IEP (Individualized Education Program)

Central to the tenets of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), which amended the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA), is the provision of an Individualized Education Program for each student with a disability in order to provide a free and appropriate public education for that student. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written program that specifies the special education programs and services to be provided by the school district to meet the educational needs of a student with a disability. The IEP must include:

• the individual needs of the student including academic, social, physical and management needs;
• the classification of the disability of the student;
• annual goals that are consistent with the student's needs and the short-term objectives necessary to meet the annual goals;
• the recommended program including class size and the extent that the student will participate in regular education;
• the projected date for the initiation and the review of special education and related services, and the amount of time the student will receive such services;
• a description of any specialized equipment needed for the student to benefit from education;
• program modifications;
• a list of testing modifications to be used by the student; and,
• the recommended placement for the student.

The program of each student with a disability is reviewed annually and a re-evaluation is completed every three years to determine current individual needs and continuing eligibility for special education.