Deciding What You Need
Whether you are making improvements to an existing program or building a new program from the ground up, assessing your program needs is crucial to your success. It will pave the way for setting short-term objectives, as well as long-term programmatic goals. In previous years, CADRE provided intensive technical assistance in the form of multistate workgroups in the area of IEP facilitation program design. Within this model, SEAs and contracted agencies responsible for managing dispute resolution programs were brought together via virtual and face-to-face meetings to build an additional upstream option for families and districts in conflict. Participants brought a variety of backgrounds with regard to program development. Some were looking to improve an existing facilitation program while others were building a new program from scratch.
CADRE has developed a Facilitated IEP Program Initial Self-Assessment tool. The assessment is organized around the DR SIPE framework and not only allows users to determine their level of proficiency in certain areas, but shines a light on what CADRE believes to be critical function areas of effective system design (system structure and organization, program access and delivery, practitioner standards and development, public awareness and outreach, evaluation and continuous quality improvement).