There is a specific kind of frustration that comes from opening an IEP and realizing you have read it before. And not because of the format or similar phrasing, but because you recognize entire paragraphs, the same Present Levels, the same IEP goals, or maybe even the same typo you made 6 months ago.
After more than 15 years in special education, I can tell you that copying happens. Sometimes it is a new teacher trying to figure out what a well-written IEP should look like. Sometimes it’s a teacher buried under deadlines who takes a shortcut. Sometimes it is a schoolwide habit that no one has stopped long enough to question. And, honestly, sometimes it’s really hard to tell where “using an example” ended and copying began.
But before you confront someone, report them, or send a frustrated email, figure out exactly what happened -because not every familiar sentence is the same problem.
First, Look at What Was Actually Copied
There is a difference between using the same structure and copying individualized information.
A teacher, or school, may use the same template for every Present levels section. They may start IEP goals with similar wording or pull ideas from the same IEP goal bank. Templates are good, and I suggest using them because they can help you organize your thinking, especially for teachers who are new to IEP writing.
The problem is when the student is treated like a number or a due date, or even a blank space in someone else’s document. So if you start noticing little pieces that are questionably copied, ask yourself:
- Does the Present Levels section accurately describe this student?
- Is the baseline supported by this student’s data?
- Do the IEP goal address documented needs?
- Are the accommodations based on how this student accesses instruction?
- Did any details from another student get left in the document?
Try Not to Make It About Ownership
You can be bothered that someone copied your work. You spent time reviewing data, talking with the IEP team, and choosing language carefully. Seeing that work dropped into another student’s IEP can feel dismissive, and dismissive of the student and their needs.
But “That is my writing” usually is not the strongest place to begin the conversation. The more important concern is: “Does this accurately describe this student?” Use that question to keep the focus where it belongs and makes it harder for the conversation to turn into a disagreement between two adults.
- Try saying: “Some of this language looks very similar to an IEP I wrote for another student. Can we review the data together and make sure each part accurately reflects this student?”
If It Is a New Teacher, Teach the Missing Step
I, personally, have learned a great deal by reading IEPs written by veteran, more experienced special education teachers. And I’d venture to say that most of us do. Examples help us learn what a measurable IEP goal sounds like and how to connect Present Levels to services.
The mistake is thinking the example is the finished product.
If a new special ed teacher used your IEP because they didn’t know where to begin, show them how you got from the data to the finalized IEP. Don’t just say, “You need to individualize it.” Pull up the student’s data and ask:
- What can this student do independently right now?
- Where does the skill break down?
- What support changes the student’s performance?
- What would meaningful progress look like over the next year?
Then compare those answers with what was written.
This is also where an IEP goal bank can be useful. An IEP goal bank can give you a starting point, but it cannot choose the student’s baseline, decide which skill should be prioritized, or individualize the criteria. The IEP team still has to do that.
Know When It Needs to Go Beyond a Conversation
Not every copied phrase needs to be reported to an administrator. Sometimes a quick conversation and a corrected draft are enough. BUT!! I would involve a supervisor or special education administrator if:
- Information from another student was included
- The copied content is inaccurate and could affect services
- The same issue continues after it has been addressed
- Multiple IEPs appear to contain interchangeable language
- You are being pressured to approve an IEP you believe is inaccurate
Document what you noticed and keep your explanation factual, and avoid guessing why the person did it.
Do You Need to Stop Sharing Your Work?
Probably not, but you may need better boundaries. Collaboration is part of special education. I would never tell teachers to stop sharing examples when a newer teacher genuinely needs support. At the same time, giving access to an editable IEP makes it very easy for someone to skip the thinking that created it.
However, you can share things like a blank template, a unidentifiable example, the structure or sentence frame you use for IEP goals (or IEP goal formula), a checklist for reviewing the IEP before the IEP meeting, and even the questions you ask yourself to make your data driven decisions.
In other words, share the process, not another student’s IEP to reuse or recycle.
Someone copying your IEP may be frustrating, but the repeated wording is not always the biggest issue. The real question is whether the copied content resulted in an IEP that does not belong to the student whose name is at the top.
An IEP should tell the story of one student: what they can do, where they need support, what the team will provide, and how everyone will know whether it is working. If the same story can be pasted under 5 different students’ IEPs without much changing, the IEP team has more work, better work, to do.
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