The IEP writing process is challenging enough, but when you do not use your secret weapon to help you, it can be even more difficult.
What secret weapon, you ask? Your para.
Working with paraprofessionals is arguably one of the most challenging aspects of the job of a special education teacher. Managing other adults – who may be older than and have more experience than you – is not for the weak. It is an area of the job that is notoriously not covered in teacher preparation programs, and often creates difficult dynamics and unique challenges within each classroom.
But there’s one commonality we all can agree on – paraprofessionals are our right and left hand. They are the backbone to special education. Paras play an important role in the child’s education and have great insight into what the student is doing and capable of achieving. They support us, they support students, they encourage the inclusion process, they work on toileting, they clean up messes, they prep materials, they collect data, they differentiate on the fly. Whether we know exactly how to work with our classroom paraprofessionals or not, they are completely vital to the classroom and to student and teacher success.
By including them in the IEP writing process, you have the opportunity to create a comprehensive IEP with help and support.
While each teacher and each school has their own IEP process, there is often a general lack of inclusion when it comes to involving the paras who work directly with the students in that process.
Why is that? In some districts, they are strict about who is in attendance at the IEP meeting and paras are not on that list. In other districts, IEP meetings are held during non-student hours which paras do not get paid for, and thus, they are not invited so they don’t have to attend without pay.
And in some cases, the school considers it a liability for paras to attend either because they are concerned about what paras might say or because they would not be in compliance if the para was out of the classroom at the same time the teacher was.
But there are some great reasons to include them in the IEP process:
If you have decided to start including paras in the IEP writing process, what does that look like?
Participation in the IEP process can take many forms. Here are some of the ways that your para might be included in the process to better help you and the student.
While we ask families for input on student goals, benchmarks, inclusion minutes, accommodations, and more, we can also be asking for input from paraprofessionals. It’s common that paraprofessionals are some of the key implementers of an IEP, so they should have a role in creating it!
Meeting with paraprofessionals prior to drafting the goals to ask them their input on each goal area can be very empowering. Not only will you get input from a key team member, but including them on this process will help foster the team dynamic that we all hope to foster in our classrooms.
Grab our paraprofessional input form for free here.
If your district allows it, invite your para to the IEP Meeting. It is common that when teachers leave the classroom to attend IEP meetings during the school day, the paraprofessionals in self contained classrooms hang behind and “hold down the fort”. The paraprofessionals in co-taught settings support while the teacher’s gone, in resource settings they take the teacher’s group to avoid changing the schedule too much. Again, they are VITAL to making the special education magic happen.
But what about ALL the information they have about the unique children we serve? What about all the data they collected all school year? What about the goal programs they ran and the behavior plan they diligently implemented? Don’t they have some input to share?
While it may not be possible for paraprofessionals to attend the IEP meeting, it is important to remember that the meeting is only one small portion of the IEP process. There is plenty of time for paraprofessionals to assist in crafting a well rounded and meaningful IEP that encompasses ALL that the student can be working towards across the upcoming year.
There are a lot of things you can do to build rapport with your paraprofessionals, but nothing builds up their resume like actual training.
Here’s a free training from our YouTube channel on how to train paras up or out:
Having paras as part of the IEP writing process brings it all full circle when it comes time to implement the new IEP. Explaining the IEP and how to implement it will take less time and explanation if they were a part of the writing process.
What does this look like? When the IEP is finalized, set a time to review the IEP with the paraprofessionals who work alongside that student. Allowing them to see the goals, benchmarks, and any big changes to their accommodations, modifications, behavior plans (etc) can help to keep everyone in the loop, as well as really communicate the importance of the IEP. Create a “cheat sheet” for each paraprofessional so they can have the important information at their fingertips as needed.
Providing your paras with a Para Binder – one place to keep all important classroom information that’s just for them – is a great way to include paras in the process and help them stay organized.
And don’t forget about SDI – that’s the whole reason for IEPs. Paras can help assist in the deliverance of SDI as well, under your supervision. Learn more in this blog post.
When the team is on the same page, communication is smoother, questions can be asked, and a healthy dynamic starts to form. While it would be amazing to have paraprofessionals present in IEP meetings, this isn’t always possible. Keeping paraprofessionals involved and included across the IEP process makes their voices heard, even if they can’t be physically around the table.
Inviting paras to the IEP meeting and giving their input on the IEP writing process has many benefits and can make writing the IEP a lot easier. However, more important is to make sure that your para knows that she is part of the team and that her contributions to the student’s education are powerful and valued.
IEP writing shouldn’t feel like guesswork! Inside The Intentional IEP, you’ll get access to the expert-led trainings you should have learned in college—covering everything from data collection to goal writing and implementation. Pair that with 10,000+ pre-written, standards-aligned goals and time-saving resources, and you’ll finally have the clarity and confidence you need to write strong, effective IEPs. Join today and start learning what they didn’t teach you in school!
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