The Individualized Educational Program (IEP)

Required members of each IEP team are:

• The child's parent(s)/guardian(s)
• At least one of the child's general education teachers (if your child is, or might become, part of general education classes)
• At least one special education teacher
• A representative of the school district who:
  • Is qualified to provide or supervise special education programs
  • Knows about the general education curriculum
  • Knows about the resources the local educational agency (LEA) can offer
• Someone who can interpret the evaluation results, who may already be a member of the team
• At your request or that of the school district, other people who know your child well or who have worked with your child. You may bring an advocate to advise you or anyone else who will be able to add information about your child's educational experiences
• Your child at age 14 when planning for life after graduation, or any time before that age when you want your child to be present
• A representative from a vocational-technical school if a vocational-technical program is being considered for your child

One person may fill more than one of the roles described above. The minimum number of people at the IEP meeting should be four in most circumstances:

• Parent
• The local education agency (LEA) representative
• A special education teacher
• A general education teacher (if your child will participate at all in general education)

Regulations stipulate that if you choose not to attend the IEP meeting, it may be held without you.

The IEP team will review the evaluation report and will determine how your child is performing in school now. The IEP team will then write measurable annual goals short-term objectives, if your child takes the alternative form of the state assessments, to meet your child's needs. Annual goals describe what your child can be expected to learn during the year. The short-term objectives are the sequential steps your child must take in order to reach those goals.

Specifically, the IEP team will determine:

• The special education services and programs your child will receive to meet his or her needs
• Where, what kind of, how much and how often special education and related services will be provided
• The date such programs and services will begin and how long they will last
• The tests or other methods of evaluation that will be used to decide if your child is meeting the annual goals and learning objectives, and how and when this progress will be reported to you
• Whether, and to extent, your child will not participate in the general education class or in the general education curriculum
• Whether your child will be in settings with other special education students only
• Whether your child will not be studying skills or knowledge that are directly linked to the skills and knowledge studied by the children in general education
• The adjustments in the general education setting (also referred to as supplementary aids and services) if any, necessary for your child to succeed in a general education class (for example, giving a child untimed tests or having someone help the child take class notes)
• The accommodations needed, if any, for your child to participate in state-wide or district-wide tests
• A description of any Extended School Year services to which your child may be entitled

Your child's first IEP must be completed within 30 calendar days after the evaluation team issues its Evaluation Report. The IEP must be put into action as soon as possible, but no later than 10 days after the IEP is completed.

Your child's program is reviewed annually at an IEP meeting, or more often if requested by you or any other IEP team member. The team conducts additional evaluations (reevaluations) at least every three years, or every two years if your child has an intellectual disability.

As your child gets older, the IEP team will design a program to help your child prepare for life after school graduation. This is called transition planning, and it is done through the IEP process. It facilitates the transition from school to the world of work or other activities.

Planning for the transition from school to adult living must begin when your child turns 14, or sooner if the IEP team believes early planning would be appropriate. The IEP team (including your child) must discuss what you and your child want your child to be doing when high school is completed. These plans must include the kind of education or training your child will receive, the kind of job your child might have, where your child will live, and how your child will spend time in the community.

Once the IEP team develops your child's Individualized Education Program, you will receive a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP). The NOREP explains the recommended educational placement or class for your child, and explains your rights. You must approve the IEP and your child's educational placement in writing before the school is allowed to begin implementation of special education services.