Steps in the IEP Process (continued)

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Step 7: Evaluation and Reviews

IDEA '04 requires accountability for each IEP developed. In most states, students' IEPs are reviewed annually. Under an IDEA '04 pilot program, which is attempting to reduce paperwork and administrative burdens on educators, 15 states conduct these reviews every three years. The purpose of the IEP review meetings is to ensure that students are meeting their goals and making educational progress. Because accountability measures determine whether the student is making progress, educators are careful to describe expectations for tasks and skills the student needs to learn in terms that can be evaluated. Whether the IEP process is for an infant or toddler (an IFSP) or a schoolchild (an IEP and possibly a transition component), the expectation is that frequent assessments of the individual's performance will occur, even if major IEP reviews occur once a year or only every three years.

NCLB and IDEA '04 require that all students participate in annual state- or district-wide testing or in alternate assessments. Alternate assessments are made available to students learning English as their second language and to students with disabilities whose IEP goals focus less on accessing the general education curriculum and more on skills related to independence, life skills, and community presence. Most students with disabilities participate in these high-stakes testing situations with supports from accommodations like those they receive when they are accessing the general education curriculum (Bolt & Thurlow, 2004). For example, students who use enlarged print or braille to read classroom materials receive these accommodations in the testing situation as well. Remember that in addition to annual assessments, students with disabilities frequently receive less formal evaluations of their progress. Sometimes these assessments are even daily or weekly. The purpose of such measurements of progress is to guide instruction and be sure those interventions scheduled are effective.