Mar 13, 2014
Parents, advocates, and educators frequently ask how much detail is required when writing a service on an IEP. Here's a case that helps answer that question. In Minneapolis Special School Dis. #001, 62 IDELR 276 (SEA MN 2013), the Minnesota State Education Agency (SEA) found that AT services on a student's IEP were too vague to be implemented. The student's IEP stated that he needed assistive technology for his written work but only indicated that "a tape recorder is an option that could be tried" and that "a portable word processor with predictive language software, can be available to him." After the student refused to use the the school's portable word processor, the parents filed a due process complaint.
The Hearing Officer ruled for the parents, explaining that the school staff responsible for implementing the IEP must be informed of their specific responsibilities and must be informed of the specific accommodations the student needs. Here, the district failed to identify what particular assistive technology the student needed and how to incorporate the technology into the student's curriculum. The IEP provision was so vague it "left the implementation of the adaptations open to the subjective interpretation of the student's teachers and the parties." Additionally, the IEP failed to describe and explain to the school staff their specific responsibilities and duties regarding the student's modified curriculum and required accommodations. This violated the IDEA. The school district was ordered to provide compensatory services for the student and to train its staff in how to properly develop and implement future IEPs.
