Q: I have received IEPs from other schools that are difficult to understand. The PLAAFP has information from four years ago and the font is so small. Is there anything that can be done about that?
A: IEPs must be updated annually and contain the most recent information. The information must be typed to be legible to all, especially parents. Case managers are recommended to use as concise language as possible so that everything fits where it belongs within the IEP.
Q: What should I write in the PLAAFP under “Parent comments/ concerns…”?
A: This section of the PLAAFP is for the parents’ words regarding their children. This should be what parents say they want for their child. Some examples include: “Parents work with Johnny at home. They are concerned that he takes 3 hours to complete his homework,” or “Johnny’s parents were not able to attend the meeting. When setting up the meeting, Johnny’s parents expressed they would like the team to discuss accommodations to allow him to be successful in his general ed math class.”
Some non-examples include: “Parents did not attend the IEP meeting,” or “None at this time.”
Q: What was the deal with the post-secondary transition agency consent?
A: To the greatest extent appropriate, transition agencies must be invited to IEP meetings for students age 16 and older. The regulations say that the parents (adult student) must consent to these agencies’ participation. Some schools have found that the parents will consent to one agency’s participation (e.g. Frontier Community Services), but not to another’s (e.g. DVR). Therefore, we have created a space on the IEP cover page that allows the case manager or the parent to list the agencies they consent to and those they do not prior to signing the consent.
Q: Why don’t I have an OK next to one of my students in the database? I turned in the paperwork already.
A: In order to prevent IEPs at the beginning of the school year going over timeline, case managers need to review their caseloads and hold the annual review for students whose IEPs will expire within the month of August prior to the May 9 paperwork deadline. Therefore, if the IEP that you completed within the month of August 2012 does not have an OK, it is to remind you that you will need to complete the annual review before May 9, 2013.