How to Read an IEP: Mississippi
Understanding Extended School Year & Transition Services and Planning
Mississippi IEP Guide: Transition Services and Plan
What are transition services and plans?
This is the part of the IEP where the team discusses the student’s plan for transitioning from high school into higher education or employment. Generally, this section is either blank or missing entirely from IEPs for younger students but, beginning at age 16, it is a required part of students’ IEPs and will appear in all high school students’ IEPs. In this section, the team has to list what the student’s goals are for after high school, how they will get there, and any transition specific services they need. It also often includes the courses a student will take throughout high school, with a list of the courses they expect to take each year and how many credits they need for graduation.
Where in the IEP are transition services and plans found?
Varies widely! You might not even see it in younger students’ IEPs. It is always labeled transition but can be literally anywhere in an IEP.
How does transition planning vary across states and districts?
So much! The placement can vary and how the questions are phrased– and whether it appears on younger students’ IEPs at all. All districts will have both evidence of transition assessments and goals for older students, but the phrasing of them can vary a lot!
What does the IDEA law say about transition planning?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says the IEPs need to include goals for life after high school and supports to help students get there for students who turn 15 or older during the course of their IEP.
What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(b)
(b) Transition services. Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updated annually, thereafter, the IEP must include—
(1) Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills; and
(2) The transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.
This IEP comes from the Mississippi Department of Education. See the full IEP here.
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INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
School Year: 2020–2021
INDIVIDUAL TRANSITION PLAN
Beginning at age 14, or younger if appropriate, a Transition Plan must be completed with consideration of the student’s needs, preferences, and interests. This plan must be updated annually.
Postsecondary Goals
Specify appropriate measurable postsecondary goals as identified by the student, parent(s), and IEP committee. Postsecondary goals are based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to employment, education and/or training, and, where appropriate, independent living skills.
| Goal Area | Statement | Related IEP Goal(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Education/Training (Required) | [Redacted Name] will interpret data | 1, 2 |
| Employment (Required) | [Redacted Name] will self-advocate | 1, 2 |
| Independent Living (If appropriate) | [Redacted Name] will interpret data | 1, 2 |
Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments
| Transition Area | Assessment Type | Responsible Agency/Person | Date Conducted | Report Attached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education/Training | Interview | [Redacted] | 03/01/20 | No |
| Employment | Interview | [Redacted] | 03/01/20 | No |
| Independent Living | Interview | [Redacted] | 03/01/20 | No |
Transition Services
Instruction (e.g., accommodations, tutoring, skills training, prep for college exams):
List the activities the school, student, parent(s), and any outside agency or agencies will do to help the student reach the stated postsecondary goal(s).
Offers functional academic classes, life skills classes, vote.
The student will attend and take seriously the classes they need to help reach their postsecondary goals.
The parents will collaborate with student, teacher, and any outside agency.
Vocational Rehab will be in contact with school personnel, and student to assist in training, internships, and job opportunities.
Related Services (e.g., parents, technology, transportation, medical services, supported services):
Offers functional academic classes, life skills classes, vote.
[Redacted] partners with Vocational Rehab and [Redacted] Medical Services.
The student will attend and take seriously the classes they need to help reach their postsecondary goals.
The student will meet with teachers and outside agencies to receive the needed services to reach their postsecondary goals.
The parent will collaborate with student, teacher, and any outside agency. The parent will provide or assist with any technology, and transportation needs for the student.
Community Experiences (e.g., job shadowing, supported employment, banking, shopping, touring postsecondary institutions):
Offers training in functional academics, life skills, and vote.
The student will take the classes they need to reach their postsecondary goal.
The parent will assist the student by collaboration between the school and outside agency. Outside agencies assist.
Development of Employment Objectives and Functional Vocational Evaluation (e.g., career planning, guidance counseling, job and career interests, aptitudes and skills):
[Redacted] performs different interest inventories such as student interest questionnaire, parent input.
[Redacted] offers guidance counseling to match the student’s schedule to the classes that will most benefit the student’s career interest.
Job and career spotlights are used in the functional academic and life skill classes. Vocational classes are offered.
The student is involved with classes and agencies to promote their employment objectives.
Agencies such as Voc Rehab assist with training, internships, and job opportunities.
Acquisition of Daily Living Skills and Other Post-School Adult Living Objectives (e.g., self-care, home repair, health and safety, money management, registering to vote, adult benefits planning, Independent living):
Offers functional academic, life skills, and vocational classes.
These classes focus on self-care, money management, advocacy, and community, independent skills.
[Redacted] partners with outside agencies such as voc rehab and [Redacted] medical services.
Course of Study
Select the course of study that supports the Student’s postsecondary goal(s):
Daily Living Activities
Supported Employment
Customized Employment
(Course of Study Options listed with checkboxes: Agriculture, Business, Education, Health Science, Hospitality, Human Services, Manufacturing, etc.)
Exit Options
Exit options must be reviewed with the parent and the student, as appropriate, before completing this section. Check the exit option determined appropriate for the student.
Certificate of Completion
(Other options listed: Traditional Diploma, Alternate Diploma, GED, Mississippi Occupational Diploma, Career/Academic Endorsements, etc.)
Student’s Invitation to the IEP Committee Meeting
The student was invited to the IEP meeting: [X] Yes [ ] No
Interagency Linkages (Participating Agencies)
Education/Training: [Redacted]
Employment: Vocational Rehab
Independent Living: [Redacted]
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?
These are pretty all over the place! Generally, you want to see that there was an age appropriate transition assessment where the student was asked about what they want to do after high school. You should also see measurable transition goals. These are often something like the ones in the Arizona sample IEP; “1. Kyra will meet with Vocational Rehabilitation Services before she graduates to develop a career and independent living plan. 2. Kyra will apply to rent an apartment so that she may live independently. 3. Kyra will enroll in Mohave Community College to get her basic requirements for an AA degree.” You should see that there is both a current assessment and meaningful goals related to that assessment.
Teachers, the only thing to look for here is the student’s goal. It gives you a sense of what the student is planning after high school– which can tell you what the student is into and whether college is in the picture or not.
When and how should I get help?
It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.
If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.
Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:
‘‘(vi) at the discretion of the parent or the agency,
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
What are the disclaimers?
This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only.
If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.
Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.
Mississippi IEP Guide: Extended School Year
What is extended school year (ESY)?
ESY is summer school for students with disabilities. Typically, programs will run on a half day schedule for one month over the summer– something like nine to noon, Monday to Thursday.
Qualifying for ESY is a team decision but the criteria should be whether the student will regress over summer without IEP services.
In general, the only students who qualify for this are students with more significant needs for whom a break without school can cause significant regression. This might be a child with Autism who without the routine of school over the summer will have a lot of challenges managing in the fall or a child with really, really significant learning challenges who will regress over the summer. Only a small fraction of students typically get ESY– although any parent can request it and see what happens.
ESY is taught by whoever the district can find and generally consists of activities like making ants on a log and recess with a lot of supported communication from a speech pathologist. So don’t expect it to be like a hard hitting summer school– it’s a routine of going to school made as fun as the staff can pull off.
Where in the IEP is ESY?
Sometimes there is an ESY box on the special factors page. If not, it can literally be anywhere in the IEP. To be annoying, most districts don’t spell out ESY and the page never states that it is extended school year. If you think your child needs it, hunt for it. If not, ignore it.
How does ESY vary across districts and states?
Extended school year is part of IDEA. That means that every single district in the United States is required to offer it. Some try to hide it and will never mention it and some will offer it readily– and some have programs so bad it is a waste of your child’s time. But all of them are legally required to have an ESY program. However, there is no rule about what ESY needs to look like, how many days per week it needs to meet, or how many hours per day. ESY has to exist under the law– but everything else from who goes to how long it is to what happens during it (other than the delivery of basic IEP services) can vary widely across districts and states.
What does the IDEA law say about ESY?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says that students with disabilities should be able to receive services beyond the school year if the student needs it as part of their free and appropriate education– and districts can’t put limits on who gets ESY by things like disability category.
What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.106:
300.106 Extended school year services.
(a) General.
(1) Each public agency must ensure that extended school year services are available as necessary to provide FAPE, consistent with paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
(2) Extended school year services must be provided only if a child’s IEP Team determines, on an individual basis, in accordance with §§300.320 through 300.324, that the services are necessary for the provision of FAPE to the child.
(3) In implementing the requirements of this section, a public agency may not—
(i) Limit extended school year services to particular categories of disability; or
(ii) Unilaterally limit the type, amount, or duration of those services.
(b) Definition. As used in this section, the term extended school year services means special education and related services that—
(1) Are provided to a child with a disability—
(i) Beyond the normal school year of the public agency;
(ii) In accordance with the child’s IEP; and
(iii) At no cost to the parents of the child; and
(2) Meet the standards of the SEA.
This IEP comes from the Mississippi Department of Education. See the full IEP here.
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INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
School Year: 2019–2020
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR (ESY)
☐ This student attends a twelve (12) month program.
Determination Date: 3/26/2020
Determination of ESY Decision:
All of the following criteria used in determining eligibility must be considered:
Regression–Recoupment: Refers to a student’s loss of a skill (in IEP objective/s) after at least two (2) breaks in instruction without regaining the documented level of skill(s) prior to the break within the specified period.
Critical Point of Instruction 1: Refers to the need to maintain a student’s critical skill to prevent a loss of general education class time or an increase in special education service time.
Critical Point of Instruction 2: Refers to a point in the acquisition or maintenance of a critical skill during which a lengthy break in instruction would lead to a significant loss of progress.
Extenuating Circumstances: Refers to special situations that jeopardize the student’s receipt of a FAPE unless ESY services are provided.
☑ The IEP Committee considered all criteria when determining the student’s eligibility for receiving ESY services.
☐ This student’s situation MEETS criteria for ESY Services based on: ___________
☐ This student’s situation MEETS criteria for ESY Services, but the parent/guardian does not accept the services.
☑ This student’s situation DOES NOT MEET the criteria for ESY Services.
Document the basis for the decision:
Did not meet any of the three criteria for ESY. There were no regression, critical point, or extenuating circumstances.
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
School Year: 2020–2021
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR (ESY)
☐ This student attends a twelve (12) month program.
Determination Date: 4/5/2021
Determination of ESY Decision:
All of the following criteria used in determining eligibility must be considered:
Regression–Recoupment
Critical Point of Instruction 1
Critical Point of Instruction 2
Extenuating Circumstances
☑ The IEP Committee considered all criteria when determining the student’s eligibility for receiving ESY services.
☐ This student’s situation MEETS criteria for ESY Services based on: ___________
☐ This student’s situation MEETS criteria for ESY Services, but the parent/guardian does not accept the services.
☑ This student’s situation DOES NOT MEET the criteria for ESY Services.
Measurable Annual Goals or Short-Term Instructional Objectives/Benchmarks (STIOBs)
(Tables for TA = Transition Activity, MOM = Method of Measurement, and Progress Report columns are present but not filled in.)
A Progress Report will be given to parents every ___ week(s):
Date(s) progress report given to parent:
(at the end of the student’s ESY services on ___)
Types of Service (Table Columns):
Education Services
Related Services*
Transportation
Other: _______________
(Table for # of Weeks, Duration/Frequency, Area, Location, Start Date, End Date is blank.)
*Any related services provided (except transportation) must have a corresponding measurable annual goal or STIOB/s.
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?
If the child qualifies for extended school year, there needs to be a box checked on the IEP and information entered about what goals will be worked on. If you want your child to get something out of ESY, prepare to be organized. ESY teachers are almost never the regular school year case managers and ESY programs are infamously disorganized. You will want a copy of your child’s IEP and, if possible, a binder of stuff for them to work on that you can hand deliver to the ESY teacher. For real. Sometimes it takes all of ESY for the teacher to get access to the IEP. I subbed a month once and never got IEPs. I used to hand deliver all of my students’ IEPs to their ESY teachers along with every piece of work I wanted them to do over the summer– and they prayed they would do at least a fraction of it.
Note that it is up to the team if a student will qualify. The criteria is supposed to be whether a student will regress but a lot of students who regress academically over the summer will not be offered ESY– districts tend to focus on students with significant communication or social needs. If you want your student to have ESY, push for it! But you also need to know that you aren’t getting credit recovery summer school or services with your child’s case manager– you are most likely getting something much more laid back!
When and how should I get help?
It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.
If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.
Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:
‘‘(vi) at the discretion of the parent or the agency,
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
What are the disclaimers?
This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only.
If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.
Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.
