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IEP
Five Phases of the IEP Process
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1. Gather
information
Information of various kinds is needed for an IEP. The
teacher assigned to coordinate the development of the
plan may therefore find it efficient to assign different
members of the IEP development team to gather information
related to the different parts of the process. Information
should be obtained from a variety of sources and shared
among team members so that the planning team can develop
a comprehensive view of the student’s learning profile
and programming needs. Part of this phase includes:
- Review of the student’s records (including
the IPRC’s Statement of Decision and/or previous
IEPs)
- Consult with parents, the student, school staff, and
other professionals
- Gather information through observation of the student
- Conduct further assessments, if necessary
- Consolidate and record information
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2. Set
the direction
The IEP needs to be developed collaboratively, both by those
who know the student best and by those who will be working
directly with the student. Members of the IEP team
involve parents/guardians in the collaborative process as
early as possible. The educational priorities identified
by family members are important to the student’s overall
learning experience. Parents/guardians play an important
role in the IEP process by communicating to the IEP team
a picture of their child’s life thus far, suggesting
ways to avoid
potential problems, and helping the team achieve continuity
of programming for the student. This phase for the
IEP development includes:
- Establish a collaborative approach – The IEP
team
- Establish roles and responsibilities
- Begin work on the IEP (e.g., record the reason for the
IEP, record personal information, list relevant
assessment
data)
- Indicate the student’s areas of strength and
areas of need on the IEP (as identified in the IPRC’s
statement of decision, where applicable)
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3. Develop
the IEP as it relates to the student’s Special Education
Program and Services
In planning a student’s special education program,
the IEP team must consider a range of options to determine
the ones that will best meet the student’s needs, from
the provision of accommodations alone to the development
of alternative programs. This phase includes the following:
- Classify subjects or courses and alternative program
areas
- Record decisions about program exemptions, course substitutions,
and eligibility for a diploma or a certificate
- Determine accommodations; record subjects or courses
with accommodations only
- Plan and document subjects or courses with modified expectations
- Plan and document alternative programs or courses
- Determine teaching strategies and assessment methods
(for modified and alternative expectations)
- Plan for and document required human resources
- Record information about evaluation and reporting
- Record information about provincial assessments
- Develop a transition plan, if required
- Record information about the IEP development phase
(including details of parent/student consultations);
secure principal’s
approval
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4. Implement the IEP
Once the IEP is developed, the IEP team should ensure that
everyone involved with the student is aware of its contents.
The classroom teacher and support personnel are directly
responsible for the implementing the program and services
outlined in a student’s IEP. This phase of the process
includes:
- Share the completed IEP with the student, parents, school
staff, and other professionals (providing a copy to parents
and to the student, if 16 or older)
- Put the IEP into practice (classroom teachers and support
personnel)
- Continuously assess the student’s progress
- Adjust the IEP as necessary (recording any changes in
goals, expectations, accommodations, teaching strategies,
and so on)
- Evaluate the student’s learning and report
to parents
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5. Review and
update the IEP
Modified and alternative learning expectations
described in an IEP must be reviewed, and updated as necessary,
at least once every reporting period. The IEP should
be viewed as a working document in that any adjustments
made to annual program goals, learning expectations, teaching
strategies, individualized equipment, and levels of human
support should be noted as they occur and shared with both
the parent and the student (if over 16). This phase
of IEP development includes:
- Update the learning expectations at the beginning of
each reporting period
- Review the IEP regularly and record revisions
- Store the IEP in the documentation file of the Ontario
Student Record
- Plan for the transition from elementary to secondary
school, or for a transfer to another school
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