The Pennsylvania Department of Education revised the IEP this school year and among other changes a section titled, "Parental Concerns For Enhancing The Education of The Student" was added to Section II Present Levels of Performance. This was proposed as a warehouse for parental "complaints" and disagreements with the IEP even though the plan was accepted and being implemented. The state felt this would move meetings along and serve as a silent mediator. Early feedback from colleagues and clients was mixed. Many saw this addition as more paperwork which lacked "teeth."
Fast forward to May 29th and in at least one client that I am working with it has become a useful tool for data collection purposes. In this particular case it was noted in this new section that the parent felt the student still needed PCA support and that the district felt it was no longer needed. PCA support was removed, the student engaged in dangerous behavior, it was classified as a manifestation determination,and because of this new IEP section available to parents the school district holds responsibility (along with the student) for this transgression.
Many clients have expressed to me that they feel "awkward" submitting this information to their team and that it can impact their relationship with school. Clearly it may not be wise to split hairs in this section but larger issues loom. I'm all about building bridges but if you disagree strongly about something and don't have $40k to fight it in due process I would suggest considering utilizing this new feature. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the due process circuit over the next few years as well.
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