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IDEA Explained for New Educators
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- IDEA Explained for New Educators
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- Hi Will! We are so excited to have you join our team!
- Thank you! I am excited to be here.
- That's great! There are a few things we will need to go over. Today we will spend some time talking about the legal requirements of IDEA.
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- IDEA is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is a law that ensures that children with disabilities have free appropriate public education and that they are provided with the appropriate services and accommodations.
- Wow! That sounds amazing and incredibly important for our students. So what exactly does this look like?
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- Students who qualify under the IDEA umbrella are provided with an individualized education program or IEP, which outlines the supports and services they will receive.
- That is the goal!
- What role do the parents play in all of this?
- Well, parents are a part of the IEP team and can provide their observations and opinions regarding what their child needs.
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- As a member of the school's staff, what does this mean for me?
- As school personnel, we are required to follow the guidelines in IDEA as well as complete trainings so that we can support our students with accommodations.
- It sounds like there is a lot of information for us to learn and be aware of. And it seems like this may be challenging to implement well. What are some of the limitations you have experienced?
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- You are right! It is a lot of information and it can be challenging to follow the law exactly as it can be interpreted in different ways. We have also run into funding challenges, which make it hard to meet needs as well.
- Oh, absolutely! IDEA aims to provide equitable education opportunities for students that may be tossed to the side or left behind. We want all of our students to feel cared for and like their education matters. IDEA helps us do this and provides a great structure for us to follow.
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- So, how does our school ensure we are adhering to the law?
- Great question! Based on our research, we have learned that we need to provide clear written policies and procedures to our faculty and staff to ensure everyone is on the same page. Along with that, we also have professional development sessions specifically dedicated to compliance expectations. Thirdly, we have developed a variety of tools and templates that align with the state requirements, so that our staff knows exactly what is expected.
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- All of this information is so helpful! What about the families? How do you support and advocate for them within the context of IDEA?
- One of the main things that I mentioned before is parents are important members of the IEP team, so we try to encourage them to actively participate in IEP meetings and share any of their ideas and thoughts.
- That's great! I'm sure the families feel seen and heard when they are told their opinions matter.
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- Yes, they do. I have had many parents share how they have felt so accepted and valued at our school because we intentionally include them in these conversations.
- Do you have any thoughts about how we can advocate for our families in relation to IDEA?
- I think we should make sure to provide clear resources, like pamphlets or brochures in the native languages of our families, that explain IDEA to them and how their children can benefit from this law.
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- I think that is a great idea, especially having them written in multiple languages. We have a document that gives families a summary of the law and their rights, but it is not written in every language.
- So true!
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- We also try to conduct frequent check-ins with our families with children that qualify for IDEA and have an IEP. We want to know if they are seeing progress and if they are satisfied with their student's program.
- It is important to us that our families and students feel they are valued and supported and know we want their child to flourish.
- This is all such great information! I feel like I have a much better understanding of IDEA and how our school implements and supports it. Thank you for taking the time to explain everything to me.
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- ReferencesIRIS Center.(n.d.). Least restrictive environment. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf_info_briefs/IRIS_least_restrictive_environment_info_brief.pdfNational Centerfor Systemic Improvement. (n.d.). Five state strategies to effectivelycommunicate and reinforce IDEA compliance requirements. https://ncsi.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/NCSI-Five-State-Strategies-to-Effectively-Communicate-and-Reinforce-IDEA-Compliance-Requirements.pdfU.S. Departmentof Education. (n.d.). About IDEA. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/.
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- So it sounds like every student gets what they need to be successful!
- That sounds frustrating. So, do the benefits outweigh the limitations?
- I think all of our families should feel supported and valued, so providing materials in their language would help with that.
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