Team

The composition of the IEP team is prescribed by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The school district is responsible for ensuring that the IEP team for each child with a disability includes the following: 

1. The parents and/or guardian of the child a. For guidance on how to proceed if parent/legal guardian cannot attend, see below.

2. Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment) 

3. Not less than one special educator of the child, or when appropriate, not less than one special education provider of the child

4. A representative of the public agency (school district) who: 

a. is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities; 

b. is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and 

c. is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency (school district).

d. An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, for example:

a. A school psychologist will be able to interpret the results of an intelligence test such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-5 th Edition and the implications of the student's low working memory has in regards to his/her ability to remember Provide parents with all documents such as assessment data, progress monitoring, checklists, and all other relevant data prior to attending the IEP meeting. If the parent requests an interpreter, a meeting with the interpreter may take place with all relevant data prior to the IEP meeting so the parent/legal guardian is adequately prepared for the meeting with concerns, comments, and questions. BEST PRACTICE complex or multiple step directions, the content of long text passages when answering reading comprehension questions, or recalling information that was presented in only one format. 

b. A school's reading specialists can interpret the results of a set of universal screeners and reading assessments in order to inform the IEP team of the student's specific reading needs to determine how to design specialized reading instruction that addresses his/her skill deficit. 

c. A speech-language pathologist will be able to interpret the results of a language evaluation, such as the Comprehensive Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-5 th Edition, and implications of how language deficits impact educational performance in reading, writing, responding, and understanding instruction. 

d. A student’s general education teacher or a teacher qualified to teach the student, (i.e., English as a second language (ESL) teacher, special educator) will be able to provide data on academic progress through a variety of classroom assessments and daily observations, as well as provide information shared by parents. This team member can also provide knowledge of the student’s language needs and understand cultural differences and how they impact language development. 

e.  At the discretion of the parent and/or the school district, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate. 

a. For example, depending on student needs, professionals may include one or more of the following: school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) professional, literacy coach, instructional coach, school counselor, ESL instruction professional if the student is an EL, audiologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, behavior specialist, or other professional such as a translator or physician, who has knowledge of the student useful for planning and developing an IEP. If the school district does invite such an individual to join the IEP team, it is the district who determines whether the individual has the requisite “knowledge or special expertise” about the child. 

b. The parent/legal guardian of the student has the right to invite individuals to participate in their child’s IEP meeting. If the parent(s) choose to exercise this right and invite another member to participate on the IEP team, he or she must have knowledge or special expertise about the child’s strengths and individual needs, and the party inviting the person—in this case, the parents—decides whether the individual meets that criterion. 

f. When appropriate, a school counselor participates on the IEP team. 

a. School counselors may be providing direct or support counseling services to the student. Student support services can include consulting with school personnel or outside agencies to coordinate appropriate services for the student and their families. 

b. School counselors may also provide academic advising and programming assistance for students with special education needs. Students receiving the most intensive interventions outside of the regular education class require special consideration in regard to their class schedule, especially in high school, to ensure that they will earn all required credits to graduate on time. 

g. Whenever appropriate, the child with a disability attends and participates in their own meeting. 

a. If a student is under 14 years old, he or she is not legally required to attend the IEP meeting, but his or her participation is encouraged as appropriate (see page 10 for additional information on student participation). 

b. If a student is 14 years old or older, he or she is legally required to be invited the IEP.