Best Practices for School-Based IEP Team Functions During Remote and Blended Learning
Comprehensive
Data-Driven Assessment
Interpretation
and Translation
Service
Recommendation and Implementation
At
the conclusion of the meeting
Placement
or Initial Provision of Services
Manifestation
Determination Reviews (MDRs)
The use of a comprehensive data-driven model was
launched in Spring 2020 to support the assessment process during remote
instruction. We have fostered successful partnerships between teachers,
clinicians, parents, and students to gather and analyze multiple sources of data
to gain information regarding the reason for referral, evaluate student
progress, glean information regarding student’s academic strengths and
weakness, and plan for the needs of individual students through this special
education evaluation process.
Our purpose in continuing in this direction is to
provide a means for assessment of students who are participating in school
exclusively remotely, to assess students in blended learning to limit
face-to-face interactions, and to provide additional qualitative data to use in
conjunction with other sources of data. The National Association of School
Psychologists (NASP) suggests caution in interpreting traditional standardized
assessments, as the norms do not apply to students that have experienced a 5-6
month disruption in school-based learning; therefore, the flexible
comprehensive data-driven model will also be used to supplement traditional
standardized assessments.
Clinicians should refer to the SOPM as needed for
further detail throughout the evaluation and IEP process. This guidance and the
best practices document to supplement the SOPM during remote/blended learning and
will be updated as needed throughout the school year.
Open Cases
At the beginning of this school year, clinicians
will create a case management structure that will address each student on their
caseload for SY 19/20 and SY 20/21. The Case Management Framework gives
concrete guidance for the completion of open cases from SY 19/20 and how to
best move forward with open cases for SY 20/21. On a monthly basis, a case
management log must be sent to your supervisor with a CC to the associated
school principal. Guidance regarding case management can be found here.
To minimize risk, remote comprehensive data-driven
assessments must be the primary mode of assessment and used for all evaluations
requiring a psychoeducational. If the school psychologist – in consultation
with the family and supervisor of school psychologists – determines that
face-to-face assessment(s) are necessary to answer the referral question, the
school psychologist should seek to conduct the assessments. Comprehensive
data-driven assessments can be conducted remotely (e.g., developmental history,
review of existing data, web-based rating scales, student pre-assessment forms,
response to intervention data, and information gleaned from consultation with
teachers and parents) and through socially distanced social interviews. The
Supervisor of Psychologists may assist in making the determination of whether a
remote (virtual) or face-to-face assessment is required through individual case
consultation. The family should also be consulted to get their input into
whether a face-to-face assessment is necessary. In making such a determination,
the school psychologist and Supervisor of the School Psychologist will consider all
relevant factors. The final determination of whether an assessment will be
conducted in person will be the sole discretion of the school
psychologist.
Assessment
The SY 2020-2021 assessment policy can be
found here.
Note that students who participate in remote-only instruction and for whom
face-to-face assessments are necessary should be offered the option of
face-to-face assessment through a Request for Assistance (RFA).
At this time, the following activities will continue
to take place remotely:
Comprehensive data-driven assessments
Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
Social History Interviews
Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs)
Definition of psychoeducational assessment:
A process by which a New York State-certified school
psychologist or licensed psychologist uses, to the extent deemed necessary for
purposes of educational planning, a variety of psychological and educational
techniques and examinations in the student’s native language, to study and
describe a student’s developmental, learning, behavioral and other personality
characteristics.
Definition of comprehensive data-driven assessment:
A flexible form of assessment that can be conducted
remotely using developmental history, review of existing data, web-based rating
scales, student pre-assessment forms, response to intervention data, and
information gleaned from consultation with teachers and parents through
socially distanced classroom observations and clinical interviews if
needed.
Comprehensive Data-Driven Assessment
The Comprehensive Data-Driven Assessment is used in
all evaluations requiring a psychoeducational. Upon completion of a data
review, interpretation, and analysis, the school psychologist must prepare a
written report documenting the eligibility determination of a student suspected
of having a disability. This report shall include the basis for how the
decision was made and should specify if and/or how the student has participated
in the RTI process.
A comprehensive data-driven assessment will be
detailed in a written report. The written report will accurately describe the
student’s academic levels, functioning, and performance in the following areas:
Oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading
skills, reading fluency skills, reading comprehension, mathematics calculation,
mathematics problem solving and adaptive behavior.
To develop the written report, the school
psychologist will collect multiple sources of information and multidisciplinary
data and then conduct an analysis. The report will include the following:
Results of classroom
assessments(Open external link) over a period of time (informal and
formal assessments such as benchmark, curriculum-based assessments, benchmark
assessments and end of year assessments)
Teacher reports
Summary of progress monitoring data associated with
the intervention process (academic and/or behavior)
Completed Student Pre-Assessment Teacher Report
Aptitude and achievement tests (if available)
Parent input related to the suspected disability
Student’s physical, mental, and emotional condition
Social or cultural background information relevant
to the suspected disability
Adaptive behavior skills
Prior testing data such as a psychoeducational (if
applicable)
Results of the Social History Evaluation
Classroom Observation(s)
Results of most current NYS assessments (ELA, Math,
NYSESLAT, Regents)
Educationally relevant medical reports and findings
Attendance history, including participation in
remote instruction
Results of standardized assessment, when appropriate
A comprehensive written report integrates a variety
of psychological and educational techniques and examinations to study and
describe a student's developmental, learning, behavioral and other personality
characteristics. The results of the written report will support in determining
a student’s eligibility or continuing eligibility for special education
services. In some instances, the results from the comprehensive data-driven
assessment may support the need for targeted face-to-face assessment(s) in the
area of cognition (selected subtests of a psychological assessment) or
achievement (selected subtests of an educational assessment) as a necessary
component of the assessment process. If a face- to face assessment is deemed
necessary after the completion of a written CDDA, subsequent targeted face-to
-face testing should be uploaded to SESIS using the appropriate report template
in SESIS. That is, the psychological report template of the targeted assessment
is focused on areas of cognition and educational template if the area of focus
is academic functioning. It is recommended that an event be created in SESIS
that indicates the area of targeted assessment.
Student Pre-Assessment Teacher Form
The first required component of data collection
associated with a comprehensive data-driven assessment will include the Student
Pre-Assessment Teacher Report. The Pre-Assessment Teacher Report serves as a
tool to learn about a student’s current level of functioning in multiple areas,
strengths, weaknesses, access to core instruction, and response to
interventions. This source of data should be completed as a team and/or by the
multiple stakeholders who currently or previously work with the student. The
sections of the form include Identifying information, cognitive functioning,
academic/classroom functioning, participation in pre-referral interventions,
social-emotional functioning, and a summary. To support teams in completing the
form, training is available through the Special Education Office. The training
includes examples and assessments for teachers to capture the student’s current
performance. As a reminder, the data collected through this form will inform
eligibility determinations for students. As such, it is crucial that teachers
completing the report respond accurately and fully. To access the elementary
form click here(Open
external link) for middle/high school click here(Open
external link).
Functional Behavior Assessments during Blended and
Remote Learning
The shift to a new environment, whether fully remote
or blended, requires us to collect new data on student behaviors. The new data
will help to identify if the same behavior(s) are still occurring or if a new
behavior is occurring.
If the same behavior is occurring in the new
environment, the team will use the data along with the Considerations of a
Student’s Need for Positive Behavioral Supports, FBA, or a BIP [link]
to determine if an FBA does not need to be conducted, but the intervention
strategies in the BIP need to be adapted. See below for guidance on adapting
the BIP for the new environment.
If the behaviors are not occurring in the new
environment, or if the behaviors are different than in the past, the team will
use the data along with the Considerations of a Student’s Need for a Positive
Behavior Supports, FBA, or a BIP to determine if an FBA needs to be conducted.
When appropriate, families and caregivers should be
included in the planning process to obtain data to inform the FBA.
Classroom Observations during Blended and Remote
Learning
As part of an initial evaluation, an observation of
the student in the student’s learning environment is required and must be
conducted during this period of remote and blended learning. Additionally,
classroom observations are a necessary component of Functional Behavior
Assessments. Guidance on the completion of classroom assessments can be found
below:
Learning environment observation
Observations of live (synchronous) remote learning
sessions can be conducted through the remote learning platform in use
by the school. To arrange the remote observation, take the following
steps:
Contact the student’s school or agency to determine
if live instruction is being provided and to make logistical arrangements.
For K-12 students attending DOE schools, reach out
to the student’s classroom teacher via email to schedule a lesson to observe.
You may alternately reach out to the special education liaison or school
administrator to schedule the observation.
For K-12 students attending NPS or charter schools,
reach out to the school’s special education liaison or administrator to
schedule the observation.
For T5 students who are engaged in remote learning,
contact the agency or school providing these services to schedule the
observation.
Note that for observations of students attending
bilingual classes, the observation should be conducted by an observer who
understands the language of instruction. If that is not possible, contact
your supervisor.
Ensure that the parent’s consent for assessment has
been sought and obtained and that the remote assessment process (including a
description of the remote observation process) has been explained to the
parent.
Conduct the remote observation on the remote
learning platform in use by the school. The staff member should log into the
live instruction classroom. They should mute their audio and turn off their
video to ensure there is no disruption to the learning environment. Depending
on the live remote learning platform in use, the observer should “pin” the
student in the platform to ensure they can continue to observe the student for
the duration of the class. If possible, the teacher should ensure in advance
that the student’s audio and video will be turned on for all or part of the
lesson and the teacher can organize the lesson to facilitate select interaction
to take place involving the student. The goal would be to permit the observer
to see student to teacher participation or student to student participation. If
instruction sessions are short (e.g., under 30 minutes), a second observation
may be scheduled (when warranted) to ensure sufficient opportunity to gain a
meaningful understanding of the student’s functioning in the live remote
classroom.
When completing the observation report, in the
Classroom Observation in SESIS, state the following in the “Findings” section:
The following observation has been conducted during
remote instruction. Information gathered from this observation should be
interpreted with caution, as this is a novel learning environment for the
student and teacher and there may be multiple variables (e.g., COVID-19, home
environment, alternative learning format) that impact this observation. This
observation should be used in conjunction with other evaluations, school-based
assessments, teacher input, and most importantly, student performance prior to
school building closures.
In-Person classroom observation
If a student is participating in blended learning,
an in-person classroom observation may be completed if it is clinically
warranted and necessary (e.g., initial referral, functional behavior assessment
(FBA). When possible, clinicians should plan to group observations of students
in the same class on the same day in order to reduce the number of classes entered.
In-person classroom observations should only be
completed when necessary and appropriate (e.g., initial referral, functional
behavior assessment (FBA).
All classroom observations – including observations
for FBA data collection – should be scheduled with the classroom teacher or
designated staff member at least 24 hours prior to the observation.
The clinician should request that a chair be
designated for the observation that is 6 feet from all students, but within
visual range of the student to be observed. The chair should not be used by
anyone prior to the observation or after it unless it has been disinfected.
Clinicians should schedule observations in a limited
number of classrooms each day. The clinician may observe multiple students in
one class per day, but it is best practice to refrain from observing in more
than 2-3 classrooms in a single day.
Clinicians must wash or disinfect hands prior to
entering the classroom and after leaving the classroom.
Clinicians must wear, at minimum, a face mask
throughout the observation.
Clinicians should bring their own supplies (e.g.,
pens, paper, computer) to the observation and take all these items out of the
room once the observation is complete.
Observations may not be conducted during lunchtime,
when students are not wearing masks.
The assessment process and eligibility determinations
for the 2020-21 school year
Students are facing unprecedented challenges as they
acclimate to the new school year, routines, and expectations. When making
special education eligibility determinations, IEP teams should consider the
impact on students and families of the school building closure, transition to
and from remote learning, and other environmental changes. When making an
eligibility determination, an IEP team should consider whether a student’s
academic challenges existed prior to school closure or emerged as a result of
the change to instruction during remote learning and/or environmental factors
or personal factors related to the pandemic. Social and academic challenges may
not necessarily be indicative of a disability, as they may emerge for many, if
not most, students, when in remote learning and/or readjusting to a blended or
in-school learning environment. However, the referral process must not be
delayed to allow the student to readjust to classroom routines and
expectations. Further guidance and considerations for eligibility can be
found here.
Referrals and Consent
Guidance on the remote process of referrals can be
found here(Open
external link).
Fax Bypass is currently available for the following
SESIS documents:
Initial Referral
Request for Reevaluation
Social History Package
Prior Notice Package for Placement
Prior Notice Package for Placement/Parentally Placed
Case Closing
Please note that the parent may consent to the
initial evaluation or additional assessments by stating in an email that they
consent to have their child evaluated. If a parent does not have access to
their own email account:
Consent can be received from the student’s email account,
as long as the email states that consent is being given by the parent; or
Consent can be received by text message from the
parent from a phone number associated with the parent. If consent is received
by text, a screenshot of the text received should be forwarded to the DOE
staff’s email address and then uploaded to SESIS.
If the parent is unable to provide consent through
the student’s email account or by text message, contact your supervisor for
support in identifying another available method. When contacting the parent to
discuss the referral and consent, if the parent’s preferred language is other
than English, ensure that interpretation is provided.
All social history meetings should be conducted
remotely regardless of whether the student is engaging in face-to-face
instruction.
If the school-based members of the IEP team – in
consultation with the family and supervisor of psychologists – have determined
that face-to-face assessments are necessary to determine eligibility, the
student’s parent must be contacted and informed that the team has
made this determination. The face-to-face assessment process must be reviewed
with the parent, including the extent to which social distancing and PPE will
be used, as well as any concerns about the reliability of the results based on the
testing environment. The school members of the IEP team must also address any
parent concerns. While no additional consent form is required beyond the
consent for an initial evaluation or additional assessments, the school members of
the IEP team should seek the parent’s agreement for this mode of assessment to
take place. To the greatest extent possible, the social history meeting or the
social history update meeting should be utilized to inform parents of the
assessment options.
While the referral process must not be delayed,
consideration when determining eligibility should be given to the transition to
and from remote learning and allowances made for the student to readjust to
classroom routines, expectations, and regaining foundational skills.
Initials and Re-evaluations
For all initial evaluations and reevaluations, the
student’s teachers must provide the case manager and parent with relevant,
up-to-date information regarding the student’s functioning, performance, and
behavior prior to the IEP meeting. [See SOPM page 45 and 53.] This information
must include (but is not limited to) the pre-referral teacher form, data, and
comprehensive information regarding literacy skills. In addition:
If the student has been served by a literacy coach,
IEP teacher, or speech literacy teacher, among others, those teachers should
make available information concerning the student’s literacy skills.
Others who deliver additional supplemental
instruction (e.g., AIS and RTI providers), and/or student support services
(e.g., guidance, counseling, attendance and study skills), should make relevant
information available prior to the IEP meeting, regarding the student’s
functioning, performance, and behavior.
For reevaluations, the teachers should provide the
most recent progress reports if any exist from the last 6 months. They should
also report updated information regarding the student’s functioning,
performance, and behavior during the period of remote and blended learning.
For initial evaluations and reevaluations for which
there are no recent progress reports, each of the student’s teachers should
compile relevant information regarding the student’s functioning, performance,
and behavior, including up-to-date information regarding the student’s functioning
during the period of school closure in addition to using the elementary(Open
external link) and middle/high
school teacher report (Open external link) form. The school-based members of
the IEP team or family worker must notify the teacher(s) at least 15 school
days in advance of the IEP meeting that this written information or progress
report is required. The teacher(s) should complete the written information or
progress report and provide the report to the school-based members of the IEP
team and case manager with enough time so that the report can be provided to
the parent at least 7 days before the IEP meeting.
As part of the assessment process, school teams
should conduct social history interviews, gather teacher progress reports, and
assess students as needed using remote web-based assessment scales and
observations of live remote learning sessions to make informed decisions in IEP
meetings, in addition to any other assessments that can be conducted remotely
as agreed upon by the DOE and UFT.
Considering this information, the school
psychologist must submit a comprehensive report, integrating information
gathered through assessments and data collection, that describe the student's
developmental, learning, behavioral, and other personality characteristics. The
CDDA report should be uploaded to SESIS using the psychoeducational assessment
template. If a face-to-face assessment is deemed necessary after the completion
of a written CDDA, subsequent targeted face-to-face testing should be uploaded
to SESIS using the appropriate report template in SESIS. That is, the
psychological report template if the targeted assessment is focused on areas of
cognition and educational template if the area of focus is academic
functioning.
If the clinician determines during this process that
additional face-to-face assessments are needed, they should bring this to the
attention of their supervisor of school psychologists to explore whether those
assessments should occur at this time and to develop a targeted assessment
plan. If the targeted face-to-face assessment cannot be completed at this time,
create an event in SESIS to indicate the area of targeted assessment(s) needed.
If, at the IEP meeting, there is not sufficient
evaluative information to make a program(s) or service(s) recommendation in a
traditional, comprehensive manner, the IEP team should determine the student’s
eligibility and recommend any programs and/or services that can be
appropriately recommended based upon the evaluative information available.
Clinicians should consider appropriate classifications based on the evaluative
information available. As additional testing becomes available, the team should
revisit cases and determine whether the student meets the criteria for the classification that was considered, as well as the modification of services,
but for which sufficient data was not available.
The IEP team should also:
Inform all team members (including the parent) that,
while recommendations can always be revisited, failing to make recommendations
now will delay the provision of appropriate programs and services;
Provide the school with intervention options and
strategies that will address the student’s learning, behavioral, physical
and/or management needs pending completion of the evaluation.
There may be rare cases in which a student is
participating in remote learning and the family declines a face-to-face
assessment. At the IEP meeting, the IEP team determines that no appropriate
programs or services can be recommended based on the evaluative information
available. In those rare cases, the IEP team should not finalize a determination that the student is ineligible. The IEP team must record an event
in the SESIS Events Log specifying that there is insufficient evaluative
information to make an eligibility determination and that it was not possible
to conduct an in-person assessment at this time. The team should provide the
school with the intervention options and strategies that will address the
student’s learning, behavioral, physical, and/or management needs pending
completion of the evaluation process. The case should not be closed. In no case
may any DOE staff request or advise that a parent withdraw a referral or
consent. Consult with your supervisor if you think it is necessary to take this
action.
IEP Meetings
IEP teams should continue to meet remotely. When
conducting IEP meetings using an online platform, teams should use Microsoft
Teams, Google Meet or Zoom to conduct IEP meetings. These platforms are
compliant with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
Microsoft Teams
Clinicians will be able to schedule meetings using
their Outlook calendar from Office 365. They will use the Teams meeting toggle
to set their location to conduct meetings using the Microsoft Teams Video
conferencing. In addition to allowing for video conferencing, Microsoft Teams
allows for telephone participation by any IEP team member by also providing a
dial-in phone number and PIN for each meeting.
Google Meet
Clinicians will be able to schedule meetings using
their DOE Outlook account. They will be able to have video conferences and
audio conferences when selecting the “Meet” application. They will find the
“Meet” application in the Google waffle grid. Once they select “Meet”, they
will be prompted to join or start a meeting. To start the meeting, enter a
nickname (name) for the meeting. Then select Continue and Join. The clinicians
will have the option to join using a phone for audio. IEP teams will send
meeting invites to participants by email once they have been added to the
meeting. Google Hangouts Meet creates a dial-in phone number and PIN for each
meeting allowing each participant to communicate via phone conference. For
security purposes, all video and audio streams in Meet are encrypted.
Zoom
Clinicians will be able to schedule meetings using
central account access to Zoom. When using Zoom, all staff and students must
use the new DOE central account to access Zoom. All NYCDOE Zoom users will sign
onto nycdoe.com.us(Open external link) with
their DOE user credentials to be able to use the full complement of Zoom
features.
Please visit the Zoom
for Remote Learning page to learn more about accessing Zoom,
including:
How to access DOE Zoom
How to schedule or join a meeting
Participate in live or prerecorded training
New security settings and instructions for use
Contacts for technical support
The summary of the new agreement between the NYCDOE
and Zoom
Details of the original concerns with the Zoom
platform
The official NYCDOE press release
The IEP Process
Prior to IEP Meeting
To the greatest extent possible, ensure and maintain
the privacy and confidentiality of information, files, and communications.
Conduct telephone calls and meetings in a place where confidential information
will not be overheard or viewed by individuals who are not involved in the
meeting. Use Microsoft Office 365 online tools and approved platforms, which
provide appropriate safeguards for maintaining the confidentiality and security
of DOE information and records.
Contact parents and schedule meetings at a mutually
agreed upon time. If parents require an interpreter, arrange for an interpreter
to be present for the meeting, and follow the SOPM with respect to arranging
for translation of documents upon request.
Inform all participants that they should be present
for the entire duration of the meeting and that they will be actively
participating throughout the meeting.
Contact school principals and administrators if
contact information is needed for the required participants. Meetings must not be
held without the participation of mandated IEP members. All outreach efforts
must be documented in the SESIS Event Log. Document School/Non-Public
School/Private School requests to reschedule meetings due to COVID-19 related
unavailability by creating an event in SESIS. These meetings will be
rescheduled to the extent feasible.
Clinicians with clerical support will oversee that
at least 48 hours prior to the meeting, families are contacted to confirm
attendance and to ensure that parents have and can utilize the dial-in phone
number and PIN for the meetings. For video conferencing, confirm that parents
have access to a smartphone/tablet/laptop/desktop computer with webcam and
speakers and that parents have video and audio components for the entire
duration of the meeting.
Discuss video conferencing and audio conferencing
with parents and select the method of the conference with proper consideration
given to the parent’s comfort with and access to the necessary technology.
Supervisors are currently setting up training for clinicians on how to
effectively hold meetings on Microsoft Teams.
Be prepared for IEP meetings. Review all pertinent
documentation, evaluations and reports that will be considered during the
meetings and ensure that all participants have all pertinent information/
documentation to make appropriate IEP recommendations prior to the IEP
meeting.
Ensure that parents and DOE IEP meeting participants
have access to the content of the meeting. Send evaluations and reports that
will be considered during the meeting to parents electronically at least 7 days
prior to the IEP meeting and inform DOE participants that all pertinent
documentation and records are available in SESIS or electronically prior to the
IEP meeting. If the parent does not have an email address, ask the parent if
they consent to the material sent to them via the student’s email address. If
they decline to receive the materials by email, contact your school leadership
for assistance in mailing materials to the parent.
Sending special education records to families via
email
The parent may elect for special education records
to be sent to them by email. During blended or remote learning, you may accept
a parent's email requesting materials by email as their consent.
To send a document stored in SESIS to a parent, the
user should follow these steps:
Print or save the document as a PDF on the DOE
network (Information available in the SESIS Wiki)
Attach the saved PDF to an email to the parent using
Outlook in Office 365
Select "Encrypt"
Send to the parent's email address
Special education records include any meeting
notices, prior written notices, IEPs, assessments, progress reports, or other
material requested by the parent.
**If the user does not have access to the DOE
network, the user should save to an encrypted flash drive. If the user does not
have an encrypted flash drive, the user may save on their local drive into a
private folder. All contents of that private folder should be deleted as soon
as the clinician has access to the DOE network.
Best practices for holding remote IEP meetings
To the greatest extent possible control background
noise before starting the meeting. Find a quiet location, minimizing external
noise, and dedicate uninterrupted time for the duration of the meetings. The
space should be quiet and free from distractions (e.g., noises, other
conversations, other persons in the space).
Ensure that the background of the location is
appropriate and professional for all video conferences.
Present in the same professional manner as if it
were a meeting face-to-face meeting.
Establish the online video conferencing connection
several minutes before the meeting start time and test the dial-in phone number
and PIN for the meeting before the conference call (15 minutes are
recommended).
Holding IEP Meetings
The DOE members of the IEP team must arrange for
families, teachers, and/or services providers to participate in the IEP meeting
via Microsoft Teams, Google Classrooms, or Zoom. All IEP attendees will be
notified 7 days prior to the date of the meeting. SESIS contact information
will be used to identify the family's preferred method of remote communication
and preferred language. The invitation should include the date, time, phone
number, and access code for each meeting. If the parent’s preferred language is
other than English, ensure interpretation services are arranged for the IEP
meeting.
School staff should share and update Outlook
calendars daily to determine availability to facilitate the planning and
organization of IEP meetings.
Ensure that all participants can see and hear all
other participants. Ask participants to indicate if they are having any
difficulties with their video and audio at the start of the meeting.
Start the meeting by allowing all IEP meeting
participants to take turns introducing themselves by name and title.
Ask participants to mute their microphones if their
location has background noise and when not speaking. Microsoft Teams and Google
Meet support the use of computer audio. If joining a virtual meeting using a
cellular phone or landline use *3 to mute the phone and for desk phones use
*6.
Start the meetings by presenting an overview of
topics to be covered and planned outcomes. Confirm that all DOE participants
and parents have received and have access to the content of the meeting and
will share any pertinent documentation that will be considered during the
meeting with any DOE participants or parents as needed.
Engage and encourage parent participation and
contribution to the discussion, and check for understanding and alignment
during the meeting.
Listen closely and monitor participant’s turn-taking
during the meeting to ensure engagement and contribution of all IEP
participants.
Indicate IEP meeting participation of participants
by phone on the SESIS attendance page. For further guidance see: SESIS
Fax/Scan Guidance for School and CSE Staff(Open external link).
For guidance regarding attendance sheets and Initial
Placement/ provision of services see here(Open
external link)
Interpretation and Translation
The DOE members of the IEP team will arrange for
interpretation services at the IEP meetings and translation of special
education documents, as necessary. Schools’ language access coordinators can
assist in arranging interpretation services during an IEP meeting. For more
information about the DOE’s Language Access Plan, including information about
interpretation and translation please visit the Translation
and Interpretation of InfoHub Page.
Service Recommendation and Implementation
During this period of time, the IEP team should make
the same recommendation of special education programs, services, and placement
as they would make if the school were in session. If the IEP team believes that
different programs/services are needed remotely as a result of the IEP meeting,
the school should develop or revise the Special
Education Program Adaptations Document (PAD). The PAD along with the
student’s schedule, documents how key elements of the student’s special
education program will be implemented during the blended/remote learning
period. The PAD should be discussed with the family at any IEP meeting and
should be revised as needed following that discussion. If there is a change to
the IEP recommended special education program, paraprofessional service, or
assistive technology, the PAD should be revised to reflect and address the new
IEP recommendations. Finalize the IEP before revising the PAD, so that the new
IEP recommendations will be auto-populated from the new IEP. For guidance on
completing the PAD, please access this
training deck(Open external link). For guidance on completing the PAD in
SESIS, please access the SESIS
step-by-step document. (Open external link) For guidance on completing
the PAD, please access Special
Education Program Adaptations Document (PAD) for Blended and Remote Learning, this
training deck(Open external link), and this PAD Frequently Asked Questions. For guidance on completing the PAD in SESIS,
please access the SESIS step-by-step document, The
Special Education Program Adaptations Document (PAD)(Open external link).
At the conclusion of the meeting
Prior to the conclusion of the IEP meeting, ensure
that families provide IEP teams with a valid email address and agree that
special education records, including the IEP, should be sent via email. Teams
should make every effort to obtain Consent for Use of Electronic Mail from
families during this time, but in the event that the consent cannot be
obtained, teams should move forward with the process. At the conclusion of the
IEP meeting, if the IEP cannot be immediately finalized and sent to the parent,
the DOE members of the IEP team are to provide the parent with a copy of the
Recommended Special Education Programs and Services page of the draft IEP from
SESIS. This should be emailed to the parent if they have the parent’s agreement
to do so. The IEP must be finalized in SESIS and sent, along with the Prior
Written Notice, to the parent via email no later than 10 business days after
the meeting was held. All efforts must be made to ensure that IEPs are
completed within the compliance date.
If the parent does not have an email address, ask
the parent if they would consent to have the material sent to them via the
student’s email address. If the parent declines, contact your school leadership
for assistance in mailing materials to the parent.
For issues related to SESIS documentation, please
see SESIS Guidance during School
Building Closure FAQs Working from Home for School and CSE Staff(Open external
link).
Prior Written Notice
Guidance can be found here(Open
external link).
Placement or Initial Provision of Services
Guidance can be found here(Open
external link).
Please note that the parent may consent to special
education services by stating in an email that they consent to their child
receiving special education services. If a parent does not have access to
their own email account, see above for alternatives.
Comparable Service Plan (CSP)
If a student is admitted or readmitted to the NYCDOE
and has an IEP from a prior school district, the IEP team may need to create a
Comparable Service Plan (CSP). The IEP team should follow the SOPM with respect
to the creation of the CSP and opening of the case. The CSP should be provided
to the parent via email, with the parent’s agreement. Placement or Initial
provision of services will be as per guidance below.
If the parent is unable to provide all the necessary
documentation electronically, the team should document all the relevant
information provided to them via telephone in SESIS events. The team should
also reach out to the previous school/school district to receive the
appropriate documentation electronically and to also secure verbal confirmation.
If the IEP team is unable to secure sufficient confirmation of previous special
education placement/services after contacting the prior school/school district,
the parent should be provided with contact information to the Family Welcome
Center for General Education admission.
To contact the Family Welcome Centers, click here. (Open
external link)
Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs)
When making MDR determinations, the team should
consider the impact on the student's disability related to:
The school building closure
Transition to and from remote learning
Other environmental changes during the pandemic
These and other issues can impact a student’s
disability and the way that disability may manifest in behaviors, including the
behaviors that may lead to disciplinary action.
At this time, Manifestation Determination Reviews
(MDRs) should be held remotely, utilizing one of the platforms specified in the
IEP Meetings section above. The following guidelines should be followed when
conducting remote MDRs:
MDRs should be held at a mutually agreeable time for
families and relevant school staff.
To the extent possible, and with the parent’s
consent for electronic communication, provide the parent with any relevant
materials in advance of the MDR that will be discussed at the review.
Discuss the platform in advance with the family to
ensure that they are able to access the technology to participate in the MDR.
If not, the MDR should be held via telephone.
During the MDR, when any documents are being
discussed, it is best practice to share the screen so that all participants can
review them at the same time.
Control for background noise during the MDR, finding
a quiet space that is free from distractions. Ask participants to mute their
microphones when not speaking.
Discuss in the same professional manner as if it
were an in-person meeting.
Ensure that the parent has the opportunity to
participate and contribute in the MDR.
Complete the MDR worksheet as per standard practice.
