A controversial topic in special education revolves around the letter F. Synonymous with failure and naughty words, more and more pressure has been put on educators in recent years in regards to grades. I am sure many teachers have seen the comic depicting a 50's classroom where the parents blame the student for the F and a present day classroom where the parents are furious with the teacher for failing their child. Grades are a very complicated subject in and of themselves and we will leave that topic for another day, but today, I will attempt to shed light on an age old question...
Can a child on an IEP get an F in a class?
The short answer is yes, but in reality, the issue is much more convoluted. The bottom line is that an IEP is no guarantee of passing grades, but if a child on an IEP is failing, then it is time to reconvene the team. Clearly, the level of support and specially designed instruction is insufficient to meet the student's needs. Perhaps the student needs modifications or an alternative grading scale.
IEPs are here to help students access their education and if a student is failing his or her classes, it is not meeting that need.
