Jennifer, a dedicated mother, has experienced a remarkable transformation through her involvement in the Family Empowerment Series. Over the course of 4-5 weeks, she attended workshops led by experts like Kimberly Kadziolka, the Executive Director of Parent Network. One key takeaway from these sessions was the importance of data in understanding Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) and how it affects Community of Special Education (CSE) students. Armed with this knowledge, Jennifer was ready to advocate for her child and others in the community.
One pivotal moment came when she was invited to serve as a Parent Member at a CSE meeting for a student who had been denied extended school year services. The school claimed there was no evidence of behavioral regression, citing daily behavior assessments that seemed at odds with the actual experiences of the students. Jennifer recalls, “The daily behavior assessment form that the school filled out daily was scored from 0 to 2,” with 0 indicating a need for more than one reminder and 2 meaning the student followed rules without any reminders.
During the meeting, Jennifer noticed a glaring inconsistency. “This student was scoring 2’s daily, but the teachers would write comments about his negative behavior. The comments and the scores did not match.” Drawing on the data training she received, she confidently questioned the school’s interpretation of the data. “I stated that if the decision to grant or deny extended school year was based on the behavior forms, then the decision was flawed because the data was flawed.”
The meeting was an emotional environment for everyone involved. However, Jennifer’s focus on the data helped to calm the discussion. “When I discussed the data, it toned down the emotions on all sides.” Her ability to articulate the discrepancies helped shift the conversation towards a more constructive dialogue.
One of the most striking revelations during this process was that parents were never informed that the daily behavior forms would impact decisions regarding summer school. “They were told it was so the parents knew how their child’s day was,” she explains. This lack of transparency meant that many parents, including herself, had not questioned the scoring throughout the year, despite the evident disconnect between the scores and the actual behaviors.
Thanks to Jennifer’s encouragement and the education she received from Parent Network, the outcome of the meeting was a victory. “At the end of the meeting, the student was granted extended school year as part of the IEP,” she shares proudly. Additionally, the school agreed to reevaluate the daily behavior form for the upcoming school year, ensuring that future assessments would be more accurate and reflective of student behavior.
Jennifer’s story exemplifies the profound impact that education and support can have on advocacy. Through her involvement with Parent Network, she learned not just to navigate the complexities of the IEP process but also to empower others in the community. As she reflects on her journey, she emphasizes, “Education has been key to understanding how to fight for what’s right for our children.” Jennifer’s experience stands as a testament to the power of informed advocacy in the world of special education.
