69传媒

Special Education Explainer

What Is an IEP? Individualized Education Programs, Explained

By Eesha Pendharkar 鈥 July 27, 2023 1 min read
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Over the past decade, the number of students with disabilities has been increasing, and there鈥檚 also a special education teacher shortage.

That has made individualized education programs, which special education students rely on, all the more important, according to experts. All special education students rely on these programs, called IEPs, which allow them to receive educational services tailored to their needs.

In the 2021-22 school year, nationwide were special education students, reaching an all-time high in 46 years, according to National Center for Education Statistics data.

See Also

special populations getty 920 wide
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week and Getty

Even with special education staffing shortages increasing along with special education student numbers, districts are still required to meet the individual needs of these students, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The , or IDEA, is the federal law that mandates special education teachers be appropriately trained and have the knowledge and skills to serve children with disabilities, and that all special education students receive a 鈥渇ree appropriate public education.鈥

Some states and districts may be skirting the law, the U.S. Department of Education said last year in a letter to state directors of special education. Valerie Williams, the director of the office of special education programs at the education department, in a letter that they are still required to meet those requirements.

鈥淚n light of a teacher shortage when we are seeing an increase in students with very specific needs, how individualized can we be?鈥 said Brandi Smith, adjunct instructor in the school of education at American University, and a special education teacher.

What is an IEP?
An , or IEP, is a program tailored to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. The program is written in collaboration between a child鈥檚 school district, their parent or guardian, and sometimes, the student.

The document outlines the special educational needs based on the student鈥檚 identified disability. It outlines educational goals, and any specialist services they may need to meet those goals, according to Mitchell Yell, a professor of special education at the University of South Carolina.

It is not meant to be a daily instructional plan, but a big-picture summary of the student鈥檚 special needs, said James Shriner, Director Emeritus of the IEP Quality Project at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

An IEP generally describes a student鈥檚 educational programming for a year. If they do not meet the goals outlined in the IEP, the program is changed accordingly in an annual review of the program, Yell said.

鈥淭he IEP is essentially a personal accountability or personal accountability document,鈥 Shriner said.

鈥淭hat document has to be followed very honestly and with fidelity, so that [students with disabilities] are provided the free, appropriate public education, to which [they鈥檙e] entitled under the law.鈥
What are the qualifications for an IEP?
Not every student with disabilities is eligible for an IEP. To qualify, a student鈥檚 disability has to have a 鈥渟ignificant adverse effect on school performance,鈥 according to Shriner.

If a student is referred for an evaluation, generally, a school assessment team will determine whether the student fits into any of the 13 categories under IDEA that qualify that child for an IEP, according to the law.

Those categories include:
  1. Autism spectrum disorder
  2. Deaf-Blindness, or simultaneous hearing and visual impairments
  3. Deafness, including total or partial deafness
  4. Developmental delay, which means delays in communication, motor skills, or cognitive abilities
  5. Emotional disturbances, such as anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression
  6. Hearing impairments, including partial or temporary hearing loss, which aren鈥檛 identified under the 鈥渄eafness鈥 category
  7. Intellectual disability, such as Down syndrome
  8. Orthopedic impairment, such as cerebral palsy
  9. Other health impairments, which can include conditions such as ADHD
  10. Specific learning disability, such as any condition impacting a child鈥檚 ability to read (Dyslexia), write (dysgraphia), or do math (
  11. Speech or language impairment, such as stuttering or difficulty with articulation
  12. Traumatic brain injury caused by an accident
  13. Visual impairment, including partial and total blindness
The largest category of special education students typically has been specific learning disabilities, followed by speech or language impairment, and autism, according to experts and NCES data. 69传媒 can also have multiple disabilities, which compound the educational needs they have, experts said.
What is the purpose of an IEP?
The purpose of the IEP is to make sure the student has measurable goals to reach, and ensure they can get the special services they need, according to the law.

But the overall purpose of the program should be to integrate the special education student into general education, so they can eventually follow the same curriculum as their general education counterparts, Smith said.

鈥淭he heart of it is supposed to be access to the curriculum so that the students are able to make the same progress as their peers,鈥 she said.

鈥淚t should be written in such a way where they are able to eventually exit into just general ed and any teacher be able to work with them without additional support.鈥
What makes a good IEP?
A good IEP is based on multiple sources of data, according to Shriner. Before writing an IEP, the team should review data and observations, such as the student鈥檚 academic records, assessments from mental health experts, and conversations with parents about the child鈥檚 behavior at home, he said.

The student鈥檚 potential should be the focus of an IEP instead of their deficits, Smith said.

鈥淎 good IEP is anything that centers the way in which the environment can be adjusted and adapted to meet the student鈥檚 needs,鈥 she said.

IEPs also need to be reevaluated and adjusted according to the student鈥檚 progress, all three experts said.

69传媒 do not need to be on IEPs throughout their schooling if their plans are developed to help them meet educational goals and integrate into general education classrooms, Smith said.
What鈥檚 the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
All students with disabilities are protected from discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. But that does not automatically mean they qualify for IEPs, according to Yell and Shriner.

69传媒 whose disabilities do not adversely impact their school performance to a degree where they need specially designed instruction are covered under 504 plans as opposed to IEPs, Shriner said. 69传媒 develop 504 plans to support any students with disabilities, but unlike IEPs, these plans do not have to include specially designed instruction.

鈥淚f a kid can 鈥 function in school and make progress without specially designed instruction, then they may need a section 504 plan for medical conditions,鈥 Shriner said.

Accommodations under 504 plans can include extra time or separate rooms for students with anxiety to take tests, time to go to the nurse鈥檚 office for medications for students with medical conditions, and more.
What are the responsibilities of teachers when it comes to students with IEPs?
Special education teachers are involved in developing IEPs, but general education teachers should also typically be included in writing those programs, according to the experts.

Once an IEP is written, all teachers involved in the student鈥檚 education need to be aware of the special accommodations a student needs, including general education teachers who have students with special needs in their classrooms, according to Yell.

鈥淚t is often challenging for schools to communicate the requirements of the IEP to all teachers and to ensure they are implementing these requirements,鈥 he said. 鈥淚n a school, it is ultimately the principal鈥檚 responsibility to ensure implementation.鈥

The staffing shortage makes it even more challenging for schools to ensure they鈥檙e implementing students鈥 IEPs, since sometimes substitute teachers are not made aware of each student鈥檚 individualized needs, Yell said.

This can also make identifying students who need IEPs challenging, Smith said.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Special Education 5 Key Ways to Support 69传媒 With Learning Differences
Teachers are often uncertain about how to support students who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia.
4 min read
Black teacher smiling and giving a student a high five in a classroom of Black elementary students.
E+/Getty
Special Education How 69传媒 With Disabilities Fare in Both Charter and Regular Public 69传媒
69传媒 with disabilities experienced inequities in both types of schools, a new analysis shows.
6 min read
An illustration of a small person of color dragging a very large bookbag on their back.
DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education Interactive 5 Common Learning Differences in 69传媒: A Data Snapshot
Some key facts and figures about students with learning differences.
1 min read
An array of vibrantly colored brain illustrations arranged in a grid for easy examination. Categories, classifications, learning differences, brain scans.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education How Teachers Can Motivate and Engage Neurodiverse 69传媒
A balanced approach of addressing students' strengths and weaknesses is best, experts say.
5 min read
A child contemplates throwing a paper airplane while sitting at the center of a large abstract flower resembling a brain.
Nix Ren for Education Week