Going into an important meeting at a school can impact your child’s future. Attending these meetings without an educational advocate is like going to court without a properly trained attorney.

These services are available year-round.ASSISTANCE WITH EDUCATIONAL EVALUATIONS AND IEP PROCESSES

IST = Instructional Support Team.

An Instructional Support Team (IST) is a team of specialists who…It usually consists of, but is not limited to, a team leader…an administrator–usually an assistant principal–a psychologist, and a grade level advisor and some specialists (e.g. reading, speech, etc.). The IST usually convenes once a week to discuss each “case.” Parents are invited to be present during the time their child’s case is presented, but are often not asked for input. In PA, every school district must have 3 IST teams (one each for elementary, middle, and high school levels). Some districts have multiple teams at each level. From a business perspective, many parents are confused as to how to access the IST, or how get the IST to consider their “at risk” child. That’s where mAke the grAde comes in. We advocate for the parents and convince the IST that the child has specific instructional needs. ISTs tend to underestimate these needs, relying wholly on the opinions of the teachers while disregarding input from parents, whom they consider “lay people.” Therefore, having a mAke the grAde representative at the meeting is often a huge advantage for the parent.

Testing = A battery of tests ordered by the IST.

If, following an IST meeting, it is determined that a child is at risk, or has specific instructional needs, a specific battery of tests is ordered by the IST. This phase is called, not surprisingly, “testing.” But there are many versions of testing–some state-level mandated and others more random. In a direct sense, the determination of “at risk” can be influenced by the test itself and/or the test interpreter. Again, mAke the grAde provides counseling and education to parents on how to determine if their child has been tested appropriately. Although the IST may order a battery of tests, many parents choose to go outside the system and hire a private psychologist to do testing as well. mAke the grAde has 4 qualified psychologists that we can refer to or recommend.

IEP = Individualized Educational Program.

If a child is tested by the IST and it is determined that there is a need, then the IST (often along with the school or private psychologist) will create an IEP. This generally consists of some instructional recommendations made by the team for inclusion in the day-to-day class curriculum (e.g. providing a book with large text, allowance for untimed testing, etc.), and for supplemental support outside of the classroom (e.g. visits to a reading specialist). Again, parents are most confused at this point: Is the IEP right? Is there compliance at the classroom and/or IST levels? This is where mAke the grAde advocates for and counsels the parents.