Towson University

Kelsey Gilgannon

IEP Case Study

April 18, 2018

Background Information_____________________
This Individualized Education Plan meeting was a triennial review for a Caucasian,

eighth grade male student named Mike. This meeting was organized in order to get the student

ready for transition into high school for the upcoming 2018-2019 year. Mike is diagnosed with a

specific learning disability and his areas of need are in reading, mathematics, and writing. While

talking with Mr. Sunderland, I was told that the student is a very charming student and enjoys

helping out teachers when he is able to. All of Mike’s teachers stated that he is respectful in their

classes and is a pleasure to teach in class. The main area of growth needed for Mike is with

completing assignments and staying on task throughout the school day.

In mathematics, Mike’s teacher said that he needs to stay on task and be more proactive

about his work. Specifically, Mike has difficulty completing his daily work. Mike’s teacher

described him having trouble in solving problems in pre-algebra without assistance. This means

that Mike has difficulty solving basic facts and problems without the assistance of a calculator.

The mathematics professor said that he had made improvements in asking for help when needed,

but needed to show more of a will to want to improve his grades. Currently, Mike has shown a

decline from the first marking period to the second marking period. In the first marking period,

Mark was at a D but in the second marking period, Mark had moved down to an E.

In Language Arts, Mike’s teacher said that Mike was a very polite student to have in

class and did not have problems with other students. The main concern his teacher had with

Mike was his amount of missed assignments. Up to the IEP meeting, Mike had 13 missing

assignments in total. His teacher said that she has concerns about his work completion and

quality. The quality of his work lacks depth and is very short and simple. His teacher has also

offered for him to attend coach classes, which help him with completing assignments and extra
work, but he refuses to attend these classes. His language arts teacher also stated that Mike does

not take advantage of upgrade activities such as extra credit or completing extra tasks during the

class period in order to receive a higher grade.

In Mike’s reading class, he has an unsatisfactory grade in I-Ready. His teacher described

him as a well behaved student who works at his own pace while working independently. In

reading, the main concern that the teacher has is Mike not engaging in classroom lessons. He

would rather sit quietly and not raise his hand to answer or ask questions. Due to this lack of

participation, the teacher stated that it is difficult to have Mike participate in coach classes where

previous and present material is gone over and worked on. Because he has not shown up for

coach classes, Mike is also missing six assignments thus far. He was given multiple extensions

on assignments, but has yet to turn them all in.

In Mike’s Social Studies and College and Career Ready classes, his teachers said that he

works well in groups and also one on one. Both teachers also said that he does class work at his

own pace, which usually ends up as incomplete. Mike’s Social Studies teacher stated that he

needs to attend coach class for extra help and extra time to complete work, but Mike does not

show up to these classes. Mike’s Social Studies teacher stated that when work is done within a

group, Mike is able to hand in his assignments on time, but independent work and homework

seem to be his main issue. The college and career ready teacher stated that Mike needs to try to

stay on task throughout the entire class and complete his work. His teacher said that Mike will

often zone out and have difficulty showing completed assignments. Throughout the class, Mike

will look as though he is completing the assignment, but then shows few answers.

IEP Team Participants_____________________

Included on Mike’s IEP meeting was:
 - IEP chair, Rhonda Footman-Jackson

- Case Manager and Special educator, Mr. Sunderland

- Mike’s Science teacher, Mr. Scott

- Parkville High School IEP Chair, Jaclynne Sebring

- Mike’s mother, Mrs. Rita H.

- IEP student, Mike H.

- myself, Kelsey Gilgannon

Rhonda Footman-Jackson was the administrator and designee for the meeting. As the

meeting began, she introduced herself as well as everyone else in the room. This was a way to

help Mrs. Rita Hohman know who was going to be talking during the meeting. This was also a

sign of respect towards Mike and his family. Rhonda was also in charge of updating the IEP if

changes were needed. Throughout the meeting, Rhonda did not speak often unless it was to ask

for clarification on how Mike was doing in a certain class or if she had to ask Mike’s mother a

question. For example, when Mrs. Rita was talking about Mike and his behavior at home,

Rhonda asked for information on how Mike’s relationship is with his sister.

Mr. Sunderland reviewed Mike’s classroom performance as well as formal assessments

thus far with the team. Mr. Sunderland also updated his information on currently grades in each

of Mike’s classes. Mr. Sunderland went through all 26 pages and reviewed every page with Mrs.

Rita. Mr. Sunderland did this for clarification and it also fostered discussion with Mrs. Rita and

the team. If Mrs. Rita had a question about a section on the IEP or asked for a deeper explanation

on Mike’s goals, then Mr. Sunderland was able to point to the page and section of the IEP and

clarify the wording for her. He also was very sure to use basic language and did not say terms

that Mrs. Rita did not know. After reviewing the test results, Mr. Sunderland also went into more
discussion about each subtest. For example, Mike achieved a benchmark in Reading for MAP of

209.8 this winter and Mr. Sunderland gave an example of what would have been seen on that

specific test. This gave everyone on the team more clarification on how Mr. Sunderland came up

with the results and the specific goals.

Because this was an IEP meeting for a transitional student, Mike’s future high school

IEP chair held most of the discussion in the beginning of the IEP meeting. After reviewing

Mike’s files, Jaclynee mentioned certain classes that may help Mike with completing his work.

At Parkville High School, there is a period called a resource period. This period is similar to a

study hall where students are able to work on class work and also receive extra help. She had

mentioned that there are groups that meet on certain days and will review certain concepts. She

thinks that Mike having a resource period will keep him on track with his school work. Because

Mike needs assistance with fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension, the advisor

also mentioned adding a critical reading class to Mike’s schedule next year. This class will allow

Mike to work on developing a stronger vocabulary and go into depth on comprehension skills.

During this part of the meeting, Mike was in the room. Jaclynne reassured him that he will need

to put in a strong effort next year. She explained to him that if a class is failed, he will need to

take that course until he passes it. She stated that high school is not like middle or elementary

school where the class was just ‘forgotten.’ She told him that if he doesn’t pass freshman

English, then it will continue on each year until he passes plus that grade’s English class as well.

Mr. Scott, the science teacher, spoke briefly about how Mike was in class. He stated that

Mike was a great student to have in class and that he generally turns in work in on time, minus a

few large assignments. Mike’s mother stated that she was working with him on completing those

assignments as well. After speaking, Mr. Scott had to leave the meeting to go teach another class.
Profile______________________________________________

Reason for Referral

Michael’s reasons for referral were his classroom formal and informal assessments,

teacher reports, and his determination of his disability. Before the referral for the evaluation,

Michael’s class work was looked at. He was referred by his classroom teachers due to not

handing in assignments and having trouble staying on task throughout a class session. Michael

was referred for evaluation for his triennial review by members of Pine Grove Middle School

Team in order to determine his current levels of performance in reading, writing, and

mathematics. To support this decision of reevaluation, discussion was about the Woodcock-

Johnson IV Test of Achievement results, classroom observations, MAP scores, classroom

performance, and recent informal assessments.

Timeline

Michael has a specific learning disability. The areas affected by his disability are reading,

mathematics, and writing. Michael was given the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Achievement

two weeks prior, on February 6, 2018. This test was given over a two day period. The projected

annual review and IEP team meeting date was two weeks after the formal assessment on

February 20, 2018. The next projected annual review date is in one year, on February 20, 2019.

Family History

Michael lives in a house with his mother, named Rita, father named Michael, and older

sister, named Kelly. His mother is from Italy and is working on her English language. She

sometimes speaks Italian at home, but Michael is not an English Language Learner. His mother
has not taught him Italian. His father is an auto mechanic and this is what Michael wants to be

when he graduates. He wants to attend an automotive trade school in order to build and repair

cars. Michael is okay with being called Mike or Michael; there is no preference.

Student’s Learning and Behavioral Characteristics

Michael works well in groups as well as one-on-one. He is a very at-ease gentleman who

is cooperative when given directions. Negative behaviors have not been seen or documented, but

a lack of motivation is seen in his classes. During testing, such as a formal assessment, Michael

understands why he is taking the test and the rules for the test. He is calm during testing, but will

occasionally rub his legs during a question when he is on it for a long period of time. In class,

Michael will occasionally utter phrases such as, “I don’t care,” or “Whatever,” when told that he

will lose points on an assignment. Michael has difficulty handing assignments in on time and

completed. He also does not attend coach class where he could work on late assignments and

receive extra help.

IEP Process at Pine Grove Middle School_______________________

The IEP process at Pine Grove Middle School is similar to the IEP process at other

middle schools. Due to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA), the school

needs to follow those regulations. Team members and parents have multiple ways of

communication, whether it is by phone, e-mail, or written documents. The process at Pine Grove

for providing prior written notice is to formally notify the parents ten or more days in advance.

The parent’s role before the team meeting is to look over the IEP and take notes on any questions

or concerns they may have. The student’s teachers are responsible to have all documents that are

to be discussed at teams. These documents include teacher reports on the student’s progress, any
formal or informal assessments, and draft IEP’s. The documents are to be in the hands of the

office secretary ten days in advance to the scheduled team meeting. This time frame offers time

for the IEP team chair to receive, review, and finalize anything in the documents. The IEP team

chair can then get the IEP to the parents of the student five days before the team so they can

review it and make notes.

If a student already has an IEP and requires a triennial assessment, the team will then

meet to discuss the prior assessments and the IEP. At Pine Grove Middle School, the team will

conduct both the assessment and the IEP at the same time rather than doing a team for

assessment, and then a team for the IEP thirty days later. An IEP can be scheduled for annual

reviews, concerns, triennial reviews, and student assessment. If the parent(s) are unable to attend

the meeting, then the case manager and/or IEP chair will make an effort to conduct the meeting

via telephone. The team is also willing to be flexible with scheduling to fit the needs of the

parents. The dates of the team meetings are chosen based on the dates that are on the IEP

already, time of assessments, and testing. Annual reviews for IEP meetings are typically a year

after the previous date. Triennial reviews are usually three years from the previous IEP meeting.

Part 2: IEP Content_________________________________________

Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAFFP)

Academic Area: Reading

Source(s): District and State Assessments

- Instructional Grade Level Performance Word Attack: Grade Equivalence 3.5

- Letter/Word Recognition: Grade Equivalence 4.8
- Sentence Reading Fluency: Grade Equivalence 4.8
- Oral Reading: Grade Equivalence 3.7
- Passage Comprehension: Grade Equivalence 3.9
The Brigance Inventory was given to Mike on February 6, 2018. This formal assessment
indicates a current grade equivalency in Letter/Word Identification of 5.0. Sentence Reading
Fluency and Passage Comprehension are also at a 5.0 grade equivalency.

Assessment: Brigance Inventory Date: 2/20/18 Standard Score: 84 Grade Equivalence:5.0

Other Results:
MAP( Measures of Academic Progress) Spring 2014: 198—Fall Benchmark:207. Michael’s Fall
Reading Score:209. Fall 2015: 182, Winter 2016: 193
Winter Reading Score: 200 Gr. 5 Winter Benchmark: 209.8
Language Arts 4th Quarter D (62%) (incomplete and late assignments)
Reading 4th Quarter E (55%) Class work (78%) Homework (0%)

Based on the test results of the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Achievement, the following
subtest results were obtained:
Word Attack: GE 3.5
Letter-Word Identification: GE 4.8
Sentence Reading Fluency: GE 4.8
Oral Reading: GE 3.7
Passage Comprehension: GE 3.9

I- Ready diagnostic data indicated that Mike has shown a 21 point growth from Septemeber 2016
to January 2017. Additionally, the scaled score from September was 534, while his scaled score
from January of 2017 increased to 555.

Fall MAP data indicates the following scores.

A student scale score of 203 and a Percentile Rank of 23. The Winter MAP data indicated
improvement as Mike’s Student Scale Score increased to 212 as did his Percentile Rank to 37.
Brigance Inventory from 2/6/2018 indicates a current grade equivalency in Letter- Word
Identification of 5.0 Sentence Reading Fluency and Passage Comprehension are also at a 5.0
grade equivalency. According to I-Ready data, Mike has struggled to pass and complete
vocabulary lessons, yet he is scoring above the 65% threshold in his classwork activities.
Strengths:
Basic sight words
Comprehension with visual support
Needs:
Fluency
Vocabulary Development
Comprehension

Academics: Mathematics

Source(s): District and State Assessments

- Instructional Grade Level Performance Math Calculation: Grade Equivalence 4.7

- Math Facts Fluency: Grade Equivalence 4.2
 - Applied Problems: Grade Equivalence 6.2

Summary of Assessment Findings (including dates of administration)

Assessment: Brigance Inventory Date: 2/20/18 Standard Score: Grade Equivalence:5.0

Other Results:
Based on the test results of the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Achievement, the following
subtest results were obtained:
Math Calculation: GE 4.7
Math Facts Fluency: GE 4.2
Applied Problems: GE 6.2

Mike has shown a decline in Math from a D in the first marking period to an E in the second
marking period. However, Mike has demonstrated improvement in asking questions in class but
work submission has still been inconsistent.

Brigance Inventory results from 2/6/2018 indicate a grade equivalency of 5.0 with calculation
and a grade equivalency of 5.0 when solving word problems. Mike achieved a 68.5% overall
average for the second quarter. He tended to do better on smaller classroom assignments than
summative assessments.
Strengths:
Applied Problems
Needs:
Calculation/Numeration

Academic: Writing

Source(s): District and State assessments

- Instructional Grade Level Performance Spelling: Grade Equivalence 5.4

- Sentence Writing Fluency: Grade Equivalence 4.6
- Writing Samples: Grade Equivalence 8.1

Assessment: Brigance Inventory Date: 2/20/18 Standard Score: Grade Equivalence:5.0

Other Results:
Writing Sample Observation:
Michael continues to struggle to organize his thoughts on paper. He requires some prompting
and assistance to get his thoughts down on paper. There is little transition between sentences and
ideas. He is capable of writing complete sentences, but does not always do so in longer
assignments.

Based on the test results of the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Achievement, the following
subtest results were obtained:
Instructional Grade Level Performance Spelling: GE 5.4
Sentence Writing Fluency: GE 4.6
Writing Samples: GE 8.1

Mike has shown improvement with his written work. He improved his overall grade in Language
Arts from an E in the first marking period to a D in the second marking period.

Brigance Inventory results from 2/6/2018 indicate that Mike is continuing to have difficulty with
sentence structure and expansion. He achieved a 56.5% average for the second quarter due to
largely missing assignments.
Strengths:
Basic Sentences
Needs:
Proper Syntax
Sentence extension/elaboration

School Aged- Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional

Performance
What is the parental input regarding Michael’s educational program?

- Michael’s mother, Rita, has stated that she wants to see Mike is possible smaller
classes. She also is challenged at home with him considering he does not always have
motivation for completing his work. He has had consequences at home for not
completing his work, but it does not seem to bother him.

What are Michael’s strengths, interest areas, significant personal attributes, and personal
accomplishments?

- Michael wants to become a mechanic when he gets older. He enjoys cars and video
games. He wants to be accepted into an automotive school and create automobiles.

How does Michael’s disability affect his involvement in the general education curriculum?

- Michael’s disability affects his involvement in the general education curriculum by

comprehending grade level reading materials, use of computation with subtraction
with regrouping, multiplying and dividing grade level problems and comprehending
grade level word problems.

Communication
Does the student have special communication needs?

No
 Assistive Technology (AT) Required

The student needs an AT device(s) The student needs an AT service(s)

Yes No

If yes, AT device(s) will be addressed through:

 Instructional and Testing Accommodations

Document basis for decision(s):

Given the results of the WJR-IV Calculation subtest, Mike requires the use of a calculator to
solve problems.
 Instructional and Assessment Accessibility Features

Features for all Students

Alt-ACCESS for
Kindergarten
ACCESS for
ACCESS for
Government

HSA MISA

Alt- MISA
Instruction

ELLS 2.0
(available to All students, either

PARCC

MSAA
(DLM)

NAEP
MISA

ELLs

ELLs
through the online platform or

HSA
externally provided)
1b. Audio Amplification yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1c. Bookmark (Flag items for review) yes yes yes yes yes
1e. Blank Scratch Paper yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1f. Eliminator Answer Choice yes yes yes yes yes yes
1g. General Administration Direction yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Clarified
1h. General Administration Direction read yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Aloud and Repeated as Needed
1i. Highlight Tool yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1j. Headphones or Noise Buffers yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1k. Line Reader Mask Tool/ General yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Masking
1l. Magnification/Enlargement device yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1m. NotePad yes yes yes yes yes yes
1n. Pop-up Glossary yes yes yes yes yes
1o. Redirect student to the test yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1p. Spell Check or External Spell Check yes yes yes yes yes
device
1t. Writing Tools yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
1u. Graphic Organizer yes
1v. Audio materials (instruction only yes yes

Accessibility Features for All Students

ACCESS for ELLS 2.0

(must be identified in advance and Kindergarten ACCESS

Alt-ACCESS for ELLs

documented in the student’s Student
Alt- MISA (DLM)
HSA Government

Registration/Personal Needs Profile

[SR/PNP]) Accessibility features MUST
HSA MISA
Instruction

be used in instruction to provide

for ELLs
PARCC

adequate time and fairness for the

MSAA

NAEP
MISA

student to be familiar with the

tools/devices.
2g. Reduce Distractions to self yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Timing Accommodations for Students
with Disabilities (intended for students

Kindergarten ACCESS for

with disabilities who have the

ACCESS for ELLS 2.0

accommodation documented in an

Alt-ACCESS for ELLs

approved IEP or 504 Plan prior to the

Alt- MISA (DLM)

HSA Government
date of the test administration; and
who use the accommodation routinely

HSA MISA
Instruction
(with rare exceptions) during

PARCC
instruction and locally administered

MSAA

NAEP
MISA

ELLs
assessments, both before and after the
test is administered.)
5a. Extended Time 50% yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Document Basis to Support
Decision: Due to Michael’s fluency
and processing issues, he requires
extended time.

IEP Goals and Objectives___________________________________

Reading GOAL

Goal: By February 2019, when given a grade level passage Michael will read aloud fluently

with appropriate intonation and expression with no more than five errors (excluding self-

corrections) in four out of five trials, as measured by a teacher running record.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom-Based Assessment

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

Objective 1: By February 2019 Michael will use his knowledge of vowel patterns (e.g. CVC)

in order to improve word pronunciation.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures

With: 4 out of 5 targeted behaviors

Objective 2: By February 2019 Michael will be reading within a range of 150-175 words per

minute with no more than five errors per attempt.

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

How will the parent be notified of the student’s progress towards the IEP

goals? Progress Reports

How often? Quarterly

Reading GOAL

Goal: By February 2019, after reading grade-level text, Michael will determine the meaning of

three teacher-selected words by identifying a replacement word that remains the meaning and

tone of the text from a list of four options, in four out of five trials.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom-Based Assessment

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

Objective 1: By February 2019, when given a list of grade-level words, Michael will identify

the base or root of the word and its meaning.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom Based Assessments

With: 4 out of 5 targeted behaviors

Objective 2: By February 2019, when given a list of grade-level words with affixes, Michael

will identify their impact on the words meaning.

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom Based Assessments

Objective 3: By February 2019, when given a grade-level cloze passage, Michael will use

context clues to identify the missing word.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom Based Assessments

How will the parent be notified of the student’s progress towards the IEP

goals? Progress Reports

How often? Quarterly

Reading GOAL

Goal: By February 2019, after reading a short story at grade level, Michael will describe two or

more story elements (e.g. plot, characters, setting) using four pieces of textual evidence (at least

one explicit and one explicit) to support analysis for four out of five trials.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

Objective 1: By February 2019, given a short grade level story, Michael will identify two

aspects of the plot in correct sequence.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom Based Assessments

With: 4 out of 5 targeted behaviors

Objective 2: By February 2019, Michael will be able to differentiate between one explicit and

one implicit piece of textual evidence to enhance comprehension.

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures Classroom Based Assessments

How will the parent be notified of the student’s progress towards the IEP

goals? Progress Reports

How often? Quarterly

Writing GOAL

Goal: By February 2019, during a writing activity in the classroom, when writing a five

sentence paragraph, Michael will use a variety of sentence structures (i.e. simple, compound,

complex, and compound-complex) to signal differing relationships between ideas, according to

teacher-created rubric, for four out of five writing sessions.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

ESY Goal: No

Objective 1: By February 2019, when given a writing prompt at grade level, Michael will

write sentences with proper subject verb agreement.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures

With: 4 out of 5 trials

Objective 2: By February 2019, when given a written prompt at grade level, Michael will use

proper syntax (e.g. subject, predicate, direct object, etc.) to allow for extension and elaboration.

Evaluation Method: Informal Procedures

With: 4 out of 5 trials

How will the parent be notified of the student’s progress towards the IEP

goals? Progress Reports

How often? Quarterly

Mathematics GOAL

Goal: By February 2019, when given grade level math problems to solve that require addition,

subtraction, multiplication, or division of decimals, percents, or fractions, Michael will determine

the correct algorithm needed to solve the problem in four out of five attempts.

Evaluation Method: Classroom-Based Assessment

With: 4 out of 5 trials

ESY Goal? No
Objective 1: Given problems to solve in isolation, Mike will identify the operation and use

sequential steps to solve the problem.

Evaluation Method: Classroom-Based Assessment

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

Objective 2: Given a word problem requiring calculations, Mike will identify the question to

be answered and determine the operation(s) to be used.

Evaluation Method: Classroom-Based Assessment

With: 4 out of 5 targeted trials

How will the parent be notified of the student’s progress towards the IEP

goals? Progress Reports

How often? Quarterly

 Supplementary Aids and Services, Program Modifications, and Supports____

Instructional Supports

Service Nature Service Begin Date End Date Duration Provider(s)

(Indirect) Description

Allow use of Weekly as 2/20/2018 2/20/19 36 Weeks P 14 GenEd

organizational aids needed

Have student repeat Weekly 2/20/2018 2/20/19 36 Weeks P 14 GenEd

and/or paraphrase

information

Michael will receive his instructional supports such as repeat and/or paraphrase information for

understanding, use of organizational aids such as graphic organizers for comprehension and

composing, and visual strategies such as pictures, color coding and highlighting for

understanding and comprehension in the general education setting in whole group, small group,

or one to one.

Program Modification

Service Nature Service Begin Date End Date Duration Provider(s)

(Indirect) Description

Chunking of texts Weekly 2/20/2018 2/20/19 36 Weeks P 14 GenEd

Michael will receive his program modification supports such as breaking down information into

smaller units and chunking of texts for comprehension and understanding in the general

education setting in whole group, small group, and/or one to one.

 Social/Behavior Supports

Service Nature Service Begin Date End Date Duration Provider(s)

(Indirect) Description

Encourage student Weekly 2/20/2018 2/20/19 36 Weeks P 14 GenEd

to ask for
assistance when
needed
Michael will become more of an advocate for himself as he will be encouraged to ask for help

when it is needed.

Documentation to support decision(s): The team feels that Michael is a capable student

who has a solid bank of academic skills and can apply them appropriately with supports. The

team also feels that Michael needs to be more participative in class and ask for clarification when

it is needed.

Part 3: Reflection___________________________________________________

My IEP experience was a little different than other students. The students in my

particular class did not have their annual reviews until the end of the year, so I had to talk to

another special educator to see if they had any students that had an annual review. I was able to

talk to Mr. Sunderland and he had a few students with upcoming annual and triennial reviews

that I was able to sit in on. In order to prepare for this IEP meeting, I had to meet with Mr.

Sunderland to coordinate dates and times to meet for specific students. I wanted to experience a

triennial review and annual review, which I did, but I also experienced a referral meeting. It

would have helped me more if I were able to create an IEP for my own students in my class
because I would have gained experience on how to write goals for life skills and such, but seeing

a middle school grade level transitional IEP was interesting.

For this particular IEP meeting, I was given little time to prepare for it. Between the

time I had found out that my students did not have upcoming annual reviews and the time of the

triennial meeting, I did not have time to see Mr. Sunderland test Michael with the Brigance

Inventory or write his new goals. I mainly reviewed the objectives to make sure that everything

made sense with what Michael’s needs were based on the PLAFFP. Looking at the previous

assessments helped me correctly write the objectives. I was able to talk to Mr. Sunderland briefly

about Michael and his behavior. I was also briefly allowed to see Michael in his class and the

work he has done in a few of his classes. This gave me a brief look on Michael and how he is as

a student, but the IEP background and Mr. Sunderland gave me more information to fill in the

gaps.

Mr. Sunderland told me that, as a case manager, he tries to test students earlier than

necessary because of the case load. So, Michael was tested exactly two weeks before the meeting

in order for Mr. Sunderland to be able to analyze the data, work on the goals, and submit the

draft. The IEP development was followed in accordance to the IDEA because Michael was tested

fourteen days before the meeting and the paperwork was handed in prior to the ten days

submission time. This early submission allowed the IEP chair enough time to review the IEP,

finalize it, and give it to Michael’s parents.

The meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. in a small room by the office upstairs. There

was enough room for a table that had eight chairs. Michael’s mother did not arrive until about

five minutes after 10 a.m. and the meeting went for about 40 minutes. Usually IEP meetings last
about 30 minutes, but due to lateness and side conversations, it went a little longer than a half

hour. The table was a round table and we all sat within close proximity to each other. I sat with

Mr. Sunderland to my right and the IEP chair to my left. Michael’s science teacher was across

from me at the other side of the table and Michael’s mother was to the right of Mr. Sunderland.

The Pikesville High School advisor was to the left of the IEP chair.

There was a sense of flow to this meeting. Everyone in the room seemed very calm

and relaxed. To begin the meeting, everyone introduced themselves by their name and their role

in this meeting. Then, the IEP chair asked the mother how everything was as she handed her a

paper to sign to show she was at the meeting. The IEP chair for Pine Grove also handed her a

copy of the procedural safeguards right after we introduced ourselves. Mrs. Rita was then asked

if they had a copy of the parental rights and responsibilities, which she did, so she did not receive

one at the meeting. Everyone then passed around the sign in sheet to sign. Then, the IEP chair

moved the attention to the high school IEP chair. She then discussed how high school was run,

what classes are allowed, and what can be switched in order to help Michael with completing his

work and meeting his needs. Jaclynne, Pikesville’s IEP chair, offered a critical reading class as

well as a study hall period to give Michael extra time in his day to complete his work. Mr.

Sunderland then chimed in with his agreement on the idea of having a critical reading class as

well as a study hall period because it would allow Mike to do his work independently without

distractions. At this time, Mike walked into the room and sat down briefly to talk to the advisor

about high school next year. Jaclynne told him the exact same things she told the team and also

asked Mike if he wanted to learn a language. Mike seemed hesitant because he was quiet and

said “I don’t care,” and then he was reassured that he did not have to pick right away. After

Jaclynne talked to Mike and the team, she had to leave so Mr. Sunderland began to talk.
 Mr. Sunderland reviewed Mike’s current grades and how he was doing in each class

and then went through each page with the mother. Mike’s mother stopped Mr. Sunderland when

it came to his reading goals. She brought up the idea of Mike being in smaller classes because

that may help him with his concentration and comprehension. Mr. Sunderland said it may be too

late to switch classes, but having the study hall and critical reading class will help him with his

comprehension and fluency. The mother did not mention anything about having problems with

the mathematics goal or writing goal.

During the IEP meeting, I introduced myself and listened to each of the team

members talk about their experiences thus far with Mike. The main people who talked during the

meeting were the high school advisor, the case manager, and the mother. Mike’s science teacher

only spoke about his input on how Mike was in class and then he left the room. The IEP chair

did not speak much unless it was for clarification for the IEP. She did not put in any input

towards the IEP or the student’s classes. Mr. Sunderland only reviewed the test scores and IEP.

The main topic of this meeting was to introduce the team to what Mike will be receiving and

needing for the following year. This was a good transition meeting for the team because it

discussed his goals for the rest of the year and allowed more than the mother and son to hear

about how high school will be for him.

Overall, this was an intriguing case study for me mainly because I have never

worked with middle school-aged students or seen a transition part of an IEP. I have only seen

elementary level IEPs, so this was a nice way of transitioning me into the older grades. This IEP

meeting showed me that a lot of paper work goes into just one student, so as a future special

educator, I need to always be on task and be flexible with my time.

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