Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the foundation of special education services.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public school districts to provide students with disabilities with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The IEP is legal documentation of how that FAPE is provided for a particular student across a program of special and related education services.

The IEP is a collaborative document developed between school and service personnel (which may include special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, related services providers and others) and a student’s family. IEPs are reviewed by all parties multiple times throughout a year, with changes made as appropriate to ensure a student is meeting their educational goals.

“The essential function of an IEP is to set out a plan for pursuing academic and functional advancement” (Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, 2017, p. 992).

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The IRIS Center

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Supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and located at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, the IRIS Center develops and disseminates free, engaging online resources about evidence-based instructional and behavioral practices to support the education of all students, particularly struggling learners and those with disabilities. These resources, designed to bridge the research-to-practice gap, are intended for use in college teacher preparation programs, in professional development (PD) activities for practicing professionals, and by independent learners.

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Related Blogs

Sarah Novak

Novack
Sarah Novak is a middle school Intervention Specialist at Heritage Middle School in Westerville, Ohio. After graduating from Bowling Green State University with a degree in Special Education in 1999, she started her career teaching students with multiple disabilities in Waldorf, Maryland. Since that time, Sarah has taught at a variety of places with a variety of students, but has been at Heritage for 13 years because she is meant to work with middle school students
Publish Date: 
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Cain Alvey

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As a moderate-severe disabilities teacher for an independent school district in a suburb of Louisville for 5 years, I focused my instruction on increasing the functional ability and independence of my students while still seeing academic growth in my students.
Publish Date: 
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Your student’s road to success will be directed by your daily instruction based on your IEP goals. Here are some thoughtful and helpful tips to move forward with drafting an IEP.
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How to Create the Best IEP and IEP Results…Even from a Distance

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As someone who has spent her career delivering speech therapy to students and schools online, here are some tips based on my experiences to ensure that you and your IEP team are able to keep IEP meetings productive, positive, and consistent during this inconsistent time.
Publish Date: 
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A Message on COVID-19: Supporting Students with Exceptionalities

A Message on COVID-19: Supporting Students with Exceptionalities
As you begin preparing for changes in instruction and asking your local and state officials about how to best proceed, we wanted to share some resources to help you start planning for disruptions in the normal manner in which IEP services are delivered.
Publish Date: 
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Related Topics

Common Core
Compliance and Ethics
IDEA

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