IEP Development: A Collaborative Approach for High School

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High school students are experiencing some of the most personally and academically challenging times of their lives. They often face high workloads and demanding extracurricular activities, emotional and developmental complications, and transitional realities as they move through secondary education.

Disabilities amplify all of these challenges, and crafting an IEP that supports a student’s academic success requires a collaborative effort from a team of educators, specialists, and family members. Getting it right takes strong communication skills and a thorough understanding of everyone’s role. Online courses, like the Art of Writing Quality IEPs: Best Practices for Educators, give teachers and administrators the skills they need to engage with valuable colleagues and resources to create effective IEPs for high school students, and there’s always more to learn.

Here are some of the top strategies high school educators can leverage to foster collaborative relationships during the IEP process.

Build a Diverse Team

The foundation of IEP development is building a team that provides a well-rounded assessment of a student’s needs and abilities. Educators will need to contact experts and individuals who can assist with planning, implementation, assessment, and achievement of academic goals.

These should include (as appropriate):

• Educational experts
• Therapists
• Healthcare workers
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Parents

Additionally, it’s worth considering factors like a student’s culture, social background, ethnicity, and historical trauma to foster supportive empathy from each member of the collaborative team.

Establish Shared Accountability

IEPs lay out expectations and legal obligations that teachers and administrators must meet, but success rarely depends on a single person. High school students are complicated, and everyone involved in the IEP development process will need to understand their role and how it contributes to success.

Shared accountability means that all members of the team are responsible for contributing to the development and implementation of the plan to the best of their ability while concurrently assuring IEP effectiveness in addressing the student’s needs.

Critically, shared accountability also extends to the student. High schoolers are managing increasing personal responsibility, and the success of an IEP begins with them. If they have a thorough understanding of expectations and the resources available to support them, they’ll be in the best position possible for success.

Prioritize Communication and Mentorship

High school students are nearly adults, and they are often balancing complex emotional experiences. They are also undergoing profound hormonal shifts that introduce new dimensions to their personal lives, exploring increased personal autonomy, and charting future career paths.

All of these factors make good communication essential during IEP development for high schoolers. Students will have a greater voice in the creation of goals and expectations, and education professionals will need to listen empathetically and respond realistically.

Mentorships can also be extremely valuable for students with disabilities, and IEPs should account for the level of community support a high schooler might expect to have. Connecting them with other people with similar disabilities can help students understand the path they’re on and encourage communication with educators about their personal obstacles.

Leverage Technology

New technology can provide students with disabilities more opportunities to engage in classroom activities than ever before, and there are many ways it can support high school students with IEPs. Apps, school portals, and disability-specific hardware and software make it easier than ever to track progress, communicate, and create inclusive classroom activities that support a least restrictive environment (LRE).

Educators can be proactive by reaching out to families, specialists, and experts in relevant industries to find out how technology may be useful in supporting a student with a disability. Also, high school students are extremely comfortable with digital technology, and using familiar tech and software can help with buy-in and engagement.

Transition Planning

A unique aspect of high school IEP development is the legal requirement to include transition statements. These occur at particular points during the student’s academic career:

• 14 years old: IEPs must include a transition statement that articulates a student’s interests, preferences, and course of study.
• 16 years old: IEPs must include a statement of post-secondary goals, services related to transition, and a statement about the transition of the student’s rights when they reach the age of majority.

As students near graduation, education professionals should include career counselors, therapists, and current employers as necessary in the IEP development process. Discussions may involve college education, vocational training, and independent living requirements after they graduate.

These are heavy conversations, and a diverse IEP team with experience in these areas can help students set realistic and practical goals that align with their needs.

IEP Development with a Collaborative Approach

IEP development for high schoolers truly shines when using a collaborative approach, drawing on the skill and expertise of a diverse team to give students a successful path to adulthood. Every student’s needs are unique, and as they gain autonomy and independence, everyone involved in the IEP process can support them by communicating clearly and working together.

Premiere is committed to helping educators forge meaningful connections with their colleagues and students during the IEP development process. Online courses, like the Art of Writing Quality IEPs: Best Practices for Educators, help teachers and administrators understand the practical details of IEP creation and how various professionals and family members can contribute to successful outcomes.

All of Premiere’s award-winning courses are developed by industry experts and make meeting your professional obligations and developing your career as easy as finding a screen.