Module 3: Inclusive and Competency-based Individual Education Plans

Guiding Principles of the I & CB IEP

The I & CB IEP is based on the following guiding principles:

  • Place-based
  • Self-determination
  • Purposeful and responsive planning

Place-based

The philosophy of the I & CB IEP emphasizes place-based learning. In schools, that place could be in a classroom, an assembly, or on a field trip. For students with IEPs, that place should also be where their classmates are learning. All students need to be included in place-based learning.

For students with complex needs, the emphasis on place-based learning must be counterbalanced with an emphasis on generalization and maintenance of their skills. Students with complex needs often have difficulty generalizing across people, time, and environments. Objectives selected for instruction must not be limited to one place (e.g., the classroom). To contribute to Quality of Life, skills must be taught and reinforced in the range of environments where the skill is needed.

Self-determination

At the heart of the I & CB IEP is self-determination. This is accomplished by having the student take an active role in creating their IEP, so they can be actively engaged in their learning. The goal is to have students with complex needs involved as much as possible in the creation of their IEP. PATH (introduced and described in Course 1 Module 5) is a tool that IO uses to encourage the active participation of students with complex needs in identifying relevant educational goals.

Purposeful and Responsive Planning

Learning opportunities need to be relevant, meaningful, and supportive of the knowledge and skills that students need for current and future Quality of Life. IEP planning needs to be responsive and purposeful in the following three areas:

  • Personal purposes—our vision of who we are, our identity
  • Social purpose—our social identity, who we are in relation to others in the group. It has to do with social awareness, responsibility, and collaboration
  • Intellectual/learning identity—how we see ourselves as learners

All students need to have these three purposes in place everywhere they are present throughout the day. This is the difference between inclusion and placement. Students with complex needs should be supported in whatever capacity necessary to address the three purposes.