Guide to Writing Quality Individualized Education Programs

Presented in a question-and-answer format, this guide provides information to assist teachers of students with disabilities in writing quality Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Following an introduction explaining the purposes of the IEP, the guide is organized around seven important steps in creating IEPs: (1) describe the student; (2) describe the student's present level of educational performance; (3) write the student's annual goals along with benchmarks or short-term objectives; (4) describe the special education and related services needed to achieve the goals; (5) describe the extent to which the student will not participate in the general curriculum; (6) explain the student's participation in statewide and district assessments; and (7) describe ways that the student's parents will be regularly informed of progress toward goals. Each section is intended to help teachers understand the IEP process in greater depth. Additional examples are provided of crucial IEP features. Opportunities are provided to develop IEP writing skills based on information from four students with special needs. An appendix includes a sample blank IEP form, a completed sample IEP form, and an annotated list of organizational and online resources.