My Student's IEP

The IEP is a written document for students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 26 years old, who receive special education programs and related services. The purpose of an IEP is to identify each student’s needs, develop reasonable learning goals, and document the services the school district will provide to help the student achieve these goals. The plan is crafted between you (the parent) and the educational team (at school). It's about figuring out what your child needs in order to successfully learn in the least restrictive environment for him/her in school.

A few things to remember:

The IEP is a contract between the school and yourself.
You – as a parent – have rights – and a lot of them!
The IEP follows a set process.
There is a lot of help out there if you need it.
The Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) section of the IEP provides a snapshot of your child at a particular time and place.
This section may include medical information related to your child's disability.
The present levels section will include summary statements of your child's performance in assessed areas and will be updated each year.
The goals are based on the PLAAFP statement.

Parent-Friendly Resources

Family Matters is an outreach effort from the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education that provides parents with information about special education and other resources. Family Matters Fact Sheets explain special education laws, rules, and practices in parent-friendly language. The fact sheets are easy to read and give links to more in-depth resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an IEP do?

What's in the IEP?

Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP), which is information on how the student is doing in school and how his or her disability may affect progress in the general education curriculum.
Specific skills or sets of skills to be taught are called ‘goals.’ These goals must be reasonable and achievable for the student.
A description of how the student’s progress on these goals will be measured.
Special education and related services (such as speech therapy), including supplementary (or additional) aids and services the student will receive (also called accommodations).
The amount of time during the school day, if any, the student will spend apart from his or her peers without disabilities.
The student’s participation in state and district tests, including test accommodations.
The projected start date for the services and modifications provided to the student, including where, how often, and how long.

Who is on the IEP team?

Required IEP Team members who are responsible for developing a student’s IEP include: the parents of the student, no less than one general education teacher of the student, at least one special education teacher who works with the student, a representative of the public agency, an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results and, at the discretion of the parent or agency, other individuals who have knowledge of the child.