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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 Now here's your host, Adam Bush. Welcome back to Your Morning Boost.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:19 Thanks for joining me today.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:23 Today we are diving deeper into 504 meetings and we're going to explore how
00:00:23 --> 00:00:28 to hold a successful meeting and develop a truly effective 504 plan.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:33 Now, remember, 504 plans, these are designed to ensure students with disabilities
00:00:33 --> 00:00:37 have equal access to free and appropriate public education.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:43 And to achieve this, accommodations must directly address how a student's impairment
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 substantially limits a major life activity.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:49 It could be learning, reading, or writing, but certainly how that limitation
00:00:49 --> 00:00:53 impacts their ability to access a general education curriculum.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 Now, earlier this week, we talked about eligibility. I'm going to skip that
00:00:56 --> 00:01:00 part of it. If you want to, if you hadn't caught that, please go back and take a listen to those.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 I think that will help maybe fill in a few gaps if you're just jumping in here today.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 But today we're going to really get into developing a solid plan.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 So we have eligibility, we have the team together.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:14 Now we're looking at those accommodations or things that we need to do to be
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 able to provide that student access to school.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:22 Now, one thing that I always remind my teams, the difference between IDEA or
00:01:22 --> 00:01:28 special education IEPs and the difference between ADA or a Section 504 plan
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 is what actually happens within the plan.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 In an IEP, the school is going to be doing something.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:39 In a 504 plan, we are going to be permitting or providing.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 That's it. We're going to allow a student to do something, or we are going to
00:01:43 --> 00:01:47 be providing a student with something that they need to be able to access education.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 There is not instruction.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:56 If we have instruction, it is inappropriate on a 504 plan. That has to go on
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 to a special education plan or an IEP. So keep that in mind as you work through
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 those accommodations. But let's break it down a little bit.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 Accommodations, they are changes that create equal opportunities.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 Level the playing field, not go above and beyond.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:14 We're not going to give students boosts that is going to give them an advantage
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 over other students. We are leveling the playing field.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:23 We allow students with disabilities the opportunity to learn and succeed alongside their peers.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 And importantly, accommodations, they need to be reasonable,
00:02:26 --> 00:02:30 meaning they shouldn't fundamentally alter the nature of the education or create
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 a unique burden on the school.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:36 They should be effective, helping the student access the general curriculum
00:02:36 --> 00:02:40 and participate fully in school activities. Don't forget that part.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 Stuff before school, after school, any of the things that are happening within
00:02:44 --> 00:02:51 the school, students have the rights to be protected under ADA and participate in those activities.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 And of course, these accommodations, they should be individualized.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:58 It needs to be what works for one student, and that may or may not work for another.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:03 So some common accommodations. Some of these could be extended time on assignments
00:03:03 --> 00:03:08 and tests, preferential seating, reduced workload, assistive technology,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:12 speech-to-text, graphic organizers. We had an episode on this last week.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 Check that one out if you want to learn a little bit more about assistive technology,
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 but there's a lot of things out there that can help a student gain access to
00:03:18 --> 00:03:24 education. We could focus on alternative testing formats, oral exams versus written exams.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 Let's consider a student with a visual impairment. Maybe they struggle to read textbooks.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:32 Providing audiobooks or large print materials, these are effective accommodations
00:03:32 --> 00:03:36 because they directly address the student's visual impairment and allow them
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 to access the information presented in the textbook.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 Now, you might be saying to me, well, that just makes sense.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 Why don't we just give it to them anyway? Why go through the whole process of this?
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 Well, actually, one of the things, and we didn't talk about this in our eligibility.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:55 Episode here earlier this week, but there is also the perceived disability wording
00:03:55 --> 00:03:59 that comes in ADA and a lot of the OCR guidance that we have received since
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 these laws have been passed.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:04 That perceived disability piece really looks at the fact of,
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 are you already accommodating the student?
00:04:07 --> 00:04:11 Well, if we're already providing accommodations, we've already made the determination
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 that that student is eligible.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 And although we need to be a little bit careful of predetermination,
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 in a case like this, if we are providing those accommodations.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 That student's likely eligible. And it's our job to be able to make sure that
00:04:24 --> 00:04:28 we go through that child find process, eligibility process, and get to the piece
00:04:28 --> 00:04:29 that we need to have here.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:33 So these are the accommodations we're going to look at when we're into our 504
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 meeting. So let's talk about the 504 meeting itself.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 It's crucial to discuss the student's strengths. We want to identify weaknesses,
00:04:39 --> 00:04:44 of course, and explore some potential accommodations and brainstorm solutions
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 that address the student's specific needs.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:50 And again, how those needs impact their ability to learn. For example,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:55 a student with dysgraphia struggling with handwriting, they might benefit from
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 using assistive technology, receiving extra time for assignments,
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 or dictating their work.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:04 Again, what that accommodation is, what the disability is, and how these two
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 can work together for access to faith.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 We want to make sure that we help track progress, make sure we help determine
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 the effectiveness of a 504 plan.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 Remember, it's important that accommodations are not static.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:19 As a student needs change, 504 plan needs to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:24 Now, there are not laws specifically on an annual review or a three-year re-eval
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 or anything like there is an IDEA.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:32 But again, OCR, with a lack of those laws or the lack of those things.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:36 OCR tells us we should follow the regulations with an ADA because,
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 frankly, they're just a little bit more specific.
00:05:39 --> 00:05:44 So having that annual review, just maybe just don't worry about a deadline date.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 We just want to be pretty close to that annual review because,
00:05:47 --> 00:05:51 again, our goal is to make sure that we are providing the right accommodations
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 and those needs are going to change.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:57 So review it, adjust it accordingly, focus on that connection between impairment,
00:05:57 --> 00:06:02 limitations, and fate, and carefully select and implement effective accommodations.
00:06:02 --> 00:06:06 And if we don't need some that have been on the plan before, take them off.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 Get that plan to be an accurate representation of what that student needs to
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 be able to access school.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 Thanks again for tuning in today. We'll be back again tomorrow for the final
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 episode this week on Section 504.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 Thanks again for listening, and we will talk with you again tomorrow.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:25 You have been listening to your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership
00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:31 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:36 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.