How can you design effective IEPs that improve student outcomes and meet legal requirements? This one-stop IEP guide has the answers your team needs to create great IEPs and put them into action. You'll start with a solid introduction to IEPs: their purpose, their major components, and the legal mandates they need to meet. Then you'll get a comprehensive framework for IEP development, featuring a unique, in-depth checklist that breaks the whole IEP process into small, manageable steps and walks you through each one. Packed with invaluable planning tips, vivid examples, and practice activities, this book is your whole school team's step-by-step guide to meaningful, legally compliant IEPs that help students reach their goals and meet state standards.

• assess a student's present level of performance
• effectively collaborate during an IEP meeting
• use student-centered planning to foster empowerment and leadership
• develop meaningful IEP goals that can be easily communicated and measured
• write short-term objectives aligned with the student's IEP goals
• collect and report data on student progress toward IEP goals and objectives
• use progress monitoring data to make instructional decisions
• identify accommodations that support a student's specific academic needs
• support successful transitions from school to adulthood

PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Activities and examples to guide and improve IEP development; reflection questions that deepen understanding; realistic dialogues that highlight key challenges and solutions; ready- to- use tools that help ensure meaningful, compliant IEPs.

• IEP Rubric--detailed checklist for evaluating completeness and quality of each IEP element
• IEP Inventory for verifying the presence of key IEP components
• Parent Survey to gather information on parents' perception of the IEP process
• Teacher Survey for assessing current practices and determining training needs

Clarissa E. Rosas, Ph.D., has over 30 years of experience in general and special education. Her experience includes both administration and classroom instruction in K-12 and in higher education. She has extensive experience in developing curriculum at the K-12 district level and in teacher preparation programs in higher education. Dr. Rosas holds a doctorate in multicultural special education and licensure in bilingual education and general (K-8) and special education (K-12). Currently, Dr. Rosas is Director of the Graduate Program in Multicultural Special Education at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her research agenda includes innovative programs in teacher preparation and the development of effective practices to meet the needs of ethnically and linguistically diverse populations with special needs.

Leo Bradley, Ed.D., is currently a full professor and chair of the Educational Leadership/Human Resource Development department in the College of Social Sciences, Health, and Education at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. In his 30-yearpublic school educational career Dr. Bradley held the positions of teacher, high school principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. Dr. Bradley is the author of numerous journal articles and six educational leadership books on Total Quality Management curriculum, outcomes assessment, and school law. He is also an experienced educational consultant both nationally and internationally, having served school districts from Alaska to New Zealand. Dr. Bradley's noneducational writings concentrate on baseball history. He is a songwriter and performer, and has produced CDs on both the history of baseball and his favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds.

Lisa M. Campbell, Ed.D., is an instructor in the multicultural special education graduate program at Mount St. Joseph University. She is also employed full time as an educational consultant for Hamilton County Educational Service Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Campbell's education includes a bachelor's degree in elementary education, a master's degree in special education, and a doctorate in literacy education with an emphasis in educational leadership.

Melissa M. Jones, Ph.D., received her doctorate from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She is Professor of Special Education at Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, with a research focus on inclusive communities and student empowerment for individuals with disabilities.

Roberta Brack Kaufman, Ed.D., is an assistant professor of special education in the School of Education at Nevada State College in Henderson, Nevada, where she teaches courses on inclusion and instructional practices to special education and general education preservice and in-service teachers. Dr. Kaufman has written grants and worked extensively with diverse student populations in prekindergarten through Grade 12 and higher education in rural, suburban, and urban areas. She presents regularly at regional, national, and international conferences. Dr. Kaufman is the coauthor of two books and multiple papers and journal articles, and received a Fulbright-Hayes award to study in Senegal, Africa.

Carón A. Westland, Ph.D., teaches at the University of Colorado Denver across the disciplines of special education, teacher preparation, and educational psychology. As a site professor of a professional development school, she oversees a cohort of teacher candidates each semester. Currently, she serves as the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children president and the Courage to Risk Conference chairperson. Her research interests center around collaboration, mentoring, and at-risk youth.