Advocacy Pointers during the COVID-19 School Closure
Yesterday was hard. Yesterday, I was struggling. Most important? My youngest is struggling. After having what felt like my 65th “I cannot believe this is school, how long can we do this, my child needs help, I am not a certified reading/writing instructor_____ (insert your area of extreme turmoil)” mini-breakdown, I sat down, collected my thoughts, and flipped the scenario in my head of how I would advise a client who was having this kind of day. My advice (and this is evolving/changing daily, much like the current guidance (advocate humor) 🤗):
Baseline/ DATA:
This should be a combination from your current Progress Report (sent right before this crisis), data from the day of closure, and then at the end of this crisis. If you have questions regarding progress reports, refer to Slide 38 of the Zoom Presentation to the Special Education Directors (http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/2020-0403sped-directors.pptx “where the term ended during the period of closure and the school or district issues report cards, they should also issue Progress Reports, and where the new term begins during the time of closure, issue end of year Progress Reports based on progress through remote learning.” So, be on the lookout or ask about your Progress report. Also to note, the guidance says to “continue to address IEP goals given the current circumstances” ie, your team must be addressing your child’s goals!).
You MUST take baseline data / daily data yourself. You cannot rely upon the fact that you will sit down at the IEP table at the end of this experience and the teachers will have all the answers. You are living this 24/7. Is this tiring, lengthy, complicated, confusing and all of the words you can think? YES. But the most important word: NECESSARY. This documentation can be/should be in many forms: written journal, take videos on your phone, pictures of work, online work submitted to google classroom (periodically save in a separate folder on your computer FYI), AR quizzes, PDF’s of handouts, Spelling, Math, etc, you name it. Document everything and anything that is causing problems, struggles, confusion, or what your child simply cannot do. Align these problems with your IEP goals and objectives. Do they match? Each day, I print a daily schedule from my Distance Learning Plan. I created a notes section on the back where I write any and all thoughts on today’s work and my child’s ability to do the work, reaction/s to the work, and any pro/con. If you are truly struggling with data collection, here is an Advocacy tip: Request Parent Training in the A: grid! You need help how to collect data and school must provide this help if you need it!
Services: Is your child receiving ANY direct services. Or, did you only receive a Distance/Remote Learning Plan with a few resources and supports? Are you receiving 1:1 services? Are your goals addressed on the Distance Plan? Are you receiving any small group of social help? How much direct instruction? How much communication are you receiving from the District? You need to be thinking: what would be meaningful to your child right now and what would make the biggest difference? Try to think broadly about your child’s education right now and communicate that to your school. Make suggestions that would be most helpful to you and your child. If your child is not receiving services, ask how they will start/when will they start to provide your child with the necessary services while school is closed? What are the plans for the more robust services that are feasible right now? Document and tell them your concerns. After these extended school closures are over, each students’ IEP Team must and will determine how the closure impacted the delivery of special education services and whether additional “compensatory” services are required. So, be flexible, but document!
Documentation:
Document Everything - Keep a journal of everything you do. Did you request services? Did you hear back from the District? When did you hear? How often? What is working? What is NOT working? Document that you are working and cannot provide instruction. Document your child’s social/behavior/ attentional needs (he won’t sit still, he doesn’t listen, he cannot understand the directions, he cannot use a computer, he is dysregulated __ x/day).
Reserve and protect your rights as a parent: We do not have an expectation that all learning is the same right now. Remote services are not a replacement for the classroom. You can respond to your District via email and inform them that this Remote plan does not change your child’s current IEP, and it does not change that you will reserve your right to request compensatory services at a later time. This can be simple: My child’s IEP services are ____ however, we are currently receiving ____. I do not feel this is appropriate in light of his/her circumstances (____ expand if needed), and I am not waiving any rights to the services that my child was receiving nor am I waiving any rights to compensatory services that may be available to my child at a later date.
Email Folders: If you are like me, you are receiving MANY emails from the school. At this point, you should be receiving regular communication from your school and all of your providers. Create a special folder and place all communication from your school in that email folder so you have quick access and organization for your data collection.
Blanket Statements: No one, despite this state-wide closure, should forget the I in IEP. As a parent and advocate, I understand that my child’s IEP service delivery grid as written may not be followed during this closure. And while this is the case, the District must remember that while this is a difficult time for all, an IEP must be individualized for your child. Blanket statements from Districts stating “we are only providing X” does not take into account your child’s individual and unique needs. Collaborate and work with your District and suggest ideas based on these needs. Remote services and supports provided by Distance Learning plans must be individualized for your child based on individual goals in order to provide him or her with FAPE. And, while FAPE may look slightly different at this time, your child’s goals are still the same! Your IEP has not changed! Services, progress, and data will be (and should be!) collected during this time. When the Team reconvenes once school buildings reopen, your Team will review all the data and determine how best to recoup any regression and/or lack of progress.