With a successful case conference under your belt, you probably want to know what comes next. It is important for you to follow up to ensure that your childs IEP is followed throughout the year. This also means doing your part at home. Consistency is key for the educational success of your student.
Here are some tips for staying on track and advocating for your child:
- Keep in contact with educators involved in your childs education especially their teacher of record and/or special education teacher. Your childs teacher of record is responsible for reporting progress on IEP goals on a routine basis. Make sure to note that during the case conference and review these progress notes when you receive them. In addition, you can contact any of your childs teachers with questions or concerns at any time. Depending on the needs of your child, you may try to establish routine communication with the teacher of record. And, without a doubt, if you feel the IEP is not being implemented, contact the teacher of record to voice your concern.
- Keep folders. It is beneficial to keep separate folders of report cards, IEP copies, correspondence with educators, notes from case conferences, etc. Have them organized by year as well, so that you can monitor your childs progress. This ensures that you are up to date for the next case conference and may raise points not brought up by educators.
- Always take a look at your childs school work. Stay up to date on what your child is learning, and monitor how well they understand the content.