Gerona Junior College, Inc.
Poblacion 3, Gerona, Tarlac
Foundation of Special Education and Inclusive Education
WRITTEN REPORT
Name: Cruz, Lintlaire G. Year & Course: Bachelor of Elementary Education II
Week 8: Understanding Individualized Education
Plans (IEP).
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:
 Describe the purpose, components, and
importance of Individualized Education Plans.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a systematic,
purposive, and developmental educational
programming document of curricular and instructional
priorities and contents designed to meet the learner's
special needs and aimed at ensuring mastery of learning
for target skills and behaviors (Dizon, 1999).
Purpose of IEP
The IEP is a roadmap for the student’s academic career
and guarantees access to the same educational
opportunities and curricula as their classmates. The plan
explains the adjustments, modifications, and other
support services the student needs to advance through
the general education curriculum and is founded on
thoroughly examining the student’s skills, needs, and
aspirations.
Importance of IEP
The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents,
school administrators, related services personnel, and
students (when appropriate) to work together to
improve educational results for children with
disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality
education for each child with a disability.
Components of IEP
 PRESENT LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE
(PLAAFP Statement)
Reflects a student’s current academic and functional
performance based on objective data from
assessments and progress monitoring.
 Statement of GOALS
Measurable annual academic and functional goals
that flow from the PLAAFP statement; students
taking alternate assessments require benchmarks or
short-term objectives.
 Statement of RELATED SERVICES
Describes services provided by persons other than
the Intervention Specialist (Speech and Language,
OT, PT, etc.)
Date: 03/11/2024
 MODIFICATIONS
Changes to the curriculum a student requires to
access and demonstrate learning and function
throughout the school environment.
 ACCOMMODATIONS
Special supports a student needs to learn new
material, demonstrate learning and function in all
aspects of school life.
 Statement of LEAST RESTRICTIVE
ENVIRONMENT
Describes the extent to which the student will or
will not participate in regular classes and in
extracurricular activities.
CAREGIVERS’ ROLES IN IEPS
As noted above, families are important members of the
IEP team. They are invited to give their input into the
development of the IEP and future revisions as needed.
During IEP meetings, caregivers are asked to talk about
their child, future goals, strengths, concerns, and needs.
If families do not agree with the contents of the IEP,
they may request a mediation (a meeting with an
objective third party to help address differences) or a
due process hearing (a legal proceeding with a hearing
officer).
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS’ ROLES IN IEPS
School psychologists are often part of teams that
develop initial IEPs because of their role in interpreting
evaluation results. School psychologists, however, can
also be valued regular members of IEP teams due to
their knowledge of instructional and progress
monitoring strategies; data collection; academic,
behavioral, and mental health interventions; and goal-
setting strategies. The contribution of school
psychologists during IEP annual reviews and
reevaluations varies by state and school district.
TEACHERS’ AND ADMINISTRATORS’ ROLES
IN IEPS
As noted above, at least one general education teacher
and one special education teacher knowledgeable about
the student are required members of IEP teams.
Additionally, a school administrator most often serves
as the local education agency representative on the IEP
team. Beyond team membership, teachers are
responsible for carrying out the provisions of the IEP,
including the specially designed instruction and any
accommodations and modifications outlined on the IEP
that are needed for the child. Administrators are
responsible for overseeing the provision of special
education services and ensuring services are provided
in accordance with the IEP.
Steps in the IEP process
Referral
The student is referred for a formal evaluation, usually
by school personnel or her parents. The student’s
parents must give written, informed consent. That is,
they must understand that they are allowing their child
to be evaluated to determine whether she has a
disability that affects educational performance.
Evaluation
this initial comprehensive, individualized assessment of
the student is conducted in all areas of concern,
including both academic and functional performance.
Timeline: The evaluation must be conducted within 60
days of receiving parental consent or within state
established timelines.
Eligibility Determination
At this point, the student’s evaluation results are
reviewed with an eye toward answering a pair of key
questions:
 Does the student have a disability?
 Does that disability affect the student’s academic
and/or functional performance to such an extent
that she requires special education services?
If the answer to both these questions is “yes,” the
student is considered eligible for special education
services.
IEP Implementation
Education professionals provide the special education
supports and services to the student as outlined in the
IEP. If the student does not make appropriate progress,
the IEP team meets to determine possible reasons for
her lack of progress, and makes adjustments
accordingly.
Timeline: The implementation must take place as soon
as possible after the IEP is developed.
Annual Review
The student’s progress toward meeting her IEP goals is
to be evaluated annually, unless the IEP team and the
student’s parents agree otherwise. At this time, the
student’s current performance, progress, needs, and
placement are revisited and her IEP updated
accordingly.
Timeline: The annual review must occur within 12
months following the development of the previous IEP.
Re-evaluation
The student must be re-evaluated every three years,
unless the IEP team members and the student’s parents
agree otherwise. The purpose of the re-evaluation is to
determine whether she is still eligible for and requires
special education services. This usually entails another
comprehensive, individualized evaluation (see
Evaluation Step).
Timeline: The re-evaluation must occur at least
once every three years.

IEP Development
When a student meets the eligibility criteria, the IEP
team develops the IEP. The IEP team determines and
documents:

 The student’s academic and/or functional needs, as

identified in the evaluation
 Measurable annual goals that are reasonably
calculated to enable the student to make meaningful
progress
 The services and supports the student will receive.
 The method and timeframe for monitoring the
student’s progress
 The mode and frequency for communicating the
student’s progress to her parents