The purpose of this website is to give parents guidance when navigating through their child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting. Many parents go to these meetings with good intentions but have difficulty making sure their child’s needs are met due being overwhelmed with information, inexperience, and fear, to name a few. This web page will show the overall process (before, during, and after) the IEP process and what to expect at any time during the procedure. There will be a general overview of Special Education that gives general information and what to expect as a parent of a Special Education student. There will also be a step-by-step example/guide of what happens in an IEP meeting and what to do during the meeting. Hopefully, parents will feel more confident that they will be able to ensure that their child’s needs are met after the meeting and how to address a situation after the meeting that may be inhibiting the success of the child.
Audience
This website is targeted for all parents of Special Education kids, especially those who are new to Special Education. Parents can also use this page to go over the Special Education process with their kids. There are many facets to Special Education and every student has different needs that are based on assessments and observations. This information is used to develop an IEP that will guide the school and its staff to help a student be successful in her/his academic career. Even with this help, parents can feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the process and the people involved with the process. Most parents want what is best for their kids and this web page will help arm them with the knowledge and experience that may be used in developing a plan for their child’s Special Education needs. Ultimately, parents of Special Education students (under the age of 18) have the final choice to what is in this plan and how it is implemented so having the most accurate and in-depth knowledge about the overall process will help them in making important educational decisions.
Survey
I interviewed 5 people to help me find out what should and should not be included in the website. This group included 2 parents, 2 Special Education teachers, and 1 Special Education student. Even though I have many years experience as a Special Education teacher, I believe that getting multiple perspectives on this will help with a more effective website.
Questions Asked To The Group:
What do you believe are the most important areas of the IEP process and why?
Assessments and observations and how they relate to the child’s IEP
The Service Summary page, which provides accommodations, modifications, time spent in Special Education setting, etc.
General education teacher involvement and accountability.
Student disability qualification (Specific Learning Disabled, Other Health Impairment, Communication Disorder, etc.).
Consistent parental involvement.
What advice would you give to parents who are new to Special Education and the IEP process?
Ask questions no matter how bad you think they are!
Remember that parents make the final decision (unless student is 18 or older) on the IEP.
Have another person (family member, friend, lawyer) with you at the meeting.
Ensure that the general education teachers are following the guidelines set forth in the IEP and are being help accountable when they do not follow the guidelines.
What can have been provided to all new Special Education parents at the beginning of the entire process that will help with the transition?
More streamlined information
A website
An example IEP
A willing parent who has already been through this process to help
Five Reference Websites
These sites are examples of good and/or bad artifacts that are considering for the final design.
For a navigation, the website Special Education Guide gives the user the chance to explore the page efficiently and is not overwhelming. The color scheme is decent and there are many links the user has access to that will help on any research efforts.
For a content style, the website US Department of Education is one that I found the most useful. The content focus is on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and the way the content is structured has a solid layout. The page allows the user to access any part of the main page from the top using a “table of contents” style. This makes it easy to access parts of the page so that the user does not have to scroll down most of the page.
For a simple layout, the website ADA is a great option. This website has specific information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and does a great job at making it user-friendly considering the complexity of the subject matter. It has a simple layout that gives information in a streamlined manner.
For an avoid layout, the website Understood is one that I found to be overwhelming. There are too many colors and there was not enough information given for the specific tests that are used for determining disabilities in students.
For preferred color scheme, the website Portland Public Schools is a good example to follow. This website uses minimal colors and is easy to read. The site also uses greens, grays for most graphics and has black lettering throughout. The use of a red color to identify which of the subject pages a user is currently on (About, Board, Departments, etc.) makes it easy to see.
Content
Based on the responses from the interviews I conducted and past experiences, I have chosen to include the following content areas:
Main Page-This page will give a brief overview of the page and its overall content.
Before an IEP Meeting- This page will give all of the information that is necessary to give parents the tools necessary to establish a plan and prepare for the upcoming IEP meeting.
During an IEP Meeting- This page will go through the steps of an IEP meeting and what to expect. It will also give information that will help parents successfully navigate through an IEP meeting.
After an IEP Meeting- This page will review what to expect after the IEP meeting and what parents can do to be sure the IEP is implemented effectively and efficiently. It will also help prepare parents for an issues or concerns that may arise after the meeting takes place.
Resources- This page will have resources that parents may be able to use that have to do with the IEP process and other Special Education information.
Presentation of Information/Reason for Organization
The web site will have one main page and four other pages. Each of the four pages will be important for the user to view. It is not necessary to view these pages in order of a parent is trying to find something specific but should be viewed in order (before, during, after the IEP meeting) for any parents new to the Special Education process.
This website will have a consistent structure so users will not be confused when navigating the pages. All of the pages will contain:
An identical banner at the top of each page.
A heading just below the top horizontal navigation that will provide the Page Name.
Same navigation conventions Same heading formats and colors all.
Contact information at the bottom of each page.
Link back to the home page.
The Main Page
Will be laid out using a two-row format.
Will have a brief statement that explains/comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act.
IWill have an explanation of the page and how to best utilize the website.
It will also have a welcome message that clearly states my mission and statement of purpose.
Will have navigation to the four other pages of the website.
The additional pages will provide horizontal navigation (as text with graphics) across both the top and bottom of the page:
I plan to keep the pages under three screen lengths.
There will be links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page).
The following details the content of the proposed pages:
The Main Page:
Will have a heading with a picture/logo.
Will have navigation to the four additional pages.
Will have an overview of the website.
Will have a section that explains how to best utilize the website.
The Before The IEP Meeting Page
This will have the same heading as the main page.
There will be a brief explanation of the page, its content, and how parents can use it.
There will be a list of what parents need to do during the pre-IEP meeting process. The user will be able to click on each list item that will take them to each item’s explanation below the list.
There will be links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page).
The During The IEP Meeing Page
This will have the same heading as the main page.
There will be a brief explanation of the page, its content, and how parents can use it.
There will be a list of what parents need to do during IEP meeting. The user will be able to click on each list item that will take them to each item’s explanation below the list.
There will be links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page).
The After The IEP Meeting Page
This will have the same heading as the main page.
There will be a brief explanation of the page, its content, and how parents can use it.
There will be a list of what parents need to do after the IEP meeting takes place. The user will be able to click on each list item that will take them to each item’s explanation below the list.
There will be links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page).
The Resources Page
This will have the same heading as the main page.
There will be links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page).
Media
The banner will include some type of graphic (picture or logo). The website will include images/video clips/links to documents that will have give the user access to the sources and proper citations. The media used will be relevant to the content on each specific page.
Color Scheme and Rationale
This page will follow the color scheme of the Special Olympics. The main colors are Special Olympics Red and Special Olympics Grey. The supporting colors will be black, biscuit, and white. The Special Olympics are one of the most recognized Special Needs organizations and I want my webpage to be associated with such a respected and well-recognized organization.
red
grey
biscuit
Outline of Website Organization
The following shows the outline of the proposed pages and content.
Main Page
Banner Logo
Brief ADA Statement
How to best utilize the page
Navigation to the four other pages
Contact information including name and emal address link as well as page creator
Last revised date
Links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page)
Before The IEP Meeting Page
Banner Logo
Links to other pages, including main page
How to best utilize the page
Contact information including name and emal address link as well as page creator
Last revised date
Links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page)
During The IEP Meeting Page
Banner Logo
Links to other pages, including main page
How to best utilize the page
Contact information including name and emal address link as well as page creator
Last revised date
Links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page)
After The IEP Meeting Page
Banner Logo
Links to other pages, including main page
How to best utilize the page
Contact information including name and emal address link as well as page creator
Last revised date
Links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page)
Resources Page
Banner Logo
Links to other pages, including main page
How to best utilize the page
Contact information including name and emal address link as well as page creator
Last revised date
Links to supporting/documents/websites/resources (These links will all be listed on the resources page)