Special education teachers in our district and across the state are using a new IEP (Individual Education Plan) system called ACHIEVE. The Iowa ACHIEVE system helps special education teams build a plan for students that is individualized, focused on data, and can track progress and growth for students with exceptionalities. Benton's special education teachers were involved in hands-on training at the end of last school year so that the transition to the new system could be seamless.
The system holds Early ACCESS (birth through 3 years of age) and special education records of students with exceptionalities (ages 3 through 21). ACHIEVE supports students by planning, simplifying, processing, and streamlining student data. ACHIEVE provides tools to improve the IEP teams' decision-making skills, communication, and collaboration which positively impacts the students in our district.
While the IEP system has changed, the goal of the school team working together with parents to create an individualized education plan that builds on students’ skills and strengths, has not. Benton Community special education teachers strive for educational excellence, continuous growth, teamwork, and creating a caring and belonging atmosphere for students with special needs.