Individualized Education Program - IEP
Individualized and Appropriate Education
An IEP is designed to meet the unique educational needs of one child, who may have a disability, as defined by federal regulations. The IEP is intended to help children reach educational goals more easily than they otherwise would. In all cases the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must especially help teachers and related service providers such as paraprofessional educators understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law on Dec. 3, 2004, by President George W. Bush. The provisions of the act became effective on July 1, 2005, with the exception of some of the elements pertaining to the definition of a “highly qualified teacher” that took effect upon the signing of the act. The final regulations were published on Aug. 14, 2006. This is one in a series of documents, prepared by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of Education that covers a variety of high-interest topics and brings together the regulatory requirements related to those topics to support constituents in preparing to implement the new regulations.1 This document addresses significant changes from preexisting regulations to the final regulatory requirements regarding IEPs.
source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
IDEA Regulations for IEP
1. Revise general requirements for the content of IEPs.
A statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and to meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability.
2. Revise requirements for the content of IEPs relating to transition services.
Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills
3. Clarify requirements regarding transfer of rights.
Beginning not later than one year before the child reaches the age of majority under State law, the IEP must include a statement that the child has been informed of the child’s rights under Part B of the Act, if any, that will transfer to the child on reaching the age of majority.
4. Include a rule of construction regarding the content of IEPs.The IEP Team to include information under one component of a child’s IEP that is already contained under another component of the child’s IEP.
5. Set forth requirements for IEPs when children with disabilities transfer from one public agency to another.
If a child with a disability (who had an IEP that was in effect in a previous public agency in the same State) transfers to a new public agency in the same State, and enrolls in a new school within the same school year, the new public agency (in consultation with the parents) must provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child (including services comparable to those described in the child’s IEP from the previous public agency)
source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
A statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and to meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability.
2. Revise requirements for the content of IEPs relating to transition services.
Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills
3. Clarify requirements regarding transfer of rights.
Beginning not later than one year before the child reaches the age of majority under State law, the IEP must include a statement that the child has been informed of the child’s rights under Part B of the Act, if any, that will transfer to the child on reaching the age of majority.
4. Include a rule of construction regarding the content of IEPs.The IEP Team to include information under one component of a child’s IEP that is already contained under another component of the child’s IEP.
5. Set forth requirements for IEPs when children with disabilities transfer from one public agency to another.
If a child with a disability (who had an IEP that was in effect in a previous public agency in the same State) transfers to a new public agency in the same State, and enrolls in a new school within the same school year, the new public agency (in consultation with the parents) must provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child (including services comparable to those described in the child’s IEP from the previous public agency)
source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
Resources: Additional Information
What is an IEP? http://www.peopleforeducation.com/parents/specialed/iep
10 Steps of IEP from the U.S. Ed.gov http://ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html
10 Steps of IEP from the U.S. Ed.gov http://ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html