IEP and Section 504 Team Meetings Book Summary
Introduction
Freedman, a lawyer passionate about the welfare of students, writes a flipbook titled “IEP & Section 504 Team meetings…and the Law.” The book is a classic for students and a springboard for success. The purpose of the book is to help students navigate legal issues in their school life. It provides information about IEP meetings, Section 504 meetings, and the application of the law in the education sector. It provides insights into legal applications in the special education sector. It helps learners and parents understand the dynamics of special education. Creating awareness among future educators is essential to empower them to impact their future learners effectively. The book provides regarding the meetings, participants of the meetings, the outcomes, and expectations. The author provides sufficient information to enhance the reader’s understanding of IEP and Section 504 team meetings. The paper aims to provide a summary of the IEP and Section 504 team meetings book by Miriam Kurtzig Freedman.
Section 1: What is the Purpose of an IEP meeting?
The purpose of the IEP meeting is to provide both parents and students with the rights through IDEA. One of the prongs is for the student, which provides free and appropriate education (FAPE). The objective of FAPE is to ensure students with disabilities have access to quality education (Freedman, 2020). Provision of quality education involves placement and accommodation services. The second prong is for the parents who need to be involved from the initial steps of the IEP. The second prong aims to integrate parents’ input into the IEP (Freedman, 2020). Parents have vital information about their children and can make significant contributions to improving the quality of outcomes.
Section 2: What is the Purpose of a 504 team meeting?
Freedman (2020) shows that the purpose of the 504 meetings is to provide students with disabilities opportunities to pursue their academic goals. It helps the students access quality and resources just like their non-disabled peers. The team members discuss issues such as placement and therapy sessions for the learners. Freedman (2020) indicates that the meetings are specific and that disabled students have equal opportunities to allow them to succeed. Providing students with disabilities similar opportunities like their non-disabled student is a spirit of FAPE (Freedman, 2020). The objective is to give the learners a level playing ground. Students with disabilities do not suffer discrimination or denial to participate in school activities. If learners with disabilities do not have a sufficient platform, parents can attend the meetings, raise the issues, and address the concerns.
Section 3: 10 similarities between IEP and 504 team meetings.
One of the similarities is that the two allow the members to learn the dynamics of the meetings and what will happen later. Another similarity is allowing the lower laws to develop more rights on 504 plans and IEPs (Freedman, 2020). The two meetings encourage all the participants to embrace the teamwork spirit. The teamwork comprises service providers, therapists, parents, teachers, and administrators. The team should accommodate other participants who can help a student to achieve their goals (Freedman, 2020). The two focus on helping a student to achieve goals and overcome challenges. Children with disabilities face diverse issues compared to their non-disabled children. The objective of Freedman is to provide information to help the stakeholders take decisive action to promote equality for all.
Section 4: Differences between IEP and 504 meetings
IDEA is a strict and more direct platform that indicates the people to attend and the team’s objectives. It comprises an authoritarian type of law. The team should adhere to the set standards (Freedman, 2020). For instance, parents attending the meeting will get prior notice to help them prepare and attend. It is unlike Section 504, which is not strict since school districts can develop their standards of practice. In the Section 504 meetings, it is not mandatory for parents to attend (Freedman, 2020). Another difference is that whereas IEP has formal minutes, Section 504 has no formal documentation.
Section 5: IEP team meetings: Who, when, where, why, how
Participants attend the IEP meetings annually. The team members attending IEP meetings include parents, children, teachers, and special education educators. The meeting should have a qualified and experienced LEA representative to articulate the students’ curriculum issues and education provisions (Freedman, 2020). The objective is to address the challenges a learner may be going through. One of the essential agendas of the meeting is placement and future changes. Other issues include the goals of the leaner, the progress made, and challenges in the current year (Freedman, 2020). The IEP team will also discuss the value of the proposed program in terms of helping a child to achieve set milestones. The participants in the meeting discuss the child’s welfare and determine the way forward.
Section 6: Section 504 team meetings
Freedman (2008) states that the 504 team meetings comprise people with knowledge of available resources, disabled students, and data Assessment. It is not mandatory for parents to come to the meetings in some states. The objective of the meetings is to discuss ways of ensuring equality for students with a disability (Freedman, 2020). The meetings have no specific structure, but the members keep some minutes to refer to at a later date. For instance, the meetings evaluate if someone is eligible. The Assessment is based on the characteristics and strengths of a student. The meetings should ensure equality, provide services that are not currently available in school, receive parental consent, disputes on the actions taken by the district, and address stay-put rights.
Section 7: Good practices for both types of meetings
One of the good practices to observe in the meetings is to ensure adequate preparation. Preparation means coming with the documentation for the ideas and reports on the progress made. For instance, it is essential to write the minutes and plan and ensure the room is ready and easily accessible by all members (Freedman, 2020). The meeting should allocate duties to the members and make them aware of earlier preparation. The meetings should allow everyone to share their views without discrimination or fear. Members should avoid using abbreviations that can mislead others or words not part of the standard English language. The meetings should stick to the list of agendas the members have agreed upon (Freedman, 2020). Members need to strive to focus on the agendas and discuss them exhaustively without distractions. For instance, it is essential to pay attention without using mobile phones in some cases. The meetings should maintain trust with the participants, such as families and the students.
Christian Perspective Gained
The impact of the meeting is a Christian foundation and encouragement about the success of the programs for the disabled. One of the gains is that the educators can encourage the students to achieve higher goals. The process is easy when the educators find encouragement from the holy scriptures. Isaiah 42:16 states, “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them, I will make darkness into light before them. And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone (New American Standard Bible, 2018). The scriptural reference has an impact on the goals of the students and the expected outcome. The encouragement is vital in ensuring the educators work with everyone to make significant strides in IEP. The Christian perspective is essential in ensuring harmony for all the participants and facilitating growth and positive outcome.
Conclusion
Freedman’s book is an essential tool for the students, educators, and parents in the IEP & Section 504 Team Meetings. The objective is to enhance the school systems and ensure equality for all the participants. The book provides information about conduct during the meetings and the attendance of the meetings. The book is a classic tool for teachers in their first year or those with advanced experience Helping disabled children to achieve academic success. The focus of Freedman is to provide information to ensure that disabled children have a level playing field through the provision of quality and friendly opportunities for success. Creating awareness among future educators is essential to empower them to impact their future learners effectively. The Christian gain is that the educators can encourage the students to achieve higher goals despite perceived barriers.
References
American Standard Bible. (2018). Biblegateway.com
Freedman, M. (2020). IEP & Section 504 Team Meetings…and the Law. California: Corwin.
