommodations regularly reviewed.