9/10/07: Our best answers to frequently asked questions about the new forms

1. How does services information transfer to the new IEP?

Services are broken into three grids in the new MDE IEP. Direct services from the 2006-07 IEP have been automatically transferred into the first grid. It is unclear to us what information needs to go into the second and third grids, so rather than putting in wrong data; we chose not to import any services data into those fields. Specifically, indirect minutes have not been transferred.

2. Where do adaptations from the old IEP transfer to on the new IEP?

Adaptations data from the 2006-07 IEP is transferred into the third grid of the new IEP for the convenience of teachers. This information can be removed if necessary when the new IEP is written.

3. Can you give us some guidance on how to complete the new services page?

Districts have reported the services page in the new MDE IEP is very confusing. It is unclear to us how information should be entered into the second and third grids on this page. A working group of SpEd Forms directors is developing a new alternate services delivery page that is both compliant with MDE’s requirements and will be more user-friendly.

4. What happened to the Notice of Proposed District Action or Denial (notice of proposed special education services)?

MDE eliminated the Notice of Proposed District Action or Denial form and replaced with a new Prior Written Notice form.

5. What happened to the Parent Action section on the Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan?

There is no longer a MDE recommended Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan – it has been merged into the Prior Written Notice. However, SpEd Forms has developed a Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan that combines the format of the prior form with the new MDE language about evaluations from the Prior Written Notice form.

6. What happened to the Parent Action (signature) section of the Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan?

The Parent Action section was eliminated form all notices by MDE and replaced by a separate Parent Consent/Objection Form. Our understanding is that this was done so that parents could keep a copy of the proposed plan AND have a separate form to sign and return to the school.

7. How is the SpEd Forms Prior Written Notice different from the state recommended Prior Written Notice?

The SpEd Forms Prior Written Notice form does not include references to evaluations/reevaluations – that language has been included in the SpEd Forms Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan. All other language has been retained.

8. What happened to “Finalize” on the new IEP?

The “Finalize” button was temporarily disabled between 09/04 and 09/10 because we simply did not have enough programming time between the release of the new forms, and the start of the school year. We have now completed the programming for the new “Finalize” button and have posted it to our servers. An update with the finalize button is also available to districts with their own servers.

9. Why do my students have duplicate numbered goals?

On the new IEP, program goals and transition goals are combined. Program goals and transition goals from last year's IEP have been combined into the new IEPs goal pages, so the teacher could have duplicate goal numbers. Even if the teachers have not completed transition goals in the old IEP, if they ever navigated to the transition page a blank transition goal #1 was created as a placeholder.

10. Teachers are reporting issues with saving/printing new forms?

These teachers have not checked their browser setup since the beginning of the school year. Please ensure your teachers have checked their browser setup. Over the summer, school computers are often updated. If a computer has been updated, the SpEd Forms browser setup must be checked. For more information please visit: http://www.spedforms.com/guide/1.asp