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Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) stipulates requirements for states and local education agencies in the provision of special education and related services for children with disabilities. Additionally, the law is very clear in its emphasis on the importance of including parents in the decision-making process of preparing an appropriate Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Consequently, it is imperative that parents and school personnel work together to develop the IEP, which will set forth the special education and related services that the child will receive in an effort to meet his or her specific, individual academic and/or behavioral needs.

Federal legislation stipulates the specific information that must be included in the IEP. It does not, however, set forth a uniform document that every state and local education agency must complete. As a result, the actual IEP form may differ from one state to another or even from one district to another. (To determine what your state uses as its IEP format, refer to Appendix B. There you will find a listing of state departments of education websites for each of the 50 states.) Regardless of the IEP form’s appearance, every IEP must include the following components:

 Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFPs)The first written statement in the IEP which indicates the child’s current performance. The information for this statement generally comes from teacher observations of the student during class and evaluation results of the student’s classroom performance, which likely includes assessments, assignments, and classwork.The statement not only stipulates the student’s current level of performance, but it also includes how the student’s disability impacts his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

 Annual GoalsThese are statements that indicate what the student can reasonably accomplish in a year.Goals may be academic, may address social or behavioral needs, or may relate to the physical needs of the individual.All goals should be measurable.

 Stipulation of Special Education and Related ServicesThe IEP must stipulate the special education and related services that will be provided. This includes supplementary aids and services the child needs as well as modifications to the program or supports for school personnel that will be provided to assist the student.

 Stipulation of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)The IEP must explain the extent to which the student will not participate with his or her nondisabled peers in the general education environment and in other activities.

 Stipulation of Participation in State and Districtwide AssessmentsThe IEP must stipulate what modifications will be made in the administration of the assessments.If the child will not participate in the state and districtwide assessments, the IEP must include an explanation for the nonparticipation.

 Initiation, Frequency, Location, and Duration of ServicesThe IEP must include a start date for services, a stipulation of how often the services will be provided, where the services will take place, and how long the services will be provided.

 Transition Planning (Individualized Transition Plan—ITP)Beginning when the student is 16, the IEP must stipulate what transition services are required to help the student prepare for postsecondary life. The ITP is not a separate document and must be included in the student’s IEP.

 Age of MajorityBeginning at least 1 year before the student reaches the age of majority, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of the rights that will be transferred to him or her at the age of majority.

 Measurement of ProgressThe IEP must stipulate how a student’s progress will be measured and monitored.The IEP will stipulate how the parents will be informed of the student’s progress toward achieving his or her IEP goals.