DESE Special Education & IEP Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under IDEA, what is the maximum number of days a school can suspend a student with a disability before a manifestation determination review must occur?
- 5 consecutive days
- 10 cumulative days (Correct answer)
- 15 school days
- 20 school days
Correct answer: 10 cumulative days
IDEA requires a manifestation determination review when a student with a disability is removed for more than 10 cumulative school days in a year.
Question 2: Which IEP component specifically describes how a student's disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum?
- Annual goals section
- Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) (Correct answer)
- Transition services plan
- Supplementary aids and services
Correct answer: Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
The PLAAFP statement must describe how the student's disability impacts their participation in the general curriculum.
Question 3: A student who is deaf requests a sign language interpreter for an IEP meeting. Under IDEA, the school must:
- Provide the interpreter only if parents cannot afford one
- Deny the request if a special education teacher is present
- Provide the interpreter to ensure the parent can participate meaningfully (Correct answer)
- Schedule a separate meeting with an interpreter at a later date
Correct answer: Provide the interpreter to ensure the parent can participate meaningfully
Schools must take steps to ensure that parents understand IEP proceedings, including providing interpreters when necessary.
Question 4: What does the term 'least restrictive environment' (LRE) primarily require schools to do?
- Place all students with disabilities in general education classrooms regardless of need
- Educate students with disabilities alongside non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate (Correct answer)
- Provide one-on-one instruction to every student with an IEP
- Separate students with severe disabilities into specialized schools
Correct answer: Educate students with disabilities alongside non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate
LRE requires schools to educate students with disabilities with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with supports.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'related service' under IDEA?
- Core academic instruction provided by a special education teacher
- Developmental or corrective support needed to help a student benefit from special education (Correct answer)
- Any extracurricular activity offered to general education students
- A behavior intervention plan developed by a school psychologist
Correct answer: Developmental or corrective support needed to help a student benefit from special education
Related services are developmental, corrective, or supportive services required to help a child with a disability benefit from special education.
Question 6: When must an IEP team consider assistive technology devices and services?
- Only when the student's disability is physical or sensory
- Only after all other supports have been tried and failed
- For every student with a disability as part of IEP development (Correct answer)
- Only when requested in writing by the parent
Correct answer: For every student with a disability as part of IEP development
IDEA requires IEP teams to consider whether a student needs assistive technology devices and services as a routine part of IEP development.
Question 7: A parent disagrees with the school's evaluation results and requests an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). The school's appropriate response is to:
- Immediately grant the IEE at public expense without question
- Either provide the IEE at public expense or initiate a due process hearing to defend its evaluation (Correct answer)
- Deny the request if the school's evaluation was conducted within the past year
- Require the parent to first attempt mediation before considering an IEE
Correct answer: Either provide the IEE at public expense or initiate a due process hearing to defend its evaluation
When a parent requests an IEE, the school must either fund it or file for due process to show its own evaluation was appropriate.
DESE Special Education & IEP Development 2
Under IDEA, what is the maximum number of days a school can suspend a student with a disability before a manifestation determination review must occur?