The Individual Education Plan (IEP) - A Resource Guide, 2004

consider incorporating a number of strategies, such as group instruction,
peer coaching, and buddy systems, that can help the student participate in
many classroom activities. When other students are working on individual
tasks that are not part of the student’s IEP, the classroom teacher needs to
capitalize on that opportunity to provide the student with direct instruction
and/or individualized tasks or assignments designed to help him or her master
the knowledge and skills outlined in the IEP. Classroom teachers are
encouraged to promote independence in students by structuring the location
and procedures relating to the individualized tasks and assignments in such
a way that students can practise skills and prepare performance tasks with a
minimum of teacher assistance. Planning for direct instruction is essential
and should focus on helping the student acquire the knowledge and skills
recorded in the IEP before he or she attempts to move on to additional
learning.
Support personnel
Many alternative programs – for example, in social skills, anger management,
personal care, and orientation/mobility training – require the involvement of
support personnel. Support personnel may include teacher’s assistants, who
provide support to classroom teachers by assisting students with learning
activities and providing appropriate accommodations as described in the
IEP. Planning and providing individual timetables and location scheduling
for teacher’s assistants and other support staff is a necessary part of the
implementation process.
Continuously Assess the Student’s Progress
As with all students, assessment for students with an IEP should be ongoing
and continuous. Assessment provides information that allows teachers to
adjust daily instruction to maintain optimal learning conditions for the student.
As noted above, it is essential to monitor the effectiveness of instructional
strategies and accommodations. The use of multiple assessment
strategies, including direct observation, portfolios, journals, rubrics, tests,
projects, and self- and peer assessment, will provide the best understanding
of the student’s learning. Students should be encouraged to become responsible
partners in their own learning. To the extent possible, they should be
aware of the annual program goals, learning expectations, and accommodations
recorded in their IEP in order to assist the teacher in the assessment
process. Students can help identify their own readiness for assessment tasks
and can assist with the scheduling of assessments that do not fit easily into
regular class time.
Phase 4: Implement the IEP
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