IEP vs. 504
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IEP
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504
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This plan focuses on a child’s special
education plan.
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Provided by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA).
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Child must have one of 13 specific
disabilities and the disability must affect the education of the child.
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IEP plan includes the following individuals:
parents, at least one general education teacher, at least one special
education teacher, school psychologist, and one district representative for
special education.
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IEP should include present academic ability of
the student, annual goals, services provided, timing of services provided,
accommodations and modifications, and more.
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Parents are notified before any changes are
implemented.
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States receive extra funding.
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Provided at no extra cost to families.
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Plans to allow child to receive the best education
that is parallel to non-disabled peers.
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Requires parent consent.
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Parents are notified of any changes to the
plan.
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A 504 is a plan dictating how a child will get
access to equal education.
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Provided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973.
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Child must have any disability and the
disability affects the child’s ability to learn in the general classroom.
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504 team includes: parents, general and
special education teachers, and the principal.
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504 plan includes specific accommodations,
names of who will provide the accommodations, and name of person who makes
sure the plan is followed.
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Parents notified that changes have been made
to the plan.
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States receive no extra funding.
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IEPs and 504s are both incredibly useful for students with disabilities. Both plans are specific for the student and outline a plan to help the student get access to the most appropriate education for the student. However, these plans are only as effective as the people who implement it and how responsive the student is to the plans. For example, I have had some students who were given many accommodations such as copies of notes and more who did not take advantage of their accommodations. If the students do not utilize the accommodations then it doesn't matter how well teachers and administrators implement the plans.
Not all students with disabilities get an IEP though. IEP plans are much more specific about details and involve a greater number of participants in both designing and implementing a plan. Between the two and in my experience, an IEP has much more support provided for the teacher to implement and to make the most of for the student. I've attended IEP meetings during the year where the team has been able to evaluate the student's progress or issues the student has been having and then making plans for adjustments to the IEP.
Bennett, A., & Frank, L. (2009). Special Education Process: IEP vs. 504 Plan. Retrieved July 14, 2015, from http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10671.aspx
Conners, S. (n.d.). IEP VS 504. Retrieved July 14, 2015, from http://www.nldline.com/iep_vs_504.htm
Do you think 504 Plans tend to be more lackadaisical than IEPs. By this I mean do you think because of the broad outline in 504s, the modifications and accommodations specifically addressed then to be less utilized than those specified in a more detailed IEP?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go so far as to call it lackadaisical, but yes I do think that the 504s have less importance stressed upon them. Whether it is the lack of support or the broadness of the plan, I think 504s could be done in a more effective manner without infringing on IEPs.
DeleteIn your experience with IEPs and 504 plans, you talk about some students ignoring their accommodations. Do you have any idea as to the reason behind that? Do they ignore it because they forget they have them or because they don't want to seem different than the other students or for some other reason?
ReplyDeleteI would say that 5% of the students I came across who ignored their accommodations felt comfortable enough to forego their accommodations whether it was alternate test taking environments or whatnot. The other 95% was down to the type of student. These students were anywhere from troublemakers to slackers or just disinterested. For those students before I could even make a dent in teaching them the material I had to try to make a change in their attitude and motivation towards their education. Some students just left behind or threw out the notes I gave them while others caused disturbances because their seat needed to be near me or the front of the class. It's a delicate situation to try to get a handle on.
DeleteI had a student in my class that had an IEP in which he was required to receive copies of notes. I found that he didn't feel the need to pay attention in class because he already had the notes. Looking back I think it may have been better if I provided him with notes that had fill in the blanks. Have you tried this approach before or have any ideas for those that do not care to pay attention when given accommodations?
DeleteUnfortunately, the students I had who got copies of the notes was because of writing issues where they had issues following along and writing down the notes while listening. Therefore I had to give them complete notes, which resulted in the very situation you described. The only way I found that has some success every now and then was I would ask questions about the information in the notes as we went over them to make sure they are listening and understand. That way they need to be following along as we go.
DeleteWow. Amanda, this is an interesting point that you bring up. My pastor at church actually gives us notes with fill in the blanks to complete during the sermon. It really helps us to stay engaged. Do you think that we are doing the students a disservice by giving them so many accommodations? Do you feel that some students might not actually need the accommodations they receive or not as many as they receive? Are we overindulging the kids?
ReplyDeleteI think that for some students it is a case by case basis for whether or not they actually need the accommodations or not. One student of mine felt like she did not need to take any tests in a different environment or any of her similar accommodations, but that was just for my class. She felt comfortable and at ease enough in my classroom that she didn't need to utilize it, but in her other classes she did. So while we may not see them taking advantage of it in our own class, they may be using it in other classes of theirs.
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