An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement of the educational program designed to meet a child’s individual needs. Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP. An individualized education program has the goal of setting reasonable improvement learning goals for a child for one year including whys the school will help achieve those goals (Gibb and Dyches, 2007). The IEP is developed by a team that meets and discusses the relevant information about the child's strengths and needs.
The team meets, critiques the assessment data accessible about the child, and plans an educational program to address the child’s educational needs that result from his or her disability. This team meets at least once a year. Gibb and Dyches (2007) outline seven steps teams should employ in writing an IEP as listed within IDEA. This information includes, but is not exclusive to the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance,. Knowing how the child is currently doing in school must be known before the team can set reasonable goals.
The next step involves writing the annual goals for the child, meaning what parents and the school team think the child can accomplish in a year within reason, the special education and related services to be provided to the child, including secondary aids and services and modifications to the program , how much of the school day the child will be educated separately from non-disabled children or not take part in outside or other nonacademic activities, how the child is to take part in state and district-wide assessments, including what changes to tests the child needs, when services and modifications will begin, how often they will be provided, where they will be provided, and how long they will last, and how school personnel will measure the child’s progress toward the annual goals. After six steps have been accomplished the final step involves completing a transition plan for students aged sixteen and older.
The knowledge that I have gained is that fact that the parent or the child's teacher may request the student be evaluated, but parental consent must be given before student can be evaluated. Information to create the present level of academic achievement and functional performance is obtained from many sources such as assessment data and observations. The evaluation results will be used to decide the child’s eligibility for special education and related services and to make decisions about an appropriate educational program for the child. Once the student is tested and determined eligible for services the IEP must be written. Once the IEP is implemented, the school must make sure that the child’s IEP is being carried out as it was written. Parents are given a copy of the IEP.
Each of the child’s teachers and service providers has access to the IEP and knows his or her specific duties for carrying out the IEP. This includes the accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided to the child, in keeping with the IEP. The child’s progress toward the annual goals is measured, as stated in the IEP. The child's parents are informed on a regular basis of their progress and whether that progress is enough for the child to accomplish the goals by the end of the year. The child’s IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year, or more often if the parents or school ask for a review. At least every three years the child must be reevaluated.
