Anatomy of an IEP

Anatomy of an IEP: A Parent’s Guide to Your Child’s Educational Roadmap

Once your child has been found eligible for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services, the next step is creating their Individualized Education Program (IEP). This document can seem long and full of educational jargon, but at its heart, it’s a roadmap designed to meet your child’s unique needs.

The IEP is the cornerstone of your child’s education. It is a legally binding document that outlines the goals, services, and supports the school will provide. The entire IEP process is a collaborative effort, and you, the parent/guardian, are an equal and essential member of the team that builds this plan.

While the form itself can look different from district to district, every IEP must contain the same key components required by federal law. Let’s walk through them, section by section.

1. Student Information

This is the cover page of the IEP. It includes the basics: your child’s name, date of birth, grade, and other demographic details. It will also list the names and roles of every member of the IEP team. This helps you know who is at the table and what expertise they bring to the conversation.

2. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

This is arguably the most important section of the entire IEP. Often called “Present Levels” or PLOPs, this is the foundation upon which all other parts of the plan are built.

The PLAAFP is a detailed snapshot of how your child is doing in school right now. It should paint a complete picture by including:

• Strengths and Parent Concerns: What your child is good at, what they enjoy, and the concerns you have for their education.
• Evaluation Results: Data from classroom tests, observations, and the formal evaluations that were just completed.
• Impact of the Disability: A clear explanation of how your child’s disability affects their ability to learn and participate in the general education curriculum.

This section should be comprehensive and accurate, because the needs identified here will directly connect to the goals, services, and supports in the rest of the document.

3. Measurable Annual Goals

Based on the needs identified in the PLAAFP, the team will write specific, measurable annual goals. These are the academic and functional skills the team believes your child can reasonably achieve in one school year.

Goals can cover many areas including:

• Academic skills (reading, writing, math)
• Communication skills
• Social or behavioral skills
• Daily living or self-help skills

The key word here is measurable. A goal like “Karen will improve her reading” is too vague. A measurable goal would be, “Karen will correctly answer comprehension questions about a second-grade text with 90% accuracy.” This allows everyone to know exactly what the target is and when it has been met.

4. How Progress Will Be Measured and Reported

This section goes hand-in-hand with the annual goals. The IEP must state exactly how the school will track your child’s progress toward their goals and how often you will be updated. Progress reports must be provided to you at least as often as report cards are sent home. 

5. Special Education, Related Services, and Supplementary Aids

This is the “action” part of the IEP. It details the specific supports and services your child will receive. It’s typically broken down into a few key areas:

• Special Education: This describes the specially designed instruction your child will receive to meet their unique needs. This could be small-group instruction in a specific subject or support from a special education teacher within the general education classroom.
• Related Services: These are the supportive services your child needs to benefit from their special education. Common examples include speech therapy, occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and counseling services.
• Supplementary Aides and Services: These are the tools that help your child learn alongside their peers. This includes accommodations, which change how a child learns (like extra time on tests, or a seat at the front of the class), and modifications, which change what a child is expected to learn (like fewer homework problems).

6. Participation with Nondisabled Children (Least Restrictive Environment)

The law requires that students with disabilities be educated with their nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. This section of the IEP must explain the extent, if any, to which your child will not participate in the regular classroom and other school activities. If your child is being removed from the general education setting for any part of the day, the IEP must justify why it is necessary.

7. Participation in State and District-Wide Assessments

All students, including those with IEPs, must participate in state and district testing. This section explains what, if any, accommodations your child will receive during these tests. If the team determines that a particular test is not appropriate for your child, the IEP must state why and describe how your child will be tested instead (known as an alternate assessment).

8. Service Delivery: Dates, Frequency, Location, and Duration

This section provides the logistical details. It must clearly state:

• When services will begin
• How often they will be provided (e.g., “30 minutes, 2 times per week”)
• Where they will be provided (e.g., in the general education classroom or a resource room)
• How long the services are expected to last

Understanding these components will empower you to be an active, informed participant in the IEP meeting. Remember, this is your child’s education plan, and your voice is critical to its success. Now that you have a solid understanding of the IEP document itself, you might be wondering, “Who actually creates this, and what happens in that big meeting?” In our next post, we’ll introduce you to the members of the IEP team and walk you through what to expect in your first IEP meeting, so you can walk in feeling prepared and confident.