Eligibility IEP Meeting

An eligibility meeting starts before the parents arrive. The Special Education Case Manager must get all the
documents together and discuss her findings with the Supervisor of Special Education for Case Management &
Compliance, the School Psychologist, and a General Education Teacher. This is to ensure that everyone is on the
same page during the meeting. I think this is a very good idea because even though these people collaborate, they
do not work together on a daily basis and each child is different.
Once the parent arrives, the Special Education Case Manager will have everyone introduce themselves.
This makes the parents feel more welcome and aware of who is at the meeting and why. Any legal documents
needed to be given to the parents are done so at this time as well. After that, the Special Education Case Manager
explains that the Educational Assessment will be shared with everyone. This process is very long and every person
on the team provides input. First, the Special Education Case Manager shares the students results from the
Woodcock Johnson III Test of Achievement. This test is an evaluation of the childs ability to read, write and complete
mathematics. Second, the General Education Teacher provides insight as to how the child does in class. This
consists of behaviors and academic ability. Next, the School Psychologist addresses the findings from their
evaluation. This is very detailed and consists of many components. The School Psychologist covers the childs
background, including birth, medical history, and past school experiences. School Psychologist also observes the
child while conducting a series of test to evaluate the childs cognitive and social emotional functioning. These
findings are summarized and is the conclusion of the School Psychologists report. Last, the parents are asked to
provide input as to how the child is at home.
After everyone has been given a chance to share, the team has a discussion and makes a decision. The
Supervisor of Special Education for Case Management & Compliance facilitates this discussion to ensure that the
best decision is made for the child. This individual also takes minutes during the meeting. Once a decision is made
for the child, which in this case was to develop an IEP under emotional disability, the Special Education Case
Manager asks the parents if they have any questions. I think this is a very overwhelming time for parents because
they dont know what to expect since this is the first time they are aware of the services available through special
education. The Special Education Case Manager picks up on this and follows up with a review of that is to come next
for the parents. The Special Education Case Manager keeps it simple explaining that a summary of what happened
today will be mailed home and within the next thirty days another meeting will be held to develop the childs IEP.