283. Reimagining the IEP Team Process with Dr. Frank Vicente and Alexis Florence
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RSS Feed How can we transform IEP meetings from overwhelming, compliance-driven processes into meaningful collaborations that center students, empower families, and support inclusive education?
In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, host Lindsay Lyons welcomes guests Dr. Frank Vicente and Alexis Florence, special education professionals, parents, and champions of inclusion, to discuss how schools can reimagine the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process to better serve students with disabilities and their families.
Drawing on their experiences as both educators and special education parents, Frank and Alexis share practical strategies for making IEP meetings more accessible, collaborative, and student-centered. They challenge educators to look beyond standardized test scores, recognize the expertise of everyone on the team, and build systems that support meaningful participation before, during, and after meetings.
The conversation explores how small but intentional changes—such as communicating with families before meetings, leading with student strengths, clarifying team members' roles, and making evaluation data easier to understand—can transform the IEP process and strengthen inclusive practices across schools.
In this episode, you'll learn:
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Why we need to reimagine the IEP process: Shift from viewing IEP meetings as isolated events focused on paperwork and evaluations to seeing them as part of an ongoing process of inclusion, collaboration, and student support.
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How to center student and family voice: Create meaningful opportunities for students and families to share their perspectives, priorities, strengths, needs, and visions for the future.
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How to make IEP meetings more welcoming and accessible: Contact families beforehand, explain what to expect, use accessible language, and help parents feel comfortable contributing to the conversation.
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Why strengths-based IEP meetings matter: Begin with students' strengths before discussing areas of need, helping establish a more positive and collaborative foundation for planning.
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How to look beyond standardized test scores: Bring together evaluation results, classroom observations, work samples, and family insights to understand students holistically and identify meaningful patterns.
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How to clarify specially designed instruction (SDI): Explore how changes to content, instructional methods, and delivery help students access the curriculum and participate in inclusive learning environments.
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How to prepare for effective IEP meetings: Use agendas, pre-meeting organizers, guiding questions, and clear expectations to help every team member understand their role.
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How to strengthen general education teacher participation: Ensure general education teachers understand how they can contribute to discussions about goals, accommodations, modifications, and student progress throughout the meeting.
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How to build inclusive systems: Recognize that inclusion requires intentional planning, staffing, budgeting, professional learning, and collaboration across the school ecosystem.
Find the episode resources here:
Connect with Frank & Alexis:
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Website: https://www.sctstraining.com
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Education United Alliance: https://www.educationunitedalliance.com
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Email: alexis@sctstraining.com
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Email: frank@sctstraining.com