IEP Not Being Implemented? Take these 3 steps first.

Schools are busy, classes are overcrowded, and even the most dedicated teacher can have a bad day.

Unfortunately, special education students can feel these impacts more than non-disabled peers.

The Individualized Education Program or IEP is a map that lays out the steps the school must take to support a student with disabilities. The IEP is a legal document that follows students between classes, grades, and schools until they graduate from high school or reach the age of 21.

If you feel that your child’s IEP isn’t being implemented adequately, these are the steps you can take to investigate.

Review Data

Data drives decision-making. Treat every communication, report, assessment, and evaluation as evidence.

What data has been provided to you, the parent? Have you received feedback from teachers and staff. Are there quarterly progress notes? When did your case manager check-in last? What’s the cadence of communication?

Asking for an IEP Meeting

IEP meetings are not limited to just once a year.

Ask your Educational Management Team for a meeting to review progress. The school team should provide documentation 5 days before the meeting. It should include more than one source of data such as county or statewide assessments, formal and informal assessments, teacher observations, etc.

Engage in a robust dialogue with school staff to determine the root cause of why the student is not fully accessing the general education curriculum. Has something changed in the classroom? Personnel switch? Are new or different types of skills required?

Laying out the whole picture may help to identify if supports aren’t being implemented, a change is creating a barrier to access or a modification of the IEP is required.

Keep the Dialogue Going

Parents are within their rights to request feedback.

Schedule meetings for 6-8 weeks to review academic, behavioral, and social emotional data. These meetings should identify desired outcomes, identify how staff will implement proactive strategies, and how data will be collected and communicated.

The IEP process isn’t intended to be static. Aim for continual improvement to gradually uncover and implement the supports a student may need.