THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN (IEP)
The IEP is a written plan that designates your child’s educational experiences. Under the IDEA 2004, your child is entitled to meeting to determine your child’s Individualized Education Plan. This plan describes your child’s current instructional needs and how they are performing. The IEP should include detailed and measurable annual goals and include short term objectives or benchmarks.
An IEP includes:
- The student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance
- Statements of the student’s educational needs
- Measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to enable the student to be involved in and make progress in the same curriculum as typical peers
- Short-term objectives that specify the steps necessary to achieve each goal
- Special education, related services, supplementary aids and services necessary for the student to meet goals and objectives
- The program modifications or supports that will be provided to the student to meet goals and objectives
- Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) statement that explains the extent to which the student will not participate in the regular class and activities
- Documentation of services to be provided, including when they will begin, how long they will last, how often they will occur, where they will occur
- Starting at age 14, the plan must address the student’s needs for transition from secondary services and services to meet those needs including courses of study
- When a student reaches the age of 18, there is additional documentation regarding various legal rights
