As a special ed teacher, you know that student success starts with the IEP. But what are some key steps you should follow when writing IEPs?
There’s a lot of advice from experts on best practices for writing Individuals Educational Plans (IEPs). Still, much of it relies on unwritten rules that veteran teachers have used for years to produce effective student IEPs.
In this blog post, we’ll explore these key strategies and outline best practices you can build into your own IEP writing process to ensure success.
Understand common IEP terminology and acronyms.
Writing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) can be a complicated process, and knowing the language associated with it is important.
Make sure you understand the common terminology like FAPE (or Free Appropriate Public Education), LRE (or Least Restrictive Environment), NOREP (or Notice of Recommended Educational Placement), IEE (or Independent Educational Evaluation), and more.
With IEPs using so many acronyms, the terms based on special education law have become commonplace among educators. Knowing these acronyms will make the IEP writing process more efficient and ensure that you are properly advocating for your student’s needs.
Teacher Tip: Make sure parents and general educators also understand the terminology! You can grab a free IEP acronyms list and IEP acronyms brochure to share with families and staff here.
Download this list of IEP Acronyms when you join The Intentional IEP here or by clicking the image above.
Research the latest laws and policies before writing an IEP.
Educating yourself on the laws and policies around Individualized Education Programs is an important part of creating successful plans for students.
It is crucial to stay up-to-date on any changes in legislation that might impact how IEPs are constructed and implemented, as well as any new practices that can help ensure better educational outcomes. Be sure to check with your district to see if they have also implemented any new methods or requirements for IEP writing before beginning.
Researching the current rules and guidelines surrounding IEPs is essential to writing an effective document that sets a student up for success inside – and outside – the classroom.
You can get a copy of these Procedural Safeguards At a Glance to have as a reference when needed by joining The Intentional IEP.
Set measurable goals and objectives for each student.
When writing an Individual Education Plan (IEP), it is essential to focus on the outcomes you hope to achieve. Setting measurable goals and objectives for each student is the way to ensure both short-term and long-term progress.
Having concrete markers for growth will provide a clear picture of what each student needs to succeed and how their IEP can meet those requirements.
It also keeps all IEP team members accountable for frequent monitoring, assessment, and creative problem-solving that may be required as students’ needs evolve over time.
Creating measurable goals and objectives should be one of your first steps when writing an IEP.
Teacher Tip: If you’re struggling with writing IEP goals (and many teachers do!), use a goal bank created by special educators. The Intentional IEP Membership features a goal bank with over 13,000 IEP goals perfect for your students’ IEPs!
Keep all paperwork, notes, and documents for easy reference.
Staying organized while writing an IEP is paramount! It will save you a lot of stress down the line.
Create filing systems or folders for your notes, paperwork, and documents- make sure they are labeled in a way that makes sense to you so that you can reference them quickly and easily when needed.
Doing this ensures that all materials will always be easily accessible when required – no more scrambling to find forms or documents at the last minute!
Teacher Tip: Create an IEP Binder for each student on your caseload. This will ensure that each student’s information is together in one place! You might also want to use the IEP Toolkit, which has all the paperwork needed to plan and implement each student’s IEP meeting effectively.
Check out this short snippet from one of the trainings inside of TII membership about having an organized IEP process:
If you are looking for more specifics on IEP’s like writing IEP goals and behavior plans – you’re in the right place!
By joining the membership, individuals also gain access to an extensive library of over 13,000 pre-written IEP goals, empowering them with a wealth of options to support their students’ unique needs.
Learn more and become a member of The Intentional IEP today!
Consult with other educators to get their input.
Leveraging resources can be a great way to develop well-rounded Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Consulting with other educators – including IEP team members, special education directors, administrators, teachers, and support staff – can provide valuable insight and knowledge when developing IEPs.
Asking for their input gives the IEP writer access to more perspectives that may not have been considered. It also provides the opportunity for collaboration among educators, which helps ensure better student outcomes.
Make sure the IEP reflects their input and opinions.
It is essential to include parents and students in the process of writing an IEP. A successful Individualized Education Program should reflect the voices of all involved; it should take into consideration their input and opinions.
By law, parents and guardians are legally part of the IEP team. Make sure their thoughts are captured accurately and with consideration! Following best practices when writing an IEP guarantees that every team member is heard and respected during the creation.
Teacher Tip: Using the parent and student questionnaires included in the IEP Toolkit helps ensure that you get input from families and students in a format that will make writing the IEP easier.
Writing an IEP is a complex, intimidating process, but it’s also incredibly rewarding and beneficial for students. It is essential to recognize that there are best practices that can make the process easier, no matter how experienced you are. Knowing the language, educating yourself on applicable laws and policies, focusing on outcomes, being organized with paperwork, leveraging resources to solicit advice from others, and involving parents and students in the IEP process are all great ways to ensure planning for your student’s educational future is successful. These steps will maximize success and ensure your student achieves their full potential!
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