CSPD Training Project
Module One: The Massachusetts IEP Process

Introduction — Overview: The IEP as a Tool

The goal of this unit is to emphasize the concept that:

• School is for All Students;
• School is made up of the General Curriculum (Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and Other Curriculum Areas), and Life of the School; and
• The IEP is the tool that helps students with disability(ies) Access School.

This important concept was highlighted in the 2003 Special Education Spring Conference breakout sessions addressing Measurable Annual Goals and Objectives/Benchmarks. This concept helps to set the stage to better understand the function of the IEP. Included in the PowerPoint presentation is an image that illustrates how the IEP is a tool that will help students with disability(ies) access, participate, and progress in SCHOOL.

This unit should be presented in the following order:

1. Overview: The IEP as a Tool PowerPoint Presentation presents the above concept. You may provide each participant with a full size picture of the Access to the General Curriculum and Life of the School slide. We found it to be an excellent teaching tool.

2. The Barriers and Support Activity was developed in order to give participants (in small groups) an opportunity to first explore the barriers students encounter as they try to access, participate and progress in School and why. The second part of this activity is to look for supports that could or do exist that help a student with a disability to access, participate and make progress in the general curriculum and in the life of the school.

Last Updated: July 30, 2014