Developing an IEP referral with a Student.

Background: Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related

services.

My host teacher has decided that one student in her third period 8th grade language arts class
needs to be referred and evaluated for an IEP. This student with be referred to in this document
as ‘T’. ‘T’ is a work averse boy that engages frequently in disruptive and inappropriate behavior
in class. He often distracts other students with his actions and makes references to illicit drugs
in his humor. When given tasks to complete, he often has trouble maintaining focus and is often
seen in a dazed stare or with his head down. He rarely turns in work and when he does it is
often incomplete. My host teacher is interested in getting him on a minimal IEP plan to get him
greater support in the classroom, enable him to use accommodations in completing
assignments, and to have an IEP on his record to carry over when he goes to Highschool for
continued support. There is only one trimester left before the end of 8th grade for this student
and the referral process that was initiated by my host teacher has been stalled for a little over a
year.

In the classroom, I have helped support the student through persistent redirection when problem
behaviors occur as well as direct support during independent work time. The students
compliance with instruction and acceptance of support varies day to day, but often rarely
successful in aid authentic learning. Over time I have observed and noted the student behavior
in class to help support my host teacher's arguments in advocating for an IEP and for making
the case to the student’s parent.

IEP Meeting Notes

Teacher concerns:
● The student is currently failing many of his classes and has note behavior issues.
● Without an IEP now this student may not have the accommodations he needs to
graduate.
● Work avoidance
● Student lying and misrepresenting classroom situations and workload to mother.
● Skipped Wednesday school to go to a school basketball game.
● The student is not owning up to the consequences of his lack of effort and behavior in
school.

Counselor concerns:
● Observed acting out drug use in class.

Parent Concerns:
● The student had higher but less than ideal grades last trimester, but down his grades are
falling even lower.
 ● Suspects that she let accountability get to lose at home.

Student response:
● Student claimed that he is doing the work and that teachers are telling him to do work
even though he is in the middle of doing it.
● Student claimed the counselor was lying about her observations of him acting out drug
use.
● Student crying as he is trying to maintain the stories he has been telling Mom.

Action plan:
● Finalize IEP referral and get clearance for the evaluation.
● Student will check in with their English teacher with their planner at the beginning and
end of every class.
● Parent will check and sign the planner to keep the student accountable at home.
● Parent will respond with specifical punishments if the student continues to lie about
assignments or does not complete work when it is due.
● If issues continue the parent may consider spending a few days each week in his
classes to make sure he is maintaining behavior expectations.
● Greater communication between teachers and parents over the app parent square.
● The parent will pay more attention to his daily behavior report and have greater
consequences for a poor report.

Student observations after meeting:

First day after meeting: The student came late into class with previously observed behaviors
at the beginning, however my host teacher immediately addressed this. He was asked to bring
out his planner and she talked with him at his desk about what assignments of his were missing.
At the end of class he was seen turning in a paper, when we pulled it up it was just the
highlighted notes to an assignment and not the missing assignment itself. Between classes we
decided that we would have to more closely observe the student and implement more rigorous
accountability practices.

Second day after meeting: When the student arrived in class my host teacher called him up to
her desk. She showed him the paper and asked the student to bring his planner back out. She
noticed that an assignment was crossed out and the parent signed the planner as if it was done.
He had assumed that the paper he turned in was or was sufficient to count as having completed
this task and told his mother he was done. My host teacher had him rewrite the entry and
provided him with new copies of the worksheets. During group poster assignment, he was
observed play fighting with another student in class.

Third day after the meeting: The student seemed to be starting to get with the program and
had his planner open at the beginning of class. He participated in the ‘Tribal History Lesson’ that
day and remained attentive throughout the class session.It was seen during a walk around the
class in the middle of the lesson that he had been writing notes along with the lesson.
 Follow up with parents and immediate actions.

Student behavior and progress will continue to be observed and I will work with my host teacher
with communications over parent square. Planned work sessions during lunch time and
Wednesday school will be available for the student to catch up on missing work. The IEP
request is now official and the parent will receive updates as it progresses through the channels
of review by the district.