In Spanish | En español
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement of the educational program designed to meet a child’s individual needs. Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP. That’s why the process of developing this vital document is of great interest and importance to educators, administrators, and families alike. … Read the rest

This info in Spanish | Esta información en español The IEP must contain a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child. We’ve split up the discussion of each of these important elements, because there is so much to say about each. … Read the rest

This info in Spanish | Esta información en español The IEP must also contain a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child. That’s three separate, distinct, and critical elements–special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services–and each is worthy of a book on its own. … Read the rest

Another component of the IEP that IDEA requires is specifying how the child’s progress will be measured. This statement flows naturally out of the annual goals written for the child, which must be measurable. If you’re familiar with the 1997 Amendments to IDEA, you’ll recognize this component, because it is maintained under the Amendments of 2004. … Read the rest

In the past, benchmarks or short-term objectives were required elements in every child’s IEP. No longer, however. Now, benchmarks or short-term objectives are required only for children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards.

• IDEA’s exact words
• Purpose of benchmarks and short-term objectives
• Example
• For whom are benchmarks or objectives required?

 … Read the rest

This info in Spanish | Esta información en español Now let’s take a look at annual goals, the second component of the IEP, in the following sections:

Annual goals, in a nutshell IDEA’s exact words Tie between “present levels” and annual goals Using prompting questions

Addressing the child’s academic & functional needs The importance of “annual” and “measurable” Examples What about objectives?

 … Read the rest

IDEA requires that each IEP must include a statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. This part of the IEP is commonly referred to as the “present levels statement.” For short, we’re just going to call it “present levels.” If you’d like to know more about it– the information to include, where to get it from, and the importance of this statement overall to the IEP that’s developed– keep reading! … Read the rest

A Close Look at Each IEP Component

The list above of IEP contents is helpful in understanding what type of information is basically required in a child’s IEP. However, the more you understand about each individual part, and especially how they go together to form an action plan for a child’s education, the easier it will be to write a well-grounded and effective IEP. … Read the rest

This info in Spanish | Esta información en español This article describes how the IEP meeting is scheduled, who comes, and the factors team members must consider when writing an IEP. IEP teams are made up of individuals who bring different perspectives and expertise to the table. Pooling their knowledge, team members set out to craft an individualized response to a specific child’s needs, taking into account that same child’s strengths and talents. … Read the rest

About the IEP Team in Spanish | En español
To write an effective IEP for a child with a disability, parents, teachers, other school staff—and often the child—come together at a meeting to look closely at the child’s unique needs. These individuals combine their knowledge, experience, and commitment to design an educational program that must help the child to be involved in, and progress in, the general education curriculum—that is, the same curriculum as for children without disabilities. … Read the rest