An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a formal document that outlines a program for a student with specific and/or exceptional needs. The plan is written by a student's teacher(s) and the Program Support Teacher. A decision that an IEP is needed is made at a school team meeting or at an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee Meeting (IPRC).
An IEP is written and put into place within 30 days of a decision to create an IEP or within 30 days of the start of the school year if a student had an IEP in the previous school year. Parent(s) or guardian(s) are consulted in the development and implementation of an IEP. An IEP includes information and input from school and Board staff and/or staff from other agencies involved in the student's care. An IEP is reviewed regularly and revised as needed.
Program types
An IEP includes one or more of the following three program types:
The student is working on the same curriculum as other students in the grade, but he/she requires the program to be delivered in a different way or a different method is used to demonstrate what has been learned. Some examples of accommodations include having a quiet workspace, completing work using a computer with text to speech abilities, or having an adult scribe student responses.
The student is working on expectations from a different grade level for a specific subject. (e.g. - Grade 4 mathematic expectations for a student in Grade 7), or the complexity of the expectations is changed, or the number of expectations are reduced or extended within the student's grade level. When a student is working on a modified program at a secondary school, the ability to earn credits may be affected.
The student is working on a non-academic program where the expectations are not directly related to the Ontario Curriculum. These may include expectations relating to life skills, self-advocacy, behaviour, or social skills. The alternate program may be in place of or in addition to expectations listed in the Ontario Curriculum. If a student's alternate program replaces expectations from the Ontario Curriculum, the ability to earn credits at the secondary level is likely affected.
IEP and a student's report card
A student's report card reflects the educational expectations in the IEP. When a subject/course is accommodated only, the corresponding IEP box will not be checked on the student's report card and no reference will be made to the accommodation. If a subject/course has expectations that have been modified, then the corresponding IEP box will be checked on the report card and the marks and comments will be reflective of the expectations in the IEP and not the grade level expectation. In some situations, an alternate report card can be used in conjunction with the Provincial Report Card to report on an alternate program.
Areas of need addressed by an IEP
An IEP can include accommodations, expectations, and strategies for many areas of needs within a student's program, for example:
The IEP may outline the appropriate curriculum for the student as well as the best methods for the program to be delivered.
The IEP can include a behaviour plan, with strategies to help prevent and respond to difficult behaviour.
The IEP may address the needs of students who have difficulty meeting success in many of the social situations at school.
The IEP may include special personnel or strategies required to meet the basic needs of a student.
The IEP can include a program that assists students in the development of skills essential for independence.
An IEP includes important information about the student including health considerations, current instructional level, relevant professional and in-school assessment data, the names of other agencies involved with the student, and personalized equipment.
Transition plans
All students who have an IEP will have a transition plan written as part of the IEP. The transition plan includes strategies and ideas to help a student adjust to a significant change in a school or work environment, for example movement from grade to grade, from elementary to secondary and from secondary to post-secondary.
What happens if there is a disagreement about the IEP?
Once an IEP is created and sent home, parent(s) or guardian(s) are invited to comment about the IEP and indicate whether or not they have had an opportunity to be consulted about the development of the IEP. During the creation of an IEP, an attempt is made to develop consensus with regard to strategies, directions and evaluation. However, in accordance with the Education Act, the principal is responsible for the final decision regarding student programming. In the exceptional circumstance where there continues to be disagreement regarding the IEP, a dispute resolution process is completed.
Contact us
For more information about an Individual Education Plan call 905-576-6150 ext. 22279.