If you’re considering software to help manage your school district’s individualized education program (IEP) services, you’re taking the first, wise step in an important process. Software is a great way to simultaneously support student achievement and meet compliance requirements. You can track the progress and development of each student through helpful, easy-to-access services data and big picture progress monitoring charts. The software’s IEP services documentation and reporting makes compliance with state and Federal government requirements easier and eliminates a lot of the guesswork. And the right software can transform the way you evaluate student progress, letting you assess and implement the program changes you need to improve student outcomes.
But all IEP services systems are not the same. To make the most of your software purchase, make sure the system you choose has the following useful features:
Built-in compliance checks offer added control and confidence
IEP services software with built-in compliance checks are designed to help ensure you’re filling out the forms correctly to meet state and federal regulations. An effective system will highlight trouble areas, so you include all the information you need in the right way.
Track Federal Indicators with helpful reporting
There are 20 different Federal indicators that Special Education departments must track to measure effectiveness and compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B program. Robust software can help track and report on a large proportion of these indicators including:
- Graduation rates
- Dropout rates
- Suspensions and expulsions
- Preschool and general education least restrictive environment ( LRE)
- Preschool children with improved outcomes
- Parental involvement
- Disproportionate representation in Special Education due to inappropriate identification
- Disproportionate representation in specific disability categories due to inappropriate identification
- The timeframe between evaluation and identification (Child Find)
- Transition between IDEA Part C and IDEA Part B
- Transition in the IEP
- Timeliness and accuracy of state reported data
Leverage digital signatures to increase convenience, efficiency and reimbursements
A system that has digital signatures for service providers and parental/guardian consents can help make getting signatures an easier and more efficient process. With more consents to provide service, your school district can regain more Medicaid reimbursements for the services you provide. Plus, a robust system that keeps track of signatures lets you know when signatures have been attained, and report on which signatures are still outstanding.
Email reminders keep you ahead of deadlines
Providing IEP services to students involves so many deadlines — end dates for yearly IEP programs, referrals, Medicaid enrollments, licensing for service providers and more. Lapses between these items can affect student services and the amount of Medicaid reimbursements you regain. But robust IEP services software can help you keep track of these events with built-in email reminders, so forms are sent out and processed efficiently, deadlines are met, and your yearly IEP meetings happen just when they should.
Get speedy, at-a-glance knowledge with a high-level IEP overview report
While IEP paperwork can be a cumbersome 20-30 pages of detail to wade through, a good IEP services system should also give you a high-level, “at-a-glance” report to distill the most important details for school nurses and other providers. This helps them access key student IEP information quickly and keeps things moving.
Generate weekly and quarterly IEP progress monitoring reports
The IDEA requires that every IEP must include a statement detailing how a child’s parents will be regularly informed of both progress toward goals and the extent to which that progress is sufficient. While most IEP services software can help you generate progress reports, some systems also offer tools to support weekly progress monitoring, including the ability to generate graphs. This visual data helps you make more informed decisions about students, their progress, and identify IEPs for revision throughout the year.
Know which IEPs are compliant with Medicaid through one integrated system
Software that integrates your IEP services system with a school-based Medicaid billing system offers you even more power, like saving time entering student data and ensure greater data accuracy.. And, as Medicaid-compliant services fluctuate, the integrated system ensures you stay accurate, informed, and prepared to optimize Medicaid reimbursements.
Track Section 504 students with ease
Software can be helpful when you need to track more than IEP services — for instance, the services you provide to non-IEP students who need special accommodations like extra time on tests, medications at a certain time of day, and more. These services benefit from the same kind of quality tracking, follow-up and reporting you provide for IEP students, and software is out there to support it!
Everything IEP at your fingertips
An IEP services system can bring greater efficiency, accuracy, and better state and Federal compliance capabilities to your school district. It can keep you informed of student progress with powerful services data and easy-to-read charts that demonstrate student achievement over time, and help you pinpoint areas for improvement. It offers the important information you need to adjust IEPs in an effective and timely fashion, ultimately improving student outcomes.
Learn how one IEP services software solution, GoIDEA, can help you document, streamline and evaluate your IEP processes, and improve your reporting today. Click here!
