The Collaborative IEP: Working Together for Life-Changing Special Education (Create effective individualized education plans for student success.) - Softcover

Kristen M. Bordonaro; Megan Clarke

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1958590150 ISBN 13: 9781958590157

Publisher: Solution Tree Press, 2024

Synopsis

Individualized education plans (IEPs) have the potential and responsibility of providing individuals with the highest level of learning opportunities. In this guide, discover the essential steps and vital understandings for team members to create student-centered IEPs. This book simplifies the IEP writing process and provides practical strategies and structures that can help general and special education teachers write compliant and effective IEPs for students.

K–12 teachers and special education teachers can use this book to:

• Gain practical working knowledge of IEPs and why collaborative teams are needed to develop strong ones
• Understand how to use a future-based approach to immediately improve their support of students
• Ponder the landmark Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District case’s ramifications on special education
• Recognize how to meaningfully engage students’ parents and guardians in the IEP process
• Consider chapter-ending reflection questions as opportunities for discussion and action

Contents:
Introduction: Our Whys
Chapter 1: Why Collaborative IEPs Are Essential
Chapter 2: A Collaborative Approach
Chapter 3: Parents and Guardians as Partners in the IEP Process
Chapter 4: Writing the PLAAFP Statement
Chapter 5: Writing Goals
Chapter 6: Writing Goals—Data Considerations
Chapter 7: Understanding Accommodations and Modifications
Chapter 8: Determining Service Minutes and Placement
Chapter 9: Behavior, Assistive Tech, Transition, and Low Incidence
Epilogue
Appendix
References and Resources
Index

About this title

About the Author

Kristen M. Bordonaro has served as a school- and district-level administrator for the last fifteen years. She has experience working with both private and public school districts as well as special education collaboratives. Most recently, she served as director of programs and services for the Exceptional Learners Collaborative in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Kristen’s knowledge and background in leading professional learning communities (PLC) has allowed teams to truly understand the connection between PLC practices and student growth. She guides the process of understanding the standards through implementing specially designed instruction with measurable and meaningful individualized education plans. She has spent the past few years working with districts to deepen their understanding of general and special education, collaboratively identifying areas of strength and improvement within their service delivery models. Kristen’s passion is uniting school teams to support the needs of all students through an “all means all” model.
In her career as an educator, Kristen has served as a classroom teacher, special education classroom teacher, resource teacher, building leader, program manager, and district office administrator. She has supported all grade levels, from early childhood to transition programming.
Kristen earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Trinity International University. She also holds master’s degrees in special education and educational leadership, as well as an educational specialist degree in educational leadership, from Western Illinois University. Kristen completed her doctorate at Aurora University, focusing her dissertation on the Endrew F. case and how children and school districts have been impacted by this landmark decision.

Megan Clarke is the superintendent of a special education collaborative serving four school districts in Illinois: (1) Adlai E. Stevenson District 125, (2) Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96, (3) Lincolnshire–Prairie View School District 103, and (4) Fox Lake School District 114.
Megan has more than twenty-five years of experience in education, having served as an assistant superintendent of pupil services and bilingual services, a director of special education, a principal, an assistant principal, and a special education teacher. She also served on a transformation team for a state takeover district in Illinois. During her tenure with the district, Megan made significant changes in special education and general education supports that allowed the district to close more than fifteen state findings.
In another role, Megan collaborated with neighboring school districts to build classrooms for students with significant needs, allowing students to attend schools with typical peers within their own school communities. Megan also serves on the board of the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education and cochairs the federal committee.
Megan earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and language pathology from the University of Arkansas, an educational specialist degree in leadership from Northern Illinois University, and two master’s degrees in special education and administration from National Louis University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Solution Tree Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1958590150
• ISBN 13: 9781958590157
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• Number of pages: 152