The IEP
The IEP Process
Once a child is determined to be eligible to receive special education supports and services through the ETR process, the IEP team must now develop the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to lay out how, when and by whom those special education supports and services will be provided. The IEP team must include, at a minimum, the parent/family of the child, a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, and a district representative. Other team members may include the child, related services providers, outside agency representatives, other family members, friends, or advocates.
The IEP has two general purposes:
to set reasonable learning goals for a child, and
to state the supports and services that the school district will provide for the child in order for them to have access to and make progress in the general curriculum.
The IEP is active for not more than 364 days from the date the IEP was agreed upon and signed by a qualified IEP team. At least once a year, the IEP team will be required to meet until the child turns 22 years of age, tests out of services, receives a diploma or the parent revokes consent for services. The IEP is a working document and the IEP team (including the parent, general education teachers, and district representative) is encouraged to meet throughout the year, as the child makes progress (or does not make progress) and not wait until the Annual IEP Review to make any necessary changes.
Each child’s IEP must contain specific information, as listed within IDEA
, our nation’s special education law. This includes (but is not limited to):
the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, describing how the child is currently doing in school and how the child’s disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum
annual goals for the child, meaning what parents and the school team think he or she can reasonably accomplish in a year
the special education and related services to be provided to the child, including supplementary aids and services (such as a communication device) and changes to the program or supports for school personnel
how much of the school day the child will be educated separately from nondisabled children or not participate in extracurricular or other nonacademic activities such as lunch or clubs
how (and if) the child is to participate in state and district-wide assessments, including what modifications to tests the child needs
when services and modifications will begin, how often they will be provided, where they will be provided, and how long they will last
how school personnel will measure the child’s progress toward the annual goals.
