IEPs: Individualized Education Plans

If your child has been diagnosed with a disability that interferes with his/her academic progress, he needs an IEP. It is the document that assures you that your child will receive the services he needs to be successful in school. This plan should be written by the IEP team (which includes the parent) at the IEP or PET meeting. The team must consider the student's present level of educational performance. This can be determined by a combination of tests, observations, evaluations, and classroom reports from the classroom teacher.

The IEP team must discuss the child's strengths, parental suggestions for enhancing their child's education, results of recent evaluations, and how the child has scored on district or state wide tests.

The IEP must state the child's present level of academic performance and set annual measurable goals that your child can reasonable be expected to achieve, based on this performance and any results from the evaluation process. These goals must be broken down into short term objectives that are reasonably calculated to meet the annual goal. Goals can be academic, address social or behavioral needs, relate to physical needs, or address other educational needs.

The IEP must list the special education and related services to be provided to the child. It also must specify modifications (changes) to the program or supports for school personnel: such as training or professional development that will be provided to assist the child.

The degree of participation with non disabled children must also be stated. The IEP must explain the extent (if any) to which the child will not participate with non disabled children in the regular class and other school activities.

The IEP must state what modifications in the administration of district wide or state wide tests the child will need. If a test is not appropriate for the child, the IEP must state why the test is not appropriate and how the child will be assessed.

The IEP must state when services will begin, how often they will be provided, by whom, where they will be provided, and how long they will last.