Individual Education Program (IEP) - A Technical Assistance Guide - Purpose and IEP Process

Aug 31, 2026

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Individual Education Program (IEP) guidance for South Dakota special education programs explains the IDEA framework and the role of the IEP meeting and the IEP document. It details how the IEP meeting functions as a communication and decision-making process between families and school staff, and how the IEP document supports resource commitment, compliance monitoring, FAPE, and measuring progress in the general curriculum. It further summarizes Federal Register analysis provisions focused on referral and draft IEP procedures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatDOCX

Pages148

Reading Time52 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose of the IEP

IEP meeting and IEP document functions

The IEP Process – What you need to know

Federal Register Analysis: Referral

Federal Register Analysis: Draft IEP

Individual Education Program (IEP) A Technical Assistance Guide South Dakota Department of Education Special Education Programs 800 Governors Drive Pierre, SD 57501 August 2018 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004 followed by the publication of the Federal Registers implementing regulations on August 14, 2006. The Office of Special Education Programs included in the Federal Register the Analysis of Comments and Changes section in the preamble which provided the rationale for each of the regulatory changes. Federal Register Analysis information included within this document is taken directly from the Federal Register to assist in providing clarification and support to the applicable section of the IEP. Purpose of the IEP There are two main parts of the Individual Education Program (IEP) requirement. First, the IEP meeting, at which parent/guardians, the student, evaluators, school personnel, and others jointly make decisions about the student’s eligibility and the educational program for a student with disabilities who requires special education or special education and related services. Second, the IEP document, which acts as a written record of the decisions reached at the meeting. The overall IEP requirements have a number of purposes and functions: The IEP meeting serves as a communication vehicle between parent/guardians and school personnel. It enables them, as equal participants, to jointly decide what the student’s needs are, what services will be provided to meet those needs, and what the anticipated outcomes will be. The IEP process serves as an opportunity to resolve any differences between parent/guardians and school personnel, either through the meeting itself, or if necessary, through procedural safeguards available to parent/guardians. The IEP sets forth in writing a commitment of resources necessary to enable a student with disabilities to receive needed special education or special education and related services. The IEP is a management tool that is used to ensure that each student is provided special education or special education and related services appropriate to individual learning needs. The IEP is a compliance and monitoring document that can be used to ensure that students are receiving a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE). The IEP serves as an evaluation device for use in determining the extent of student’s progress in the general curriculum. The IEP Process – What you need to know. The following information is taken from the August 14, 2006 Federal Register IDEA Comment Section of the regulations. The comment sections are guidance given by the Office of Special Education Programs. Federal Register Analysis: Referral Since not all child find and referral processes in States and LEAs would necessarily meet the requirement in section 615(k)(5)(B)(iii) of the Act that the teacher of the child, or other personnel of the LEA, must express specific concerns about a pattern of behavior demonstrated by the child “directly to the director of special education of such agency or to other supervisory personnel of the agency,” we are removing from §300.534(b)(3) the requirement that concerns be expressed in accordance with the agency’s established child find or special education referral system. We continue to believe the child find and special education referral system is an important function of schools, LEAs, and States. School personnel should refer children for evaluation through the agency’s child or special education referral system when the child’s behavior or performance indicates that they may have a disability covered under the Act. Having the teacher of a child (or other personnel) express his or her concerns regarding a child in accordance with the agency’s established child find or referral system helps ensure that the concerns expressed are specific, rather than casual comments, regarding the behaviors demonstrated by the child and indicate t

FAQs

What are the two main parts of the IEP requirement?

The IEP includes the IEP meeting and the IEP document. The meeting is where decisions are jointly made, while the document records those decisions in writing.

How does the IEP meeting support families and school personnel?

It serves as a communication vehicle so parent/guardians and school personnel make joint decisions as equal participants about needs, services, and anticipated outcomes.

What guidance does the document provide on referral and draft IEP?

It summarizes changes related to referral concerns and encourages appropriate use of child find and referral systems. For draft IEPs, it encourages preparation for discussing evaluation findings while cautioning against drafts that inhibit full discussion.

Aug 31, 2026

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