The Individualized Education Program (IEP)

If a child is eligible for special education services, the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee is required to develop an individualized education program (IEP). [34 CFR §300.320 - Definition of individualized education program.]

The ARD committee must consider:

• The most recent evaluation
• The strengths of the child
• Parent input
• Academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child

The IEP must contain:

• A statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP)
• A statement of annual goal(s) and how progress toward meeting the annual goal will be measured.  For students with disabilities who take alternate assessment, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives must be included (see information for Question and Answer Document: Individualized Education Program (IEP) Measurable Annual Goals below)
• A description of special education and related services designed to meet the student’s needs
• A description of the frequency for reporting progress to the parents
• A statement of participation in state and districtwide assessments (see information for the STAAR Alternate 2 Eligibility module below)
• A description of opportunities to participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities or justification for nonparticipation
• A description of the instructional setting and lengths of the student’s school day
• A written statement of the IEP must document the decisions of the ARD committee with respect to issues discussed at each ARD committee meeting. The written statement must also include: (1) the date of the meeting; (2) the name, position, and signature of each member participating in the meeting; and (3) an indication of whether the child's parents, the adult student, if applicable, and the administrator agreed or disagreed with the decisions of the ARD committee.
• Completion of the requirements for transition services (beginning for a student not later than when the student reaches 14 years of age)
• Documentation of information provided to the parents and student regarding transfer of rights at age of majority
• Completion of supplements for additional areas that are addressed for children with certain disabilities or needs:
• Student who is blind or visually impaired
• Transportation
• Extended school year
• Autism (Autism Supplement Guidance Document)
• Placement in a residential educational placement
• Placement at the Texas School for the  Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBI) or the Texas School for the Deaf
• Behavior intervention plan

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has developed a model individualized education program form. The form contains only the required components of an IEP set out in the IDEA and all state-imposed requirements relevant to an individualized education program not required under federal law. (see TEC 29.0051)

Click HERE to register for access the Writing PLAAFP and Developing Measurable Annual Goals recording.

This webinar consists of content related to PLAAFPs (the federal law and state guidance related to PLAAFPs that identify a student’s strengths, baseline data, and critical areas of need), annual academic goals (the purpose and importance of measurable annual goals and a four-step process for developing annual academic goals), and annual functional goals (the purpose and importance of functional goals and a four-step process for developing a functional goal).

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STAAR Alternate 2 Eligibility Module

As part of the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) ongoing efforts to improve the state’s testing program, the Student Assessment Division has developed a web-based training, the STAAR Alternate 2: Eligibility module to provide guidance to Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committees to make assessment decisions based on state guidelines. This module helps ARD committee members assure that only students with significant cognitive disabilities are assessed with an alternate assessment. It is designed to supplement, not replace, the mandatory training required of all personnel involved in testing.

Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process Training

A training was created by the Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Support Statewide Technical Assistance Network in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency with state and federal grants that focuses on developing present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) development based on student data, drafting annual goals (academic and/or functional) and objectives, if appropriate, and collecting data for reporting progress. Participants will understand the importance of these components and how their alignment results in an appropriate and ambitious individualized education program for students receiving special education and related services. The intended audience for this training is special education teachers, related service providers, and any other professional staff responsible for drafting a student’s IEP, including present levels of academic achievement and functional performance and measurable annual goals. 

Please contact your regional education service center (ESC) for information about session details.

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Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process: Implications for Administrators

The focus of this session is to learn more about the Standards-Based IEP Process. The primary focus of the training is to review the role of the administrator (or LEA representative in an Admission, Review, or Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting in reviewing the full and individual evaluation (FIE), developing present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) development, drafting measurable annual goals, and objectives if appropriate, and creating a data collection system for progress monitoring. This training was created by the Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Support Statewide Technical Assistance Network in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency with state and federal grants.

Please contact your regional education service center (ESC) for information about session details.

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Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process: Implications for Evaluation Personnel

The focus of this session is to learn more about the Standards-Based IEP Process. The primary focus of the training is on the full and individual evaluation (FIE), present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) development and writing goals and objectives. This training was created by the Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Support Statewide Technical Assistance Network in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency with state and federal grants.

Please contact your regional education service center (ESC) for information about session details.