Leading Successful Iep Teams

Using the principles of transformational leadership, IEP teams become effective tools to ensure student success and achievements. There is a difference of teams that are simply chaired and those that are lead. Teams with transformational leaders promote the best efforts of all participants including parents and students to effectively deliver special education services that meet real student outcomes. Using a step-by-step approach to developing the IEP, improving team function and producing Great IEPs, schools and districts can demonstrate special education effectiveness through success and achievement of students. Transformational Leadership provides the reader with a background of meaningful and purposeful leadership, and the building blocks of the learning organization. These concepts are applied to the values and the operation of the IEP team. Teams following these principals improve service delivery by full participation of all team members. Transformational leadership can improve student advancement, school improve, and district accountability.

Teachers share one vital characteristic with students: they function best in settings that are organized enough to provide structure and focus, yet flexible enough to respect developmental and personality differences. In Leading Effective Meetings, Teams, and Work Groups in Districts and Schools, author and veteran educator Matthew Jennings provides everything you need to help the teachers in your school or district achieve their full potential: *An overview of the research on collaboration and what it means for educators *Step-by-step guidelines for designing and facilitating meetings *Strategies for avoiding and resolving conflicts among educators *Checklists, questionnaires, and rubrics for designing, implementing, and assessing work groups and teaching teams *Whether you're setting up a complex district-level task force or a simple school faculty meeting, this comprehensive guide will ensure that you do so as efficiently and effectively as possible. Packed with field-proven activities, worksheets, and metrics, it is an indispensable resource for all educational leaders.

It is essential that today’s educators and school leaders are more informed about the legal rights and entitlements of students with disabilities. This resource provides eight easy-to-implement lesson plans on special education law that require no legal knowledge and can be facilitated by school principals, special education directors, teachers, or university instructors. In short one-hour sessions, participants learn by engaging in practical activities instead of only passive reading about the law. All of the lessons utilize actual situations that have led to expensive litigation and each includes the following sections: Introduction for Facilitators; Materials Needed; Background, Purpose, and Objectives of the Lesson; Hook; Activity; Questions for Conversation; Test Your Knowledge; and Additional Resources. This one-of-a-kind book will help schools and districts reduce the time and energy devoted to dealing with violations of the law, resolving parental complaints, correcting errors by school employees, and more. Book Features: A focus on important special education legal issues occurring in schools today. Field-tested lesson plans that can be adopted by schools nationwide because they are based on federal law. Everything needed to teach the lessons, including materials, scripts, interactive activities, and discussion questions. Measurable objectives and assessments to ensure the participants have learned the intended content of the lesson. “School boards spend far too much money on special education litigation—funds that could better be used to provide educational services to children. This book provides a workable framework for school administrators to give their staff the knowledge needed to make legally-correct decisions and avoid costly litigation.” —Allan Osborne, Former Principal, Snug Harbor Community School, Quincy, MA

High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms, Second Edition offers a set of practices that are integral to the support of student learning, and that can be systematically taught, learned, and implemented by those entering the teaching profession. In this second edition, chapters have been fully updated to reflect changes in the field since its original publication, and feature all new examples illustrating the use of HLPs and incorporating culturally responsive practices. Focused primarily on Tiers 1 and 2—or work that mostly occurs with students with mild to moderate disabilities in general education classrooms—this powerful, research-based resource provides rich, practical information highly suitable for teachers, and additionally useful for teacher educators and teacher preparation programs.

A truly comprehensive, teacher- and parent-friendly guide to creating clear and effective IEPs With the skyrocketing diagnoses of ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and related conditions in U.S. schools, there is a growing need for information on creating effective IEPs for exceptional students. The IEP From A to Z is a step-by-step guide showing teachers and parents how to get the right education plan in place for students with ADHD, Autism/Asperger's, Emotional/Behavioral Disturbance, and related conditions. Provides easy-to-understand explanations of the special education process along with a wealth of sample effective IEPs Explains what is most important for educators and parents to keep in mind during IEP development Provides content area-specific sample goal and objective templates, general teaching tips for maintaining the IEP, and useful resources From nationally recognized experts in the special education field, this book guides readers through the process of writing thoughtful, intelligent Individualized Education Plans that deliver high-quality, need-based educational programming to exceptional students.

Designed for teacher preparation programs as well as teacher professional development, The Practical Guide to High-Leverage Practices in Special Education: The Purposeful “How” to Enhance Classroom Rigor is the first book of its kind to introduce multiple HLPs working in tandem to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). The Practical Guide to High-Leverage Practices in Special Education is a powerful tool for those dedicated to improving student outcomes. Planned with the practitioner in mind, the text’s main objective is for teachers to recognize EBPs as “what” they teach and HLPs as “how” they teach. The book is written with a focus on inclusive education, making it a valuable resource for both general and special educators. What’s included in The Practical Guide to High-Leverage Practices in Special Education: A focus on one HLP per chapter and descriptions of connected HLPs and how to use them for implementing featured EBPs Classroom scenarios for both elementary and secondary classrooms Tables of the crosswalks of connected HLPs and EBPs with resources for further learning The Practical Guide to High-Leverage Practices in Special Education: The Purposeful “How” to Enhance Classroom Rigor provides educators with the understanding of how HLPs and EBPs connect to effectively implement them for student success and is also an effective teaching and learning tool for teacher education preparation programs.

This timely and innovative roadmap for parents, educators, and administrators highlights the importance of effective communication methodology, appropriate correspondence, and data collection recommendations. Effective communication is often missing from the IEP team’s conversation. Navigating Special Education provides a foundation for building proactive, positive partnerships that will lead to 21st century best practices for children. The 5-C Model of Communication—Conversation, Collaboration, Cooperation, Compromise, and Consensus—presented in Navigating Special Education helps to forge trusted alliances between school districts and families. Navigating Special Education draws upon the authors’ 60-plus years of combined experience by using: Anecdotal, evidence-based, real-life scenarios Templates for letter writing and extensive data collection A user-friendly appendix and glossary As stakeholders, wouldn’t you like to have successful meetings where everyone’s voice is heard, respected, and understood? After reading Navigating Special Education, families, educational professionals, college students, and special education organizations will be able to implement effective models of communication and build positive partnerships.