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I finally got through the thread, I would love to know if there are any updates on the OP and some of the other parents that commented. Hope all turned out well for the students.
I'm the OP and I'd like to give an update on my daughter who was pulled from from the IEP program in 2009. Currently she is a junior in a private school. She's attended the same school since 5th grade. She has a 3.7 gpa and has maintained the honor or high honor roll since 6th grade. She is an older junior (due to repeating 3rd grade) then her classmates but that doesn't bother her. She says she feels more confident, mature and her friends look up to her. We plan to look at colleges soon.
I'm so happy with the decision we made 8 years ago to leave the IEP program. Although some educators mean well, they don't know your child like you do. Be an advocate for your child and stand for what you feel is in their best interest.
I put her in the IEP program when she was struggling with some math issues. I don't think her teacher last year would have even suggested it had I not brought it up. She did think a tutor would helpful. I found out that hiring a tutor was very expensive ($40 per hour) so someone I know suggested the IEP program. I wasn't really aware of how it worked but was willing to check it out. So we began to have her tested for learning/hearing disabilities. She was diagnosed with a very mild case of CAPD. (Later I found out that it would have gone undiagnosed had I not had her tested. According to her current teacher and the hearing specialist who tested her, she will eventually outgrow CAPD.) Also, she has a slight speech impediment which through the IEP program she only receives speech help 1/2 hour a week.
I think main issue I have always been concerned about has been the 4 month delay in catching up with her peers. She would always do well in the second semester. I have attributed it to the fact that she has a summer birthday(June) which makes her one a younger student. She had always seemed a little immature and slower to catch on. Her preschool teacher even suggested another year in pre school would have been helpful. I didn't listen and I think that is why she had so many struggles. The problems snowballed year after year to where her self-esteem suffered greatly and she quit trying.
All this time her state testing scores have always been good. She reads 150 wpm. Her comprehension is good and her punctuation is improving. She may always have some struggles with math but her latest scores are good. Last week her IEP teacher praised how great last math test was and her speech teacher praised her improvments in speech.
My daughter requested to be able to be with her class instead of leaving for four 1/2 sessions a week for resource (3 half hour sessions for math and 1 half hour for speech). She said she has been embarrased and didn't like being away from her new classmates. With her latest improvements I agreed with her and took steps to exit the program. I agreed to help her daily with her speech and her teacher would let me know if she felt she was falling behind in math.
In the meeting yesterday I was surprised when the 'team' suggested waiting until December (or longer) so they can watch her progress since she is attending a new school this year. I said no and that I wanted to honor her request to be with her new classmates. Also, seeing her recent progress I thought it would be better for her to accumulate to her new class. I let them know that IEP will be around in the future if she starts to struggle.
The 'team' wasn't happy which was confusing to me because they just finished telling me how good she was doing! This is why I was wondering if there is money attached to resource or protocol that they don't want to deal with?
She is out if IEP now and can sign up in one year if needed. In the future, I am tempted go to Kumon or hire a tutor then go through this again.
Thanks to all of you for your input.
Yes there is ALOT of money attached to it. They do a yearly IEP in which that is when they allow things to change. Mid year generally not.
The most you can do is NOT have her go to any IEP related stuff. It isn't predicated upon her grades anyhow right? eventually they will have no choice but to allow her wishes to be enacted. Be with her peers. The emotional scars of embarrassment and shame are too much. Follow her wishes. Set a limit upon how many meetings you will attend to, they will harass with a ton of meetings in order to show their power.
I used to be a substitute teachers aid in special education for the county. 22 years ago our son had an imp for a speech problem I pulled him out early because after his ear tubes, he was talking well enough and aware he was being pulled out of school. He was afraid the kids are starting to become aware. He is 26 working for Apple now. His speech came back fine. I could've taught him speech myself if the internet had been around back then. We paid $40 an hour for one session plus the two hours a week they provided of speech
Ask for a review of everything that is in your son's file. Not a review by them, but by you. They will tell say, you are allowed to put a comment amendment to something you disagree with, but they cannot alter something already in his IEP. That is INCORRECT! It can be expunged and deleted! I found typos that were on the school's behalf, with incorrect hours, names spelled wrong, etc. When I discovered they coud delete and correct errors they did, why couldn't they delete errors they stated about my son! They can remove incorrect damaging DATA. This causes a defamation of character and slander when someone's opinion states a child's name.
I sat down with the District Psychologist and went through page one by one. One page had so many Typos she completly removed it. As far as on-line schooling, is that for the whole day or just certain subjects? Was that written into the IEP?
Ask for a review of everything that is in your son's file. Not a review by them, but by you. They will tell say, you are allowed to put a comment amendment to something you disagree with, but they cannot alter something already in his IEP. That is INCORRECT! It can be expunged and deleted! I found typos that were on the school's behalf, with incorrect hours, names spelled wrong, etc. When I discovered they coud delete and correct errors they did, why couldn't they delete errors they stated about my son! They can remove incorrect damaging DATA. This causes a defamation of character and slander when someone's opinion states a child's name.
I sat down with the District Psychologist and went through page one by one. One page had so many Typos she completly removed it. As far as on-line schooling, is that for the whole day or just certain subjects? Was that written into the IEP?
An IEP can be changed and items deleted prior to signing, if the team agrees, but once it is signed and agreed upon that IEP can't be changed. You would need to have a new meeting and modify the IEP. The old IEP doesn't just go away though. A copy is kept in more than one file, and not just at the school.
As for the incorrect and damaging data you'd need to prove it's incorrect. Just because you don't like the data doesn't mean it's incorrect. I've had parents complain about data and how it reflected on their child before, but in reality IEPs are data driven. Just because Johnny doesn't do something at home doesn't mean he doesn't do it in school when academic demands are placed on him.
Of course you should review the IEP page by page and line by line before signing it. However, once you sign you're agreeing the information is correct. If you feel something is incorrect you need to resolve that before you sign. You have the right to not sign until you're in agreement. I'm a SPED teacher and I still go through this every year with my son. You also have the right to add a parent statement to the IEP and add things to the prior written notice.
Ask for a review of everything that is in your son's file. Not a review by them, but by you. They will tell say, you are allowed to put a comment amendment to something you disagree with, but they cannot alter something already in his IEP. That is INCORRECT! It can be expunged and deleted! I found typos that were on the school's behalf, with incorrect hours, names spelled wrong, etc. When I discovered they coud delete and correct errors they did, why couldn't they delete errors they stated about my son! They can remove incorrect damaging DATA. This causes a defamation of character and slander when someone's opinion states a child's name.
I sat down with the District Psychologist and went through page one by one. One page had so many Typos she completly removed it. As far as on-line schooling, is that for the whole day or just certain subjects? Was that written into the IEP?
Please don't spread misinformation, it is correct. If your child's school altered your child's IEP after everyone signed it, as opposed to amending it, they have violated federal law. You were supposed to have read through it page-by-page, line-by-line it PRIOR to signing it. Once it is signed it becomes a legal record and the school must keep it, even if they amend it or write a brand new one.
When you refer to errors they stated about your son, what kind of error a are you talking about?
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I'm the OP and I'd like to give an update on my daughter who was pulled from from the IEP program in 2009. Currently she is a junior in a private school. She's attended the same school since 5th grade. She has a 3.7 gpa and has maintained the honor or high honor roll since 6th grade. She is an older junior (due to repeating 3rd grade) then her classmates but that doesn't bother her. She says she feels more confident, mature and her friends look up to her. We plan to look at colleges soon.
I'm so happy with the decision we made 8 years ago to leave the IEP program. Although some educators mean well, they don't know your child like you do. Be an advocate for your child and stand for what you feel is in their best interest.
We pretty much did the same thing, you did, ours is a successful college graduate, now. But I remember the pressure then.
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