Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is crucial to learning processes that concern learners with special educational needs. These types of learners require extra care to facilitate their effective learning. The teaching methods meant for “normal” learners focus more on a general outcome instead of an individual performance. Thus, they are inapplicable to students with special educational needs whose cognitive development is quite slower that “normal students. The effectiveness of IEP derives from its ability to focus on a student’s capabilities to achieve more positive outcome. In this regard, this assignment required I review a sample IEP and analyze its strengths and weaknesses. This essay presents my analysis, which I will indicate a question I have about the IEP at the end.
The most significant thing that I liked about the sample IEP is that it specifies goals and the teaching methods and strategies. An effective IEP should specify targets which a student should meet within a specified. Each of the activities planned in the IEP had a specified objective which portrayed what the student should have achieved regarding his/her cognitive development. Another thing that I liked about specification of goals and objectives is that they had a timeframe. Notably, the best specified time should not exceed a one-year period. Long periods encourage chances of errors through vagueness and speculations of outcome. The sample IEP that I analyzed had a time frame of one year. The goals listed were to be measured from January 6, 2009 to December 17, 2009. Thus, I believe that the results would be effective as there would be minimal errors.
Concerning specifying teaching methods and strategies, I liked that the sample IEP showed how the goals were to be achieved. I it showed both the special educational teacher and student’s duties to make the program a success. For instance, under the goal, “The student will demonstrate measurable progress in cognitive skills,” the student was expected to draw picture to tell story. On the same note, the instructor was expected to test and observe the student’s progress. Another plus concerning teaching methods and strategies is that the sample IEP also indicated the resources that would be used in achieving the listed objectives. An excellent example from the sample is where special education teacher will produce an organized written work to measure the student’s cognitive skills. I believe that the inclusion of resources and teaching methods support the achievement of the specified goals within the given time. They help the plan to avoid wasting of time through procrastination and ineffective measures.
One thing that I did not like about the sample IEP, which is also its downside, is that it did not involve parents and caregivers’ participation. I understand that parents and care givers play a notable role in ensuring that IEPs are successful because they also spend a significant amount of time with the students. I also understand the IEP is a progressive exercise that should continue even when the students are at home with their parents and caregivers. Therefore, I think that this IEP will not be successful because it will make the students’ progress to be inconsistent. The sample should have indicated the parents’ opinions on its effectiveness and whether they agree with its procedures. Alternatively, it should have included the activities which the parents should do to make the outcome more effective. For instance, it should have had a section that directs parents and caregivers to paint with the students, and note their progress. In summary an effective IEP should be an inclusive effort of the students, instructors and parents.
Finally, the question I have about the sample IEP is, “how regularly is it reviewed and what are factors used in the reviewing process.
