Topic 1

What is an IEP?

An IEP or Individualized Education Program is a working document that tells what is special about a student and what is special about the student's education. It is intended to be a dynamic, living process of problem solving among all IEP partners for determining the special education and related service supports needed for students with disabilities. The IEP process should be used to increase the connection between regular and special education, as well as the school's connections with families. The IEP is a vehicle used to maximize a student's individual ability to achieve at the same level as non-disabled peers. Rather than a complex document, the IEP should be considered a student-centered planning tool that connects assessment, standards, general education curriculums, special modifications relating to specific student disabilities, instruction in the classroom, and short and longrange student results.

What are the purposes of the IEP?

The purpose of the IEP is to provide:

a communication vehicle between parents and school personnel equal participants in deciding student's needs, services to be provided, and anticipated outcomes an opportunity for resolving differences and coming to mutual agreement a written commitment of resources necessary to provide special education and related services

a management tool to ensure that agreed upon services are implemented a monitoring instrument to determine whether agreed upon special needs are being met as evidenced by student's progress toward goals an evaluation device to determine whether the student's special needs are being met as evidenced by student's progress toward goals

What an IEP is not

An IEP is not:

a lesson plan a contract a guarantee of results, even though the IEP specifies that needed services must be provided