The IEP Process (school, assessment, grade, costs)

[Snort]

I thought I'd start a thread on this because I see the question come up often enough.
IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan, which is a legal document. Ergo, what's in the plan has to be followed by law.
If you, as a parent (or teacher, for that matter) suspect your child (or student) has a learning disability or other problem interfering with education, you can call together a meeting that can go by various names. Student Study Team meeting is one often-used term for these meetings. Your child and his/her concerns gets discussed and a determination is made by school personnel whether or not it makes sense to have the speech therapist, occupational therapist, school psychologist, etc... give a battery of test assessments to determine eligibility for special ed services.
If testing seems appropriate, paperwork delineating the type of tests to be administered is signed for approval by parent.
Once signed and dated paperwork is received, the district generally has 60 days, excepting any long vacations in the middle of that time.
I want to emphasize that just because you want the child tested, does not guarantee that an assessment has to be done. The case has to meet certain criteria, which include a significant gap in achievement compared to age peers (retained kids are compared to grade peers and not age peers).
If the student goes to testing and there's a clear sign that there is an educational impact due to some disability, then special education services will be offered. As a parent, you either accept services and the IEP (the plan) developed or you reject them. What most parents don't realize though is that they are co-creators of the plan, if they choose to be. If you're not an educator and have trust and faith in the sped teacher, you should talk to them before the IEP meeting and offer what you would like to have included in the plan to see if it's feasible and appropriate. Getting the opinion of another sped teacher is not a bad thing to do, so you can prepare.
What's really important for parents to know is that you have a lot more power over what happens in your child's education than you'd at first suspect. It's always best to have a working relationship with the school and district and to be involved actively in your kid's education. Good teachers and staff do appreciate productive parent involvement.

[ccnj]

Just to add, in my district at least, if a parent pursues all of the above the process goes a lot faster. When teachers put in referrals the process takes a long time. We have to meet, come up with stategies, try the strategies, meet again. Repeat this process at least 3 more times before testing starts.

When parents push for it, they will usually test right away. When I have a student that I know needs assistance and the parent agrees, I will usually suggest to the parent that they write a letter stating their concerns. The kids get served that much quicker.

[marylee54]

Also realize they can't force special ed on your kid. They convinced me my son was ADD, I agreed to their IEP. It became a license to nitpick. It made his life hell. Not one thing benefited him, it was all about picking every little thing to death. That IEP created more misery and stress than anyone could imagine.

We even hired attornies to go to ARD meetings with us, but they were essentially useless. Finally, someone told me I could "stop the maddness" by simply requesting a dismissal ARD and refusing any services, which I did.

For children with true disabilities, I realize accomodations are hard-won and beneficial. But it was the opposite in our case. Also, realize schools get federal and state funds for kids in special ed, they will resist any attempts to dismiss them, but they can't force you into it. He was a money maker for the school, plain and simple.

I found the whole ARD process abusive, I would shake before the meetings and come out upset for days afterwards. They weren't ARd meetings, they were a venting of teachers, piling one petty complaint on top of another. They never came up with anything helpful.

Just realize fully before going into the process its YOUR child and you do have control over his education. They work for you, not the other way around.

[Snort]

I'll just correct something you said, Marylee (all else is right): districts only really 'benefit' from some low-incidence disabilities taken from state funds. Your general, run-of-the-mill "SLD" (specific learning disability) gives almost nothing to the district. Have a look here: The new IDEA money for special education in the federal recovery act: schools are advised not to build it into budgets just yet. - Free Online Library (http://tinyurl.com/ylhuqfm - broken link)
It talks specifically about recent developments in CA, but gives an idea about the districts taking funds from other areas to cover sped costs.
You're right, CCNJ. A letter signed by a parent tends to move things along because the district is forced to answer the concerns of the parent.