The IEP Process
What is an IEP?
An IEP is an abbreviation for an Individualized Education Program. If a student has been designated as having an educational disability, he or she will have an IEP developed to guide the educational process. In a nutshell, it means that the program will be specifically developed for the child (Individualized) according to his/her academic and functional strengths and needs (Education) and will be in place for identified aspects of his or her schooling (Program). The IEP is a legal document that outlines an educational plan developed in partnership with the parent, often the child, a school administrator, a special education teacher, and at least one regular education teacher. There may be other individuals who participate depending on the child’s needs. This team will decide what modifications and/or accommodations may be needed in school to help the child meet his or her educational potential. The plan is then shared with those school personnel with whom the child interacts during the day. The plan is reviewed annually by the team and changed as needed.
STEp by STep
Step 1: Pre-referral
In this step of the process, your child's teacher(s) will document and explain your child's struggles, test the effectiveness of classroom accommodations and modifications, assess the power of various instructional interventions and monitor your student's progress.
Step 2: Referral
If pre-referral interventions are unsuccessful, an individual is referred for special education services. At PRMS, students whose academic performance is significantly behind that of their classmates or who continually misbehave and disrupt the learning environment often draw the attention of their teachers. Due to this fact, teachers are typically the primary source of referrals; however, if parents believe there is an unidentified need that needs to be addressed, they may contact the school and the school will begin the IEP process.
Step 3: Identification
Assessment and data collection is key to this step of the IEP process to determine whether a child has a disability, whether special education is required, and what types of services are needed. Here at PRMS, the school psychologist is usually in charge of establishing an IEP team, which includes the child’s parents, educators, administrators, and other specialists. This team is responsible for providing the information/assessments needed to determine eligibility for special education services.
Step 4: Eligibility
Using the assessments and data from the identification step, the IEP team will determine in what areas a child qualifies for special eduction. If a child is not eligible for special services, then the child will remain in the general education setting.
Step 5: Development of the IEP
For those students who qualify for special education, a meeting will be held. This is called an IEP meeting. During the meeting, resources required by the child are identified, his or her individualized learning style is determined, and goals are established.
Step 6: Implementation of the IEP- Once the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is written, your child’s case manager will provide you, along with any professional within the school setting working with your child, a copy of the plan. This is a legal document and must be followed.
Step 7: Evaluation and reviews- As often as your child’s report cards are sent out (at PRMS, this is 8 times a school year), you should receive official IEP progress reports, though usually you’ll be given less formal updates on a more frequent basis. At least once a year, the IEP will be reviewed. At the meeting you can request changes or make suggestions, and if you disagree with the results, you can ask for additional evaluations or a hearing and mediation. In addition to the annual IEP meetings, every three years your child will be re-evaluated to determine if special education is still deemed necessary or if your child has another need that needs to be addressed.
