How to Read an IEP: Oregon
Understanding Extended School Year & Transition Services and Planning
Oregon 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 Oregon Department of Education. See the full IEP here.
Student invited: ☑ Yes ☐ No
If Appropriate, and agreed upon, agencies invited: ☑ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Describe how the student participated in the process: ☑ Present At Meeting ☑ Interview Prior ☑ Interest Inventories ☐ Questionnaire
Age-appropriate transition assessments/instruments were used: ☑ Yes ☐ No
Describe the results of the assessments:
Interest inventory suggests work as a mechanic would be a good fit for Julio.
Student’s Post Secondary Goal Training or Education (Required):
Upon completion of school I will Go to Santa Rosa Junior College
Linked to Annual Goal # 2
Person/Agency Responsible: Education Specialist
Transition Service Code as Appropriate:
820 College awareness
Activities to Support Post Secondary Goal:
Julio will research Junior College registration requirements and put that in his Transition Portfolio.
Community Experiences as Appropriate:
Julio will visit SRJC and its Disability Resource Center
Related Services as Appropriate:
Student’s Post Secondary Goal Employment (Required):
Upon completion of school I will Get a job as an airplane mechanic.
Linked to Annual Goal # 2
Person/Agency Responsible: Education Specialist
Transition Service Code as Appropriate:
840 Career awareness
Activities to Support Post Secondary Goal:
Research certifications needed to be an airplane mechanic and put that in his Transition Portfolio.
Community Experiences as Appropriate:
Interview an airplane mechanic to ask about requirements.
Related Services as Appropriate:
Student’s Post Secondary Goal Independent Living (As appropriate):
Upon completion of school I will
Linked to Annual Goal #
Person/Agency Responsible:
Transition Service Code as Appropriate:
Activities to Support Post Secondary Goal:
Community Experiences as Appropriate:
Related Services as Appropriate:
ANNUAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Student Name: Lopez, Julio
Birthdate: 9/25/2002
IEP Date: 3/22/2019
Area of Need: College and Career Awareness
Baseline: Julio has completed an interest survey, but needs to update it. He has not researched education and training requirements to reach the selected career.
Measurable Annual Goal #: 2
Goal: By 3/21/2020, the student will complete interest surveys and career assessments to identify careers of interest and related educational/training requirements as measured by contents of Transition Portfolio.
☐ Enables student to be involved/progress in general curriculum/state standard
☐ Addresses other educational needs resulting from the disability
☐ Linguistically appropriate
☑ Transition Goal: ☑ Education/Training ☑ Employment ☐ Independent Living
Person(s) Responsible: Education Specialist
COURSE OF STUDY
| Best Practice Examples | Supporting Guidance |
|---|---|
| Example: PSG indicates student will be attending local community college to prepare for a career as a mechanic. | – Multiyear description of areas of study students will participate in to make progress towards PSGs – This is NOT a description of graduation requirements – Areas of study must directly relate to PSGs – This is defined as a “Projected Course of Study,” and may change as students move through grades, different opportunities become available, or PSGs change – When student PSG indicates enrollment in a program requiring a high school diploma, course of study may include specific coursework required for attainment of the diploma; this should not be a general statement of |
Office of Learning / Student Services
| 9th Grade | 11th Grade |
| Food shop | Advanced Woods |
| Weight Training | Geometry |
| English | Personnel Health |
| Algebra | |
| 10th Grade | |
| Employability Training | Transition Program |
| Consumer Math | Cashier/Money Skills |
| Writing in the Workplace | Community Center Cooking Class |
AGENCY PARTICIPATION
| Best Practice Examples | Supporting Guidance |
|---|---|
| “VR will likely be providing services after graduation, but parent/adult student refused consent for attendance to IEP meeting at this time…” | – Written consent for agency participation in the IEP meeting is required from the parent or adult student prior to inviting an agency representative – If parent or adult student refuses consent to invite an agency representative, document the refusal in this section – Examples of agencies include Vocational Rehabilitation, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services, Brokerages, and others – Agency representation does not include school district staff, such as YTP Specialists, Transition Specialists, or Transition Network Facilitators – Not every student will require agency participation – If agency participation is not required, document this decision by the team in this section – If representative was invited but did not attend, and information was provided to the team regarding services, document the information in this section – Examples of agencies: Vocational Rehabilitation, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services, Brokerage Services |
DIPLOMA OPTIONS AND TRANSFER OF RIGHTS
Supporting Guidance
IEP teams determine if diploma type is regular, modified, extended, or if the student will work towards a certificate of completion
If a district has other advanced diploma options or diploma seals, these are advanced regular diplomas, and regular diploma should be selected
Modified diplomas require parental or adult student written consent within the year the diploma will be awarded; however, the IEP itself does not serve to meet this requirement
Diploma conversations should begin by 5th grade for students taking extended assessments, but may occur for any student at any time; documentation may be found in the present levels or transition pages
A diploma decision must be made no later than two years before the anticipated graduation date
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.
Oregon 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 Oregon Department of Education. See the full IEP here.
Image text
Extended School Year Services (ESY)
☑ Current data shows NO regression and/or recoupment of skills.
☐ Current data shows regression and/or recoupment of skills.
☐ Will be determined by April 15th.
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.
