No Student Left Behind How students use UPA’s 504 and IEP plans ARTICLE & DESIGN BY SANA PURDHANI • INFOGRAPHIC BY ALYSSA GARCIA
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n 1975, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 plans were introduced into school systems to help students with learning disabilities increase their educational outcomes. Under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), students with disabilities’ rights were legally recognized, which allowed them to finally attend public schools for the first time. In subsequent years, there was a gradual increase nationwide in the number of schools and teachers that implemented these optional plans. IEPs help students with disabilities implement specific goals so they are able to receive an equal opportunity in terms of education by motivating and supporting them to fulfill their educational goals. If all parties agree—–typically an administrator, the student and their legal guardians—–these plans can be adjusted when needed based on the individual’s progress, and are typically assessed every three years. There are 13 disability categories covered by the plan, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), speech or language impairment, visual impairment and traumatic brain injury. Sophomore Lucas Hennings has had an IEP plan for eight years and took a front seat in designing and implementing it in order to feel more responsible for it. “The school is being really supportive of our needs and how we have different ways to learn,” Hennings said. “I can’t think of any problem I have had that UPA hasn’t been willing to talk about. I am quite happy with how my IEP is being handled.” 504 plans have the same end-goal as IEP plans—–to help students succeed in school—–but they are covered by different laws. With a 504 plan, the accommodations have a wider range and are not as extensive, but specifically address disabilities. Accommodations can vary from preferential seating and extended time on assignments to modified textbooks and behavior management support. More students meet the requirements of a 504 plan since there are fewer rules for applying, including having a disability that affects a student’s physical, emotional or cognitive disabilities. Schools prefer to have a diagnosis or some proof of a student’s mental disability to qualify for a 504 plan. Director of Special Programs Jean Mastrogiacomo said just under 10% of students at UPA have either an IEP or 504 plan—
which is around 60 students. This is her second year managing the IEP and 504 plans on campus. Mastrogiacomo said students with these plans have the ability to succeed academically, but the plans provide mechanisms to remove roadblocks and provide students with access to learning in a method that is more personalized to their specific needs. “I think they’re super necessary in a lot of cases,” Mastrogiacomo said. “Because each child doesn’t learn the same way and each child may have different challenges that present itself where they just can’t succeed in the traditional kind of structure with the rest of the kids.” According to EdSource, due to COVID-19 and distance learning, the number of 504 plans spiked nationwide. Last year, nearly one in every eight California children in grades K through 12 received specially designed instruction, an increase of 14%. Although the majority of students in special education have learning disabilities, much of the spike is attributable to increasing autism diagnoses. There has been a definite gradual increase in plans over the past couple of years as noticed by Spanish teacher Aimee Verapinto. “They’ve increased quite a bit,” Verapinto said. “I think there might be a connection to COVID-19 in that era of learning loss, and that year where kids experienced a lot of anxiety coming back to the world, so to speak.” Hennings believes that distance learning was beneficial to finding an important accommodation that works well for him. “The switch to distance learning actually benefited me greatly,” Hennings said. “Because of how well I actually excelled during that time when everything was digital, I actually just recently added the ‘computer for everything’ accommodation ability to my IEP. The decrease in writing and the increase in digital work has benefited me a lot.” Mastrogiacomo believes that more students are being identified, through teachers at school or tests that psychologists provide, and are reaching out for help at UPA. “It could be things that went unnoticed that are being brought up now so people can get the support they need,” Mastrogiacomo said. Verapinto describes her experience working with students that
“The school is being really supportive of our needs and how we have different ways to learn.” — Lucas Hennings
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