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IEP

The foundation of the special education program for students with disabilities is the Individualized Education Program (IEP) written by the IEP team.

An IEP is a document that describes the individualized education program that has been designed to meet each child's unique needs. In developing the IEP for a young child, the team must keep as its focal point the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards (RIELDS) which include the goals for all young learners.

The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Who participates in the IEP team meeting?
  - IEP team participants include, at minimum, the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s), the qualified professionals listed below, and other qualified professionals as appropriate.
    
         a regular education teacher;
    
         a special education teacher, or where appropriate, a special education provider;
    
         a representative of the LEA who is qualified to provide or supervise the specifically designed instruction, is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum and available resources, and has the authority to commit those resources;
    
         an individual who can interpret the implications of the evaluation results;
    
         at the discretion of the parent or LEA, other individuals who have knowledge or expertise regarding the child, including related service providers; and
    
         whenever appropriate, the child.
  - Since instruction is most effective when opportunities to acquire and practice skills occur across the day and week, with parent acknowledgment it is best practice that the IEP meeting also include all of the individuals with whom the child spends significant time.
  - As with all special education meetings, it is important to provide interpreters as necessary to must ensure meaningful communication with parents in a language they can understand. In addition, when considering a child who is culturally or linguistically diverse, the school teams must include individuals knowledgeable about the impact of language and culture.
- What is included in an IEP?
  - The IEP is a written document that describes the educational program designed to meet each eligible child’s individual needs.
  - The IEP consists of:
    
         Present levels of performance
    
         Areas to be addressed during the IEP
    
         Standards student’s program will address
    
         Measurable annual goals
    
         Measurable short term objectives or benchmarks
    
         Considerations
    
         Extended school year determination
    
         Special education services
    
         Related services
    
         Supplementary aids and services/program modifications/supports for school personnel
    
         Educational environments
    
         Explanation of nonparticipation in regular class, extracurricular and nonacademic areas
    
         Continuum of special education placement
    
         Parental consent for initial provision of special education and related services
    
         Information for parents
  - Rhode Island's Individualized Education Program
  - U.S. Department of Education’s Guide to the Individualized Education Program
- What does it mean to be entitled to FAPE?
  - The state of Rhode Island is committed to providing educational opportunities for all students to achieve high standards. For children with disabilities, this means that each child must be provided with a “Free and Appropriate Public Education” designed to meet his or her needs.
- What does it mean to be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)?
  - Education for young children with disabilities, like that of all school aged children, must be provided in the least restrictive environment. To be educated in the LRE means to the maximum extent appropriate children with disabilities are educated with children who are nondisabled. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular education environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplemental aids and services cannot be achieved.
  - Additional information on the LRE for Preschool Children with Disabilities
  - Requirements relative to the IEP within the Rhode Island Regulations Governing the Education of Children with Disabilities
Evidence-Based Practices
- Evidence-based practices are defined as the integration of professional wisdom with the best available empirical evidence in making decisions about how to deliver instruction. If the goal for young children with disabilities is to enter kindergarten with the early readiness skills that serve as the foundation for all future learning, it is critical to that educators are identifying and implementing educational practices that are supported by rigorous evidence.
- Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices
  Rhode Island recognizes the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices as critical guidance to practitioners and families regarding the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children with disabilities, birth through age 5 and to bridge the gap between research and practice.
- Other evidence based practices:
- Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
- What Works Clearinghouse
- National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence-Based Practices
- Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel
- CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge
- National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI)
- 2013 CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs - Preschool and Elementary School Edition
Rhode Island’s Performance
- Preschool Environments – Annual Performance Report (APR) Indicator 6
  Rhode Island reports the percentage of the children aged 3 through 5 with IEPs attending a regular early childhood program and receiving the majority of special education and related services in the regular early childhood program; and those in a separate special education class, separate school or residential facility.
Resources for Early Childhood Special Educators
- RI’s IEP Information, Guidebook, Forms, and Frequently Asked Questions
- Least Restrictive Environment for Preschool Children with Disabilities
- NewEarly Childhood Environment Form (in effect July 2020)
  Required Early Childhood Special Education Data Collection
- NewEarly Childhood Environment Form PD Module Registration Document
  Download, complete, and email the registration document to Kristen.Goneconte@ride.ri.gov.
- NewRI EI/ECSE Transition Form (in effect July 2020)
  Required Early Childhood Special Education Data Collection
Additional Resources
- DEC Recommended Practices

For more information on Early Childhood Special Education, contact your district level Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Coordinator or select from the following sections:

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