Individualized Education Plan Meeting

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is the unique plan for providing special education services to a student who has been determined to have an exceptionality. The IEP is developed after an evaluation or re-evaluation for special education eligibility has occurred. The IEP meeting is required and is designed to discuss the individual and the evaluation results; and to develop, review, and revise the IEP for an individual who qualifies for special education because of the presence of a disability. Each public [Page 258]agency, including public schools, is responsible for initiating and holding IEP meetings. The IEP meeting is an important element in the delivery of special education services, because at the meeting the IEP document is discussed, revised when necessary, finalized, and agreed upon by all team members.

After an IEP meeting, a student's IEP and all of the special education services go into effect or continue to be in effect for the individual (when the IEP meeting occurs after re-evaluation).

General processes of the IEP team members at the meeting include (Küpper, 2000):

• Coming together to pool expertise concerning the child
• Using a problem-solving model to discuss the unique strengths and needs of the child
• Determining the necessary components, including IEP goals and the interventions necessary to achieve these goals
• Working together to improve the educational results of the child by finalizing his or her IEP and creating appropriate interventions for the individual student

The IEP team is typically comprised of the child's parent(s), at least one of the child's regular education teachers, and at least one of the child's special education teachers/providers. In addition, a representative must be present from the public agency or school who is knowledgeable of and is qualified to provide (or provide supervision of) the child's individually designed instruction, is knowledgeable of the general curriculum of the school, and knows the availability of the school's resources. The IEP team also must include an individual who is able to interpret instructional implications of the evaluation results (typically the school psychologist), and, if appropriate, any individual who is knowledgeable or an expert regarding the child, including related services personnel. Finally, the IEP team should include the child when it is deemed appropriate. Transition services must be provided for students in special education when they are beginning to transition out of their current educational setting (i.e. graduation from high school). If transition services are appropriate because of the child's age (generally, 14 years or older), the child must be invited to attend the IEP meeting. If the child does not attend the meeting, the school must take other steps to ensure the student's interest is considered. The IEP team may also include an interpreter or other such person when needed to ensure the parents understand the proceedings. Teams should be highly individualized and hold expertise concerning the child who is being evaluated (Küpper, 2000).

Parents are a valuable addition to the IEP team because they provide invaluable information concerning the student. Letting parents know they are valuable increases family involvement in the child's education (Comuntzis-Page, 1996). Additionally, parental involvement in their child's education increases student achievement (Turner, 2000).

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