What is an IEP?
IEP is an acronym that stands for Individualized Education Program. It a written plan designed to meet a student’s unique needs. The IEP is a written document that is developed for a child who is eligible for special education services. The IEP is created through a team effort and reviewed at least once a year.
The IEP is:
A meeting where parents and school personnel jointly make decisions about an educational program for a student with a disability.
A document that is a written record of the decisions reached at the meeting for a student who will receive special education and related services.
A management tool used to implement an educational program.
The IEP is not:
The IEP is not a daily lesson plan, but it does cover an entire year.
The IEP is not an evaluation report. An evaluation report describes your child’s strengths and needs. The information from an evaluation report is used to help write the IEP.
The IEP is not a contract. It does describe things you and the school have agreed to do for your child, but it cannot guarantee that all the special help will be successful.
The IEP is not a comprehensive curriculum. It relates to special considerations within your child’s overall education.
The IEP is not timeless. As your child grows and learns and changes, the IEP will need to reflect these changes.
At the IEP meeting:
The IEP team will discuss your child's educational needs (including strengths, concerns, and progress)
The IEP team will create goals that will be addressed over the upcoming calendar year.
The IEP team will determine appropriate placement and services to allow your child to achieve those goals.
The IEP team includes parents, who are a part of this decision making process, along with school personnel.
Before the school district may provide special education and related services to your child for the first time, the parents must give consent for those services in writing. The child begins to receive services as soon as possible after consent is given.