Developing an IEP is at the heart of providing a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The 1997 amendments to IDEA call for several changes in the IEP development process. One of these changes requires the IEP team to consider a specific set of topics, and to make statements in the IEP related to these considerations.

IEP Requirements

As mandated by IDEA, each IEP must include:

• A measurable goal(s)
  • Can be taken directly from curriculum
  
  
• Present level of functioning
  • Grade level
  • How the disability affects classroom performance
  
  
• Statement as to how progress towards annual goals will be measured
  • Criterion-referenced tests
  • Standardized tests
  • Teacher made evaluations
  • Teacher observations

Guidelines for writing effective IEP Goals

IEP goals should not be written using information gathered from standardized tests. Information from standardized tests is simply a means of qualifying a student for services. The goals should be based on academic need. When writing IEP goals, information should be gathered from a variety of sources. This includes information from the classroom teacher, special education teacher and parents. The following questions should be carefully considered during the processing of developing an IEP:

• What goals will provide the most significant academic progress?
• What goals will have the most impact on functional classroom communication?
• What goals will provide the most improvement on state based assessment preparation?

You might also be interested in...

• What Every Educator Should Know About Inclusion, Collaboration, and the LRE
• Federal Laws Regarding Students with Disabilities
• Obtaining Admin Support for Collaboration

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