Individual Service Plan (ISP) vs. 504 Plan

An Indiviualized Education Plan (IEP) is a public school document that explains the services required for a student with a disability and may be used when converting to an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) for parentally placed private school students. Children with disabilities enrolled in public schools are entitled to FAPE and MUST receive the full range of services under IDEA Part B that are necessary to meet the child's individual needs through a developed IEP.

An ISP is developed and implemented for each private school student with a disability who has been designated to receive special education and/or related services. The ISP must be developed by a team and reviewed at least annually. An ISP is limited and only provides the services as determined by the school district. Students are not entitled to FAPE in the private schools. An ISP is usually a much less detailed document that often will only describe the types of services being provided, the frequency of the services, and the location of where those services will be provided.

Students with an ISP require specialized instruction. At Alleman, students with an ISP receive minutes with the resource teacher, and possibly other outside services, throughout the week in a one-on-one or small group setting in the resource room or general education classroom to supplement the general education curriculum. Students meet with the resource teacher during their assigned study halls 1-5 times a week. As specified in each individual student plan, students may come to the resource room during class periods to complete quizzes and tests, as arranged by the resource and regular education teacher. Students may also come to the resource room to work on skill gap areas (working on practice and lessons via individual computers/technology) as arranged by the resource and regular education teacher.

Usually, students with a 504 Plan do not require specialized instruction. A child who doesn't qualify for an ISP, might still be able to get a 504 Plan. At Alleman, most students with a 504 Plan only receive accommodations & modifications within the general education classroom and do not see the resource teacher on a regular basis. Although, the resource teacher may check in with the student and teacher to make sure the student is receiving necessary accommodations & modifications in the classroom to help the student be successful. Upon the resource and regular education teachers' discretion, it may be decided that some students with a 504 plan would benefit from having a quiet place to work during study hall, and may arrange to be in the resource room during assigned study hall period.