Channeling Students Into Special Services

Jeffery only reads on about a fourth-grade level. Jeffrey met the eligibility to receive special education services and was classified as having a learning disability. According an article Special Education 101, “Half of all special education students are learning disabled. An estimated 80-90 percent have reading problems” (Kafer 2002). The processes and procedures to be followed after the identification of Jeffrey’s disability include developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP), placement, an annual review and a three year re-evaluation. An initial Individualized Education Program is one of the first and most important processes to implement once Jeffery has been classified. The standard definition of an IEP that is recognized by most educational organizations is defined on the website, www.concordspedpac.org, as An Individualized Education Program (IEP) describes the educational program that has been designed to meet that child 's unique needs. Each child who receives special education and related services must have an IEP. Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when age appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legally binding document (Offei 2007). The initial IEP meeting should consist of the parents of the student, a special education teacher, a general education teacher, a representative of the school board, an interpreter to define the instructional implications of the evaluation, and when appropriate the student.

Although the input of the student’s parents is important when developing an IEP, the IEP should include; the student’s educational skills, their performance in the general

References: Safer, Krista (2002). Special Education 101. The Heritage Foundaion, WebMemo 169. Retrieved September 12, 2009 from http://www.heritage.org/research/education/wm169.cfm Offei, Melody (2007). What is an IEP ? Retrieved September 12, 2009 from http://www.concordspedpac.org/WhatIEP.htm#IEP_def Rosenberg, M. S., Westling, D. L., & McLeskey, J. (2008). Special education for today’s teachers: An introduction. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.