DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION
Tasmanian Curriculum

Meander Valley cluster - benefits of a support team working together

How can the cluster support the teachers of students with additional needs in the development of Individual Education Plans?

 
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) aims to provide a framework that supports positive access and participation within the curriculum and in school and community life for students with additional needs.

A well-constructed and thoughtful IEP has many benefits:

  • It highlights the strengths and interests of a student.
  • It outlines supports, accommodations and resources for inclusion.
  • It helps teachers focus on the key outcomes for students, and shapes teaching and learning for the student.
  • It provides a framework for ongoing discussion and collaboration with families, other educators and support staff.
  • It provides a framework for gauging progress, assessment and reporting.
  • It can be used to support transitions.

Classroom teachers generally have responsibility for developing IEPs. They can do this in collaboration with school-based support staff, cluster support staff and families.

Developing a new IEP, or reviewing an existing one, can be a daunting task for many teachers, especially if they have not been in a position to do one before, or they are developing one for a student who is new to their class.

This is an account of how a cluster in northern Tasmania developed a deliberate support strategy to assist teachers of students with additional needs, who faced the task of developing IEPs.