Let’s Acknowledge Why You’re Here:If you’re feeling overwhelmed, unheard, confused, or flat-out exhausted with the IEP process… you’re not alone. Every parent here has had that moment of thinking, “Why is this so complicated?” or “I just want my child to get the support they deserve.”And you belong here because of that. Here’s the Vision We’re Creating Together:This community is your safe space, your learning space, and your power-building space.Inside these walls, you’ll learn how to: - Understand the IEP process without the jargon - Advocate confidently—without fear or second-guessing - Get clearer on your child’s needs and how to request support - Build a team of parents who “get it” and walk this journey with you - Celebrate the wins—big and small—because you deserve them You’re stepping into a community where parents become empowered, informed, and equipped.Where your child’s success isn’t a distant dream—it’s the next step. The Bridge: Here’s How We Move Forward:Start by introducing yourself, share your biggest goal for your child, and dive into the trainings.This space was built to give you the tools, the guidance, and the confidence to advocate like a pro.Stay engaged, ask questions, lean on the group, and watch how quickly things start to change. Welcome home. Your child has you.And now you have us. 💛

Step 1: Ignore the story. Find the numbers. When you read any IEP page, your job is to circle anything that’s a: - % (accuracy) - #/out of # (correct out of total) - Frequency (times per day/week) - Duration (minutes) - Rate (words per minute)If you don’t see numbers, it’s not data. It’s opinion. Step 2: Find the baseline (the starting score) Look for “Present Levels / PLAAFP” or “Current performance.”Baseline should sound like: - “Reads 32 WPM with 70% accuracy” - “Completes 2/5 steps independently” - “On-task 4 minutes with prompts” 🚩 Red flag: “struggles,” “needs support,” “is behind,” “has difficulty” with no numbers. Step 3: Find the goal and make sure it matches the baseline Go to the goals page and check: - Is the goal about the same skill as the baseline?Example: - Baseline: 70% accuracy → Goal: 80% accuracy ✅ - Baseline: behavior data → Goal: reading fluency ❌ (not aligned) If the goal doesn’t match the baseline, they’re guessing. Step 4: Do the “measurable goal” test (4 questions) A legal, trackable goal answers: 1. What exactly will they do? 2. How well? (percent/score) 3. How often? (3 trials, 3 consecutive data points, weekly checks) 4. How measured? (work samples, probe, rubric, chart) If any one is missing, it’s a weak goal. Step 5: Find how progress is being measured (the method) Look for words like: - “weekly data collection” - “teacher-made probes” - “curriculum-based measures” - “work samples” - “observation with frequency count” 🚩 Red flag: “progress will be monitored” with no “how.” Step 6: Check the progress reports for the trend (up, flat, down) Ask: over the last 6–9 weeks, is it: - Up = progress - Flat = not working - Down = urgent problem If it’s flat/down, the team should be changing something: - more minutes - smaller group - different method/materials - added supports No change + flat data = they’re coasting. Step 7: Check services (minutes, group size, location)

First: What “IEP data” really is (in plain English) IEP data is proof.It shows: - Where your child started - What support they’re getting - Whether those supports are actually working If there’s no data, the IEP is just words. The 5 types of IEP data you’ll see (and how to read each) 1️⃣ Baseline Data (Starting Point) This answers: “Where is my child right now?” What it looks like: - “Currently reads 25 words per minute with 60% accuracy” - “Completes 2 out of 5 steps independently” 🚩 Red flag: - Baseline is vague: “Struggles with reading” - No numbers, no percentages, no frequency 👉 If there’s no clear baseline, progress cannot be measured. 2️⃣ Progress Monitoring Data (The Receipts) This shows if your child is improving over time. What it looks like: - Weekly or biweekly data points - Charts, graphs, percentages, tallies Example: - September: 40% accuracy - October: 45% - November: 42% 🚩 Red flag: - Flat or declining data with no change in services - “Progress discussed verbally” (that’s not data) 👉 Flat data = the IEP is not working. 3️⃣ Goal Data (Is the goal measurable?) Every goal must answer: - How often? - How well? - Under what conditions? - How progress is measured? Strong goal example: “By June 2025, given a grade-level passage, the student will answer inferential questions with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive data points.” Weak goal example: “Student will improve reading comprehension.” 🚩 Red flag: - No percentages - No method of measurement - No timeline 👉 If you can’t measure it, they can’t be held accountable. 4️⃣ Service Data (Minutes vs. Impact) This shows what support your child is actually receiving. Look for: - Minutes per week - Group size - Location (general ed, pull-out, push-in) Example: - Speech: 30 minutes/week, group of 3 🚩 Red flag: - Services listed but no data tied to progress - “Consult only” with no documentation

An IEP team is a group of people—including parents, teachers, and school staff—who collaborate to create, review, and update a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), a legal document detailing special education services to meet their unique needs and help them progress in general education.

Special education provides specially designed instruction at no cost to parents, tailored to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities (from birth to 22) to help them access the general curriculum and succeed in school, governed by federal law like IDEA, often through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). It involves adapting content, methods, or delivery, plus therapies (speech, physical), accommodations (like extra time), and assistive tech, ensuring equitable access to learning.