THE IEP PROCESS

Lauren Booth
SED 406
December 2018
Pre-Referral Process
• This preventative process is used to help decrease the number of unnecessary
referrals to special education.
• Can be used to support students with behavioral or academic difficulties.
• Members of the pre-referral team will work with the classroom teacher to
choose interventions that the teacher can use in the general education
classroom to support the student.
• Sequential process
• There are six stages to this process.
• 1. Initial Concern
• 2. Information Gathering
• 3. Information Sharing and Team Discussion
• 4. Discussion of Possible Strategies
• 5. Implementation and Monitoring of Strategies
• 6. Evaluation and Decision-Making

The IRIS Center (2008)

RIOT/ICEL Matrix
• A tool used to help teachers and school staff draw information
from a number of sources that may help to explain the student’s
academic or behavioral deficiencies and why they are not being
successful in the school environment.
• This data can be used to plan interventions before a student
receives services.

Wright, Jim (2010)

What is an IEP?
• After the pre-referral process has been completed and it has been
determined that the student qualifies for special education services
through evaluations, the student will receive an Individual
Education Program or IEP.
• An IEP is a written plan that is developed for the individual needs of
a student by an IEP team. This plan includes a description of what
supports the student will receive at school.
• An IEP can change annually based on the student’s needs.

Illinois State Board of Education (2009).

Broadcast Educational Media Commission (2016).
Members of an IEP Team
• Parents of the student
• Student (once they are of age)
• General Education Teacher- this person is knowledgeable of the grade-level
curriculum, and in most cases, will be responsible for implementing the
accommodations in the classroom.
• Special Education Teacher- also responsible for implementing the IEP.
• School Administrator- can ensure the IEP is implemented.
• Evaluation Personnel: Can explain/interpret student data.
• Others who are knowledgeable of student: may include a family friend, lawyer,
etc.

• *The initial IEP meeting should occur within 60 days from the date the student
was referred.

Illinois State Board of Education (2009).

Present Levels of Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance
• When an IEP is developed, the team needs to know the student’s
current level of performance and learning. Another important piece
of information the team should know about is the impact of the
disability on the student’s learning.
• This information is gathered from a variety of sources such as
classroom observations, assessment data, parent interviews, etc.
• The information obtained about the student will be written in the
PLAAFP statement in the IEP.
• This statement describes the current levels the student is working at
academically and functionally.
• It also includes the student’s strengths and needs.

PACER Center Action Information Sheets (2011).

Parts of an IEP: Annual Goals and Short-Term
Objectives
• Student goals are developed based
on the current levels of performance.
• Goals should be measureable and
achievable within one school year.
They should give students access to
the general education curriculum.
• The student’s progress toward a goal
should be reported to parents at
each grading period.
• Short-term objectives are stepping
stones toward achieving a goal.
• Short-term objectives should be
achievable during a grading period.

Illinois State Board of Education

(2009).
Special Education Services
• Individualized supports are provided for the eligible student to
assist them in meeting their annual goals. These services should be
noted in the student’s IEP.
• Inclusion: The student’s IEP should state the extent to which the
disability affects the ability to learn and participate in the general
education classroom. If the student needs to be removed from their
general education classroom, there should be a statement
indicating why in their IEP.
• An IEP should indicate how often services should be provided and
for how long each session will last, where the services will be
provided, and when the services will start and finish.
• The IEP team should decide what accommodations the student
needs in order to take yearly standardized assessments.

Illinois State Board of Education (2009).

Transition
• Once a student reaches 16 years of age (14.5 in Illinois), the IEP team
should plan to state what supports the student will receive in the
transition process.
• Transition services help students to prepare to transition to adult life after
school.
• This plan should include the students strengths and interests.
• Some examples of supports the student may receive are:
• Employment
• Independent living
• Postsecondary education
• Community experiences

The rights and responsibilities of special educations services are transferred to

the student once they are 18.

Illinois State Board of Education (2009).

Extended School Year
• Free services can be provided to students with an IEP outside of the
school day/year.
• Details of these services must be stated in the student’s IEP.
• These services can be provided at home, at school, or in the
community.
• The purpose is to prevent the loss of knowledge/skill.
• Not equivalent to summer school.

Illinois State Board of Education (2009).

Other Considerations: LEP, Braille, Communication
Needs, Assistive Technology, Autism
• LEP: If a English as a Second Language learner is in need of language
supports, this information should be written in their IEP.
• Visual Impairments: A student with a visual impairment’s IEP should
include the instruction and use of Braille at school, unless it is not
appropriate for the child.
• Communicate Needs: For students who are hard of hearing, the IEP team
must consider the student’s communication needs with others at school.
• Assistive Technology: AT consists of high-tech and low-tech devices. This
technology helps students with disabilities perform a skill that they
otherwise would not be able to do. The IEP Team should consider AT for
all students with an IEP.
• Autism: If a student has a disability that falls in the Autism Spectrum, the
IEP team should consider their verbal and nonverbal communication
needs, the need to develop social skills, the needs related to sensory
experiences, the needs as a result to change in routines, or behavioral
supports.
Illinois State Board of Education (2009).
Annual Review
• Once a year, the IEP Team meets to discuss the student and review
and revise the student’s IEP.
• The goals can be updated based on the individual needs of the
student.
• The parents should attend and be active members in this meeting.

Stanberry, Kristin. (2018).

Sources:
• Broadcast Educational Media Commission. (2016). Understanding the IEP process: The IEP. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZtQNez6Yc
• Illinois State Board of Education. (2009). Chapter 6: Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In
Educational rights and responsabilites: Understanding special education in Illinois (pp. 33-49). Author.
Retrieved from: https://www.isbe.net/documents/ch6-iep.pdf
• PACER Center Action Information Sheets. (2011). A place to start: Understanding the present level of
academic achievement and functional performance statement. Retrieved from: https://
reggienet.illinoisstate.edu/access/lessonbuilder/item/5994616/group5662e00b-70e4-4552-8ec8-
833a187b7aaa/Week%207:%20Oct%202-8PLAAFP%20_Pacer%20Center_pdf.pdf
• Stanberry, Kristin. (2018). The IEP meeting: An overview. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/
school-learning/special-services/ieps/the-iep-meeting-an-overview
• The IRIS Center. (2008). The pre-referral process: Procedures for supporting students with academic and
behavioral concerns. Retrieved from: https://www.iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/preref/
• Wright, Jim. (2010). The RIOT/ICEL matrix: Organizing data to answer questions about student academic
performance and behavior. Retrieved from: www.interventioncentral.org