On Tuesday, March 13, 2018 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, The Illinois Life Span Program of The Arc of Illinois will host a free webinar, IEP Facilitation: How Facilitated IEP Meetings Can Guide the Process, with Sherry Colegrove, of the Illinois State Board of Education(ISBE) and three IEP facilitators.

Please register for Lunch Webinar – IEP Facilitation: How Facilitated IEP Meetings Can Ensure Parent Voice on Mar 13, 2018 12:00 PM CDT at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6372359664921580291.

Details about how to join the webinar will be sent to you upon registration. (If you’re unable to join, a recording will be available at https://www.thearcofil.org/monthly-webinars/ at a later date.)

About the Webinar:  Parents and school personnel sometimes find themselves facing the challenges of needing to communicate and collaborate with others whose opinions and perspectives differ significantly from theirs, especially during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.  The Illinois State Board of Education’s Special Education Division has created an optional and free resource to assist IEP teams in ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. IEP facilitation is a process that helps foster effective communication between parents and districts as they develop a mutually acceptable IEP document.

In this webinar, the presenters will provide an overview of the purpose, components, and benefits of IEP facilitation.  They will also share a few “real life” facilitation experiences and briefly describe some of the strategies used during IEP meetings to promote successful whole team collaboration and communication. As a result of the webinar, participants will increase their knowledge and understanding of IEP facilitation as a process that supports teams in reaching and maintaining agreements during any IEP meeting.

About the Presenters:  Sherry Colegrove has many years of experience in the area of special education and has served as the ISBE’s IEP Facilitation Coordinator for the past several years, from the early infancy stages of creating the program to the program’s first full year of implementation statewide. In addition, she has held the position as the agency’s Special Education Mediation Coordinator for the past two decades, bringing much experience and expertise to the state.

Each of the contracted state facilitators brings a rich professional history to the program.  They have taught and/or served in administrative positions in public school districts and/or state agencies. They have conducted several facilitated IEP meetings since the inception of the program.

Kathryn Cox has 33 years of experience in the field of special education, including nine years as a public school special education teacher and 24 years as a consultant and administrator in Special Education Services at the ISBE.  In the latter part of her tenure at ISBE, she served as Coordinator for the state’s comprehensive system of personnel development and Project Director of the State Personnel Development Grant, which involved developing, overseeing, and evaluating evidence-based technical assistance, coaching, and professional development for educators and parents.

Susan Harding has served as a Director of Special Education and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist with over 35 years’ experience working with children, youth, parents and educators. She has presented numerous workshops and in-services to parent organizations and school groups to promote a shared understanding of educational topics and special education laws. Susan has been a lifelong advocate of thoughtful dialogue as a means of understanding differences and is a skilled facilitator with a practical and clinical understanding of student learning as well as organizational structures.

Michael T. McElherne has many years’ experience as a Special Education Teacher and Administrator throughout the Chicago area. He currently works as a supervisor of clinical programs for Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), a consultant to school districts, and a mentor to building principals. His graduate work was devoted to understanding how school administrators could be better trained to understand the needs of parents and families.