IEP Components – The Ying and the Yang of Compensatory Services for Students with IEPs

By Dr. Nasser A. Cortez

University of Southern California Rossier School of Education

This issue of NASET’s IEP Components Series was written by Dr. Nasser A. Cortez from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. A consequence of the pandemic is an increase in compensatory services for children with disabilities. Much of the discussion in schools and districts is on helping students recover from learning loss due to challenges encountered during the pandemic, including distance learning and ineffective implementation of individual education plans (IEPs). Having some experience with providing compensatory services (e.g., specialized academic instruction) to K-12 students with disabilities, the author will share what has been learned, along with recommendations for future practice.

A consequence of the pandemic is an increase in compensatory services for children with disabilities. Much of the discussion in schools and districts is on helping students recover from learning loss due to challenges encountered during the pandemic, including distance learning and ineffective implementation of individual education plans (IEPs). Having some experience with providing compensatory services (e.g., specialized academic instruction) to K-12 students with disabilities, I will share what I have learned, along with recommendations for future practice.

The Good

  1. Opportunities to build rapport with students and families.
    • The one-on-one interaction provides opportunities to get to know students and focus on their strengths and areas of needed growth. Sessions typically occur in a public library or at the family’s home. There are opportunities to debrief with families and provide space for them to voice their concerns, while providing recommendations for how they can better support their children. In one circumstance, working with a 2nd grader with an Other Health Impairment, the family requested an academic report they could share with the school team during conferences and IEPs. There was a level of trust developed in part due to frequent interaction and conversation.
  2. Individualized Academic Support.
    • Individual sessions provide opportunities for students to be taught by a credentialed teacher in a one-on-one setting. This allows for intense personalized learning based on student learning needs. Sessions focus on working with students on their academic IEP goals, homework and/or other academic areas of need.
  3. Additional Resource for Families
    • In most cases, the education specialist working with the student is not affiliated with the school or district. So, they become an additional support/resource for families. On occasion families would ask questions about their child’s IEP, curriculum, strategies to work with at home, among other topics.

The Bad

  1. Compensatory specialized academic instruction is a result of disagreement or disservice to students.
    • In many cases, the student is receiving compensatory services due to issues with the school and/or district. Most families I worked with shared their displeasure with the school system and the lack of support their children had received. Many were either already working with advocates or attorneys or were in the process of doing so. In one case, the family surmised that the district provided compensatory services to keep the family from further pursuing legal action. In the end, the compensatory services tend to be a result of disagreement between families and schools.
  2. Lack of direction
    • While the focus of compensatory services is on addressing student needs per their IEP goals, there are some issues that come with this. For one, in most cases, families do not agree with the IEP (including the IEP goals). So, what is worked on during these sessions tends to fall at the discretion of the family. Another issue found is that some IEP information provided may be outdated. In effect, what education specialists work on with students during these sessions may not be the best use of time.
  3. Session Timeframe
    • Compensatory services tend to run in alignment with the academic school year. Typically, sessions take place during after school hours or on occasion on weekends. As one can imagine, having to do more school after school can be a challenge for students. It is not always the best time to provide instruction for students and education specialists may find themselves having difficulty keeping students engaged for the full session time, which is at least an hour. 

Implications for Future Practice

  1. School and Family Partnerships
    • On a larger scale, school and family partnerships need to be further developed. As mentioned, in most cases, services are preluded by disagreements between schools and families. Family distrust of schools and districts that is quite alarming.
  2. Teacher Input Helps  
    • I found it most helpful when families collaborated with their child’s classroom teachers. The families that connected with their child’s teachers and asked for resources and guidance regarding these sessions have noted improvements in their child’s grades. I worked with a 5th grader with an Other Health Impairment who made great strides in math largely because we were able to frontload the content and provide reteach opportunities based on the curriculum. Using the classroom teacher resources and guidance, we were successful in addressing key learning goals that helped the student. It also provided a guide for our sessions, which allowed me to strategically integrate the student’s IEP math goals into our sessions.
  3. Alignment with School Curriculum and Pacing
    • Since these sessions take place after school, I have found it most helpful when sessions align with school curriculum and pacing. When sessions were aligned with the class teacher’s instruction students were more engaged. Students were able to make connections between what was worked on during sessions and what they were learning in their classes. I would hear things like “oh yeah, I remember our teacher showed us that in class!” or “my teacher did an example, but I didn’t get how to do it.”

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