SSW Special Education & IEP Process 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A parent who speaks only Spanish requests an IEP meeting. Under IDEA, the district must:
- Conduct the meeting in English and provide a written summary in Spanish afterward
- Provide an interpreter at no cost to the parent and ensure documents are translated (Correct answer)
- Ask the parent to bring their own interpreter as a courtesy
- Reschedule the meeting until a bilingual staff member is available on their own timeline
Correct answer: Provide an interpreter at no cost to the parent and ensure documents are translated
IDEA requires districts to take steps to ensure parents can participate meaningfully in IEP meetings, including providing a qualified interpreter and translating key documents into the parent's native language.
Question 2: Which of the following is TRUE regarding the IEP team's composition under IDEA?
- The student must always attend the IEP meeting regardless of age
- The general education teacher is required only if the student participates in general education (Correct answer)
- A representative of the local education agency is optional
- Related service providers must always be present at every IEP meeting
Correct answer: The general education teacher is required only if the student participates in general education
IDEA requires that at least one general education teacher be part of the IEP team if the student is, or may be, participating in the general education environment.
Question 3: A school social worker notices that a student's IEP goals have not been updated in over three years. This situation most likely indicates a violation of:
- The Child Find mandate
- IDEA's requirement for annual IEP reviews (Correct answer)
- The student's Section 504 plan
- The district's triennial re-evaluation schedule
Correct answer: IDEA's requirement for annual IEP reviews
IDEA requires that the IEP be reviewed at least annually to assess progress toward goals and update them based on current needs and performance.
Question 4: An IEP team is discussing whether a student's behavior impedes the learning of the student or other students. Under IDEA, the team is required to:
- Immediately refer the student for a psychiatric evaluation
- Consider the use of positive behavioral interventions, supports, and strategies (Correct answer)
- Suspend the student pending a manifestation determination
- Classify the student under the Emotional Disturbance category
Correct answer: Consider the use of positive behavioral interventions, supports, and strategies
IDEA explicitly requires the IEP team to consider the use of positive behavioral interventions, supports, and strategies when a student's behavior impedes their learning or that of others.
Question 5: A student with a disability is placed in a private school by the district to receive FAPE. Regarding the provision of services:
- The private school assumes full responsibility for implementing the IEP
- The district remains responsible for ensuring FAPE is provided even in a private placement (Correct answer)
- The student loses IDEA protections upon enrollment in a private school
- Costs are shared equally between the district and the private school
Correct answer: The district remains responsible for ensuring FAPE is provided even in a private placement
When the district places a student in a private school to provide FAPE, the district retains full responsibility for the student's education and must ensure the IEP is implemented.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'extended school year' (ESY) services under IDEA?
- To provide additional instruction for all students during summer break
- To prevent significant regression of skills that the student would not recover in a reasonable time (Correct answer)
- To accelerate academic progress for high-achieving students with disabilities
- To fulfill state requirements for minimum instructional hours
Correct answer: To prevent significant regression of skills that the student would not recover in a reasonable time
ESY services are provided beyond the regular school year to prevent significant skill regression for students with disabilities who meet specific eligibility criteria based on regression and recoupment data.
Question 7: A school social worker is documenting a student's present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). Which of the following BEST belongs in the PLAAFP?
- A list of the student's desired long-term career goals
- Objective data describing the student's current strengths, needs, and how the disability affects general curriculum access (Correct answer)
- A summary of the student's disciplinary record over the past year
- The student's most recent standardized test scores from three years ago
Correct answer: Objective data describing the student's current strengths, needs, and how the disability affects general curriculum access
The PLAAFP must include current, objective data about the student's strengths and needs and explain how the disability impacts access to the general curriculum, forming the foundation for annual goals.
SSW Special Education & IEP Process 5
A parent who speaks only Spanish requests an IEP meeting.
Under IDEA, the district must: