Supports for School Personnel is one of the most overlooked sections of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Many IEP teams leave this section of the IEP blank, while other teams use it without a clear purpose (and more like a grocery list). This section of the IEP is important because it explains what adults need in order to implement the IEP with fidelity.
Special education teachers often ask when to add supports, what to include, and when do all of the added supports become too much. Use this article to help your IEP teams decide when to use this section of the IEP and how to avoid overloading the IEP with unnecessary supports.
What Are Supports for School Personnel in an IEP
Supports for School Personnel is the part of the IEP that describes training, consultation, and resources adults need to help the student succeed. This can include teacher training, parent training, consultation between staff, and tools needed for implementation.
This section is not for student accommodations or services, rather it’s for adult supports that help the IEP work in real classrooms.
When to Add Supports for School Personnel in an IEP
You should consider adding supports when adult knowledge or skills affect the student’s progress, or if adults need training, guidance, or more resources to implement the IEP, any and all of that belongs in this section of the IEP.
Supports are helpful when a student has complex needs, such as significant behavior challenges, communication needs that require AAC, medical or sensory needs, or a transition to a new setting. They are also helpful when general education teachers are supporting inclusion and need coaching or consultation.
Supports are also useful when staff turnover is high or when new staff will work with the student. Writing training and consultation into the IEP ensures the district plans for consistency.
How to Decide What to Include
A simple way to decide is to ask if the student would fail to make progress or not be provided with access (re: FAPE) without adult training or consultation. If the answer is yes, it should be included.
Ask whether the support is needed to implement Specially Designed Instruction (SDI), accommodations, behavior plans, communication systems, or transition plans. If adults need guidance to do these things correctly, supports should be documented in the IEP and appropriately implemented.
If the support is a general professional development that all staff receive, it’s not something that should be included in the child’s IEP.
When Supports Become Too Much
Supports can become too much or even a crutch for the student when they are written for every student without a clear reason or provided with no real need. Not every student needs staff training written into the IEP, formal consultation documented or even parent training.
So how do you know when a support is too much for the child’s IEP? If what’s there is vague, repetitive, or not tied to the student’s unique needs – that’s a solid sign it’s not needed.
Also, writing broad statements like “staff will receive training as needed” does not help implementation and can create compliance confusion. Be specific with the who, the when, the where, the how… just like you write the rest of the child’s IEP. Supports should include who will provide the support, who will receive it, how often it will happen, and what the focus will be. This makes the IEP clear and measurable.
For example, instead of writing “teacher training,” you can write that staff will receive training on the behavior plan for 30 minutes each quarter from the behavior specialist. This helps teams understand expectations and accountability, and you’re more likely to see it implemented with fidelity.
Supports for School Personnel helps shift responsibility from individual teachers to systems. It acknowledges that adults need training and collaboration to support students well. And when this section is used thoughtfully, it improves IEP implementation, reduces teacher stress, and protects students and districts.
If every upcoming IEP sends you searching for the next goal, form, data sheet, training, or reminder, the problem probably isn’t that you need more resources. You need a better way to manage the process. The Intentional IEP System connects the tools, guidance, and workflows special educators need across the IEP lifecycle so you can stop managing IEPs one meeting at a time and start working more intentionally. See what intentional IEP management looks like →