Stakeholders in the IEP Process

Isabella Abbinante
 The Role of the Teacher

●  The teacher is responsible for designing

and evaluating educational programs for
students with designations 1

Teachers’ Assistants:
●  In high schools, there are several teachers
●  Play an important role in programs for
working with the student at one time, and
students with special needs, such as:
so it is important to have collaboration 1 ○  personal care of students
○  assisting the teacher in implementing their
instructional programs
○  collecting data in order to evaluate student
progress 1
The Role of the Parent
Rights
●  School Act (Section 7 (1) and (2))
○  To be informed of a student’s behaviour and
progress in school
○  To receive, on request, annual reports
respecting general effectiveness of
educational programs in the school district
●  School Act (Section 9)
○  To examine all records kept by the board
pertaining to their child
●  Ministerial Order 150/89 (Special Needs
Students Order)
○  To be offered a consultation regarding the
placement of their students with special needs 1
Responsibilities
●  To support the education of their children
●  To enrol their school-age child in an
educational program in a school district,
independent school or distributed learning, or
in home education
●  To consult with school staff with respect to
the student’s educational program (School
Act, Section 7(2))
●  To provide consultation in the development of
a student’s IEP
●  To inform school staff of any special factors
that may place a child with special needs, or
1
other children, at risk
 The Role of the Parent
2
“..meaningful consultation is about interactive, two-way communication and dialogue”

What is Meaningful Consultation?

●  Meaningful consultation includes families in making decisions about

their child’s education
●  It involves:
○  Ongoing dialogue and participation in planning processes with school
teams
○  Willingness to openly discuss decisions and options available
○  Willingness to listen and work collaboratively toward best decisions
●  The family is the expert on the child
●  Mutual respect is essential
●  Everyone participates as an equal partner 2
 Resources for Parents
Parent's Guide for IEP Planning
Inclusive Education Resources
Prior to the IEP meeting, parents
can complete the “Preparing for
Your Child’s IEP Meeting” form that
records skills and strategies that
they currently are using to support
their child, as well as other
necessary information.
Parents Are Their Child’s Best Advocate
Here’s how can you advocate for your child:
●  Correspond with teachers and other professionals
as much as possible
●  Keep records of your child’s education, including
IEP reports and any testing
●  Learn as much as you can about their disability
●  Observe your child’s learning styles; you are in
the best position to watch they they learn best in
action every single day 3
 The Role of the Student

●  Students can contribute to the process of
assessment and planning for their own
educational programs
●  They can provide an evaluation of the
services and supports that they have been
using
●  When appropriate, students should have
the opportunity to be consulted on the
1
planning and development of their IEP
●  Students who are encouraged to actively
participate in their IEP meetings
demonstrate greater motivation to achieve
their goals
●  Active student participation also increases
students self-determination skills 4
Resources for Students

Core Competencies Planning Overview

Resources for Students

BC Core Competencies Self-Assessment

References

1.  BC Ministry of Education (2016). Special Education Policies: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/goveducation/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/inclusive/
special_ed_policy_manual.pdf.
2.  BC CASW (2008) Meaningful Consultation with Parents. Retrieved from http://burnabyschools.ca/wpcontent/
uploads/2014/09/meaningfulConsultation.pdf
3.  Logsdon, A. (2021, February 12). Why Parents Have Such an Important Role in Special Education. Retrieved
March 27, 2021, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/parental-importance-special-education-2162701
4.  Cooper, S. (2019). Student Involvement in IEP Meetings in British Columbia. Retrieved April 24, 2021, from
https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0383238.