Mary Kempen

11/8/14
Description of the role of the regular educator on an IEP team
The regular education teacher plays a role in initiating the process that results in an IEP and in
carrying out the stipulations of the IEP. The general educator may be the first person to notice a
students struggles in school. In such a case, the teacher may begin pre-referral interventions and
documentation of the students response to the interventions. In the event that the instructional or
behavioral interventions are not successful, the general educator may make a referral for evaluation of
the child for needs requiring a special education. This means the teacher completes a form in which he
or she provides the documented evidence of the students performance that he or she has compiled
throughout the interventions attempted and the reason why he or she requests that the student be
evaluated for special needs. The teacher submits this referral to a committee in most schools (Gargiulo
and Metcalf 2013, p. 62), and the committee reviews the referral and issues a request for permission to
evaluate to the childs parents if it deems the referral is warranted. If the parents grant permission, the
evaluation will be the next step in determining if the student needs an IEP. The regular education
teacher will then submit materials that document the students performance, such as standardized tests,
work samples, and observational data, to the evaluation team.
If the evaluation team decides that the student qualifies for an IEP, the general educator will
again supply information about the students performance during the development of the IEP. The
regular education teacher may provide input on how the students disability affects his or her
involvement in the general education curriculum (Gargiulo and Metcalf, 2013). The general educator
may be able to help draft appropriate goals for the student in the general education curriculum given
the teachers knowledge of the students current performance.

Once the IEP is drafted, the general educator plays a role in monitoring the students progress
and implementing the plan. If the student needs modifications and accommodations to achieve goals in
the general education curriculum, the regular education teacher takes the steps necessary to provide
the modifications and accommodations. This may mean that the regular education teacher redesigns
class materials or lesson plans to enable appropriate participation by the student with the IEP. For
example, the teacher might redraw worksheets so less material is visible on each page, the student may
be allowed extra time to complete assignments, or the teacher may offer positive support and feedback
for small increments of progress by the student. In addition, the teacher may reorder seating in the
classroom or reorganize furniture to accommodate a students needs for adaptive technology or a
private study carrel. The general educator works with special educators and other special services
providers in the school to integrate what the child receives from each professional with his or her
learning experience in the general education classroom. The teacher will then measure and document
the students progress toward the goals as stipulated in the IEP and supply that information in the
annual meetings to review the IEP.
Reference:
Gargiulo, R.M. and Metcalf, D. (2013). Teaching in todays inclusive classrooms: A universal design for
learning approach. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.