FAQ: Education Plans at IMSA

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The following is a letter from current IMSA students. This letter has been reviewed only for clarity and the appropriateness of its language, and no edits have been made to its content, claims, or assertions. The Acronym supports respectful discourse about the challenges facing our community and welcomes comments on this article which uphold that standard.

Submitted by: Jai Sutaria (’23), Dhruv Patel (’23), Aaliyah Ali (’23), Venus Obazuaye (’23), and Yareli Marinez (’23).

What is an Education Plan?

An Education Plan (also referred to as an Ed Plan) is a list of accommodations given to a student in order to support them academically based on where they may be struggling due to one or more disabilities.

What is the process to receive an Education Plan?

The process begins by submitting diagnosis information to the current Academic Support Associate, Dr. Linda Hefferin, at lhefferin@imsa.edu

What kind of diagnosis(ses) qualify for an education plan?

Education Plans are available for various types of medical or social-emotional diagnoses. 

Can I submit my 504/IEP plan?

IMSA does not use 504/IEP plans. Students may submit their 504/IEP plans, but the doctor’s diagnosis dated within the past three years is used to start the education plan process. 

Where can I get financial help in order to get a diagnosis?

There are options available to support low-income families in getting a student a diagnosis. If this would be beneficial to you, please speak to one of the counselors in Student Life and they will help explore the best option that works for your family. 

How do Education Plan meetings work? 

The student, parent/guardian, the Academic Support Specialist, and the student’s teachers and staff members are invited to review the Education Plan. The meeting is scheduled when the student is not in class, and it typically lasts 30-40 minutes. The meeting can be scheduled in person at the Academy or via Zoom.

How do I set up a meeting? How soon can I do it? 

Contact the current Academic Support Specialist at 630-907-5677 or email lhefferin@imsa.edu. The meeting will be scheduled as quickly as possible, typically within one week and it can be set up at any point during the year.

How does a student extend their accommodations to an SIR and/or Internship?

For questions about accommodations in internships, please contact the IMSA Innovation Center Coordinator, Sue Fricano (sfricano@imsa.edu). For questions about accommodations in SIRs, please contact the SIR Office (sir@imsa.edu). 

What other support can I get besides an education plan?

Students can individually talk to teachers in classes that they are struggling in to see if there are any feasible case-by-case accommodations they can work out with that teacher.

Where can I find more information on education plans/who can I talk to to get more information?

Contact the Academic Support Specialist, Dr. Linda Hefferin. Call 630.907.5677 or email lhefferin@imsa.edu.

About the Author

Dhruv Patel
Dhruv Patel is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Acronym for the 2022-2023 academic year. He hails from hall 1505, where he's better known as the Fob Forgetter. Dhruv is looking forward to moving The Acronym towards more IMSA-centric publications. Outside of journalism, he's an advocate for disability equity, leading L&D Matter and spearheading critical research for the Council for Campus Equity.

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