Discussion Questions for the Video

Chapter 1 Discussion: Opening

  1. What is the role of the facilitator at ARD/IEP meetings?
  2. What is the benefit of having a written, personalized agenda posted for the team members to see during the meeting?
  3. State one benefit of clarifying the purpose of the meeting.
  4. What is the facilitator’s responsibility when a parent requests additional agenda items?
  5. What is the purpose of the “future conversations” chart?

Chapter 2 Discussion: Discussion Guidelines

  1. What is the purpose of establishing discussion guidelines?
  2. What guidelines might be most appropriate for the typical IEP meeting?
  3. What might happen if the facilitator does not ask team members to agree to follow the guidelines?
  4. What should a facilitator do when a team member suggests an additional guideline?
  5. What is the facilitator’s role in relation to the guidelines during the meeting?

Chapter 3 Discussion: Questioning

  1. What is different about the responses to open-ended questions as opposed to closed questions?
  2. What type of questions did the facilitator use to invite the mother to provide information? What was the result?
  3. How do you think the mother felt as a result of being asked to provide information?
  4. What did the facilitator do to clarify the general description of “acted out?”
  5. What did the facilitator do to acknowledge what the parent said?

Chapter 4 Discussion: Summarizing and Reframing

  1. What is generally the purpose of a facilitator’s summary?
  2. What is the significance of a neutral summary?
  3. How did the facilitator use the agenda during this section?
  4. How does a facilitator make a summary more neutral?
  5. What might have happened if the facilitator disagreed with the mother or got defensive?

Chapter 5 Discussion: Identifying the problem based on interests

  1. What separates an interest from a position? What is the difference?
  2. What did the facilitator do after the Behavior Specialist gave her report?
  3. What happened as the facilitator summarized what he understood to be the concerns of the team?
  4. How did the facilitator frame the interests?
  5. What is the significance of asking team members to agree on the underlying interests and then framing them as a goal?

Chapter 6 Discussion: Generating Options

  1. At what point in the meeting process does the facilitator invite options?
  2. What is the benefit of using a brainstorming approach?
  3. What did the facilitator do as ideas were offered?
  4. What are the benefits of using a visual during this part of the discussion?

Chapter 7 Discussion: Decision Making & Consensus

  1. What is the meaning of consensus?
  2. How did the facilitator describe consensus?
  3. How did the facilitator frame the question to test for consensus?
  4. What is the benefit of the facilitator clearly stating the recommendation prior to asking for an indication of consensus?
  5. What words did the facilitator use when asking for each member’s indication of consensus?

Chapter 8 Discussion: Closing the Meeting

  1. What is the purpose of stating whether the team had met the goal of the meeting?
  2. What is the purpose of a commitment form? What information might the form include?
  3. What happens with the future conversations chart?
  4. What is the facilitator’s role with items on the future conversations chart?
  5. What is the purpose of inviting team participants to provide feedback about the meeting?