Day 1
THE PROCESS - This segment of the training covers potential liability issues and liability-prevention strategies related to the meeting itself. Attorney Gilsbach addresses both practical issues and technical requirements in her in-depth discussion of the meeting set-up; meeting participants; leveling the linguistic playing field for parents at IEP team meetings; seeking (and getting!) great parent input; documenting the meeting and discussions; and following up afterwards.
PLACEMENT DETERMINATIONS AND LRE- In this segment, Attorney Gilsbach discusses recent caselaw regarding placement determinations and LRE decisions and provides helpful tips regarding how to handle tough placement situations and issues.
TRANSITION PLANNING - Whether planning for post-secondary school, employment opportunities, or independent living, transition planning is a key element of legally-defensible IEP-writing, and transition goals need to be both specific and measurable. This segment helps participants understand what makes a legally-defensible transition goal and assists in helping teams develop individually-appropriate transition plans for all IDEA-eligible students.
PRESENT LEVELS (AND WHY ITS SO IMPORTANT TO DRAFT THEM WELL!!)- Present levels of educational performance are the key to so many legal-defensibility issues, but they are so often neglected, cut-and-paste regurgitations of evaluation reports and old IEPs. In this segment, participants will understand the importance learn the simple-but-essential art of making this section of the IEP really stand out with practical, useful information!
Day 2
LEGALLY-DEFENSIBLE GOAL-WRITING- Using the same concepts as in her popular "IEP Goal-Writing Workshop," Atty. Gilsbach focuses upon what legal fact-finders look at when evaluating the effectiveness or appropriateness of an IEP goal in this interactive, hands-on session. She teaches a unique (and fun!) color-coded, formulaic approach to goal-writing that will help special educators feel more confident that the IEP goals that they draft contain all of the necessary elements to be effective and legally-defensible. This practical session is designed to teach participants how to master the art and science of writing goals that pass muster with the courts. Atty. Gilsbach also emphasizes how special education administrators can use this highly-effective tool with their teams to quickly improve goal-writing skills district-wide. This segment is accompanied by a hands-on practice session.
SPECIALLY-DESIGNED INSTRUCTION (SDI), MODIFICATIONS, AND ACCOMMODATIONS - Ever stop to really look at what's being included as SDI and accommodations /modifications? Too many times, this section is full of cookie-cutter accommodations, many of which are rolled over from year-to-year with little thought or individualization. In this segment, Atty. Gilsbach identifies significant legal defensibility issues, highlights problems with some of the most commonly identified accommodations, and teaches participants how to create SDI, modifications, and accommodations that REALLY work.