IEP
Also: Individualized Education Program, Individualized Education Plan
A legally binding written plan for a student with a disability that spells out the specialized instruction and services the school will provide.
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legally binding document required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for every K-12 student who qualifies for special education. It describes the student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, the annual goals the team expects the student to reach, the specially designed instruction and related services the school will provide, any accommodations or modifications, and how progress will be measured.
An IEP is developed by a team that includes at minimum the parent or guardian, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a representative of the district, and — when appropriate — the student. The team must meet at least once a year to review the IEP and update it as needed. Every three years the student must be re-evaluated to confirm continued eligibility.
For a special education teacher, the IEP is the operational blueprint for a student: it dictates how many service minutes are owed, what goals to progress-monitor, and what accommodations must appear in the general education classroom.
Related terms
- SDISpecially Designed Instruction: the adapted content, methodology, or delivery of instruction a student with an IEP needs to make progress.
- PLAAFPThe section of an IEP that describes what a student currently knows and can do — the baseline from which annual goals are written.
- FAPEA student's right under IDEA to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education tailored to their individual needs at no cost to the family.
- LREIDEA's requirement that students with disabilities be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
- IDEAThe federal law that guarantees students with disabilities a free appropriate public education and governs how IEPs are written and delivered.
- Annual ReviewThe once-per-year IEP meeting where the team reviews progress and updates the plan.
- Re-evaluationThe re-assessment every three years (or sooner if needed) that confirms a student still qualifies for special education.
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