Joel and Nina are special education teachers...
Their desks are about 12 inches from each other. When they are not in the classroom with their students, they can be found at their desks writing what are called IEPs, Individualized Education Plans.
In addition to setting individualized goals for students, IEPs guide all mandated meetings between the parents/guardians of children with disabilities and their schools. Students are encouraged to be active participants at the meetings.
THE MATH:
QUESTION:
If a special education teacher is expected to manage 28 students with IEPs, and there are 35 classroom hours per week, how many hours can they spend with each student?
ANSWER:
1.25 hours per student per week…
But only if the teacher doesn’t need to attend any staff meetings or parent conferences, or take a lunch break, or go to the bathroom, or complete any paperwork, or anything else.
IEPs require a significant amount of paperwork that take hours for teachers to update and file. Current software allows teachers to enter data and keep records, but the system is clunky and does not offer an option for students and parents to see real-time information as the progress and needs of the student evolve throughout the school year. IEP Forms need to be exported and shared by the teachers, and if there are any edits to make, they need to go back to the database, update, export, and share again. This is time taken away from serving students.
When teachers are not able to provide correct information, schools are at risk for lawsuits. California is one of the most litigious states for special education in the country. There is a lot of pressure for teachers to focus on the paperwork to mitigate legal issues.