Taking the Mystery Out of the IEP Process

Navigating the process required for a student with disabilities to qualify for the services they need to access the same educational opportunities as their peers without disabilities can seem complicated and challenging. This is especially true for families and teachers who may care for or work with a student eligible for special education support. Demystifying the process can help families and teachers in protecting that student’s right to a meaningful education. A federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) emphasizes access to the general education curriculum and requires every student with a disability to receive a “Free and Appropriate Public Education” or FAPE. The mechanism by which schools provide educational services to a student with disabilities in satisfying the FAPE mandate is called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is a legally binding, written document that details a student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance and describes the annual goals that will enable them to participate in the general education curriculum. It also explains how those goals will be measured and specifies the special education services and support that will be provided to the student. Individuals from ages three to 21 who are in a traditional or charter school setting and deemed eligible to receive special education services are entitled by law to an IEP.

The IEP is a crucial tool that will shape the learning experience of a student with disabilities and significantly impact their ability to achieve a positive educational outcome in school. For these reasons, the development of an IEP involves a team of educational professionals with expertise in their respective disciplines who collaborate on how best to meet the individual needs of a student eligible for special education services. Central to the IEP team are the parents or guardians of the student. Their participation is legally required and will influence the likelihood that the IEP will be successful. Kristen O’Brien, associate professor in the Special Education Program within the School of Education at George Mason University, provided an overview of the IEP process and shared her thoughts on how teachers can support all students regardless of whether they have a disability or not.

Who are the educational professionals who participate on the IEP team?

The professional composition of an IEP team will differ depending on the student’s individualized needs. By law, the team must include at least one special education teacher, one general education teacher, and a school-based administrator or school district representative authorized to approve the services outlined in the IEP. The IEP team may also include a school psychologist with the ability to interpret evaluation or assessment data specific to the student. This will help the team determine the type of special education services that should be included in the IEP. Others on the team might include a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, nurse, or a professional versed in related special education services that may benefit the student.

Putting the IEP Into Motion

Once an IEP is developed and approved, it is time to implement it in the classroom. But taking something written on paper and putting it into motion in the real-world environment of the classroom can be a daunting challenge for even the most experienced teacher. Fortunately, there are many things that an educator can do that will make this more manageable. The first step is to become familiar with the student’s IEP. Remember, the IEP is a carefully and thoughtfully crafted document that is rich with information on the student’s strengths, weaknesses, areas of need, and individualized goals.

Collaboration with IEP Team Members

Teachers should also collaborate with other professionals on the IEP team who can share their specific expertise and guidance. This will help a classroom teacher develop a teaching strategy that will be the most effective in addressing the student’s needs. For example, a general education teacher with expertise in curriculum content could confer with a special education teacher who has specialized knowledge of how to design instruction tailored to students with disabilities. Another example could involve collaboration with a school colleague who understands the use of assistive technology in the classroom. Assistive technology tools such as digital text, audio books, text-to-speech devices, or augmentative and alternative communication devices can make learning materials more accessible to students who have visual, physical, or learning impairments that make it difficult to access these materials in a standard format. Assistive technology provides these students with more opportunities to engage with content in ways that support their individual learning needs.

Building a trusting relationship with the student’s family members will reinforce learning in the classroom.

It is important for teachers to engage with family members on the IEP team to learn more about the student’s home life. This can help teachers build a relationship based on trust which can lead to valuable feedback from parents or guardians on how the student behaves outside the classroom. The family can also benefit by understanding actions they can take at home which will supplement and reinforce the learning activities of their student at school.

Ways in Which Teachers Can Support All Students

Many of the methods and practices by which teachers support the learning of students with disabilities can also be applied to students without disabilities. Among these, teachers can create a safe and welcoming learning environment in their classroom where all students, regardless of their abilities or cultural background, are accepted, respected, and valued.

In addition, teachers can incorporate into their classroom the 22 High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) that were developed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in partnership with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR). The HLPs are evidence-based teaching practices and techniques that can be used throughout the classroom environment to support student learning and behavior.

In other strategies, when designing a lesson teachers can adopt a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework that provides students with diverse ways in which they can meaningfully participate in the lesson and achieve required learning goals. For example, print-based educational text can be made available in the classroom as accessible instructional materials in alternate formats such as braille, large print, audio recordings, and digital text. These substitute formats are designed to meet the individual learning needs of students with disabilities that make it difficult for them to access regular text. This removes a learning barrier that a student with a print disability might otherwise encounter and provides them with the same educational opportunities available to their peers.

To learn more about degree offerings in the Special Education Program at George Mason University’s School of Education, please visit the program website.