Regardless of what the system looks like for you, I thought I could still share some tips with you. This is the process I use when I sit down to write an IEP. It's precise. I've spent the last 6 years perfecting it and every time I write an IEP I perfect it a little bit more.
Each year IEP writing for me includes IEPs for new incoming pre-schoolers, annual review meetings for pre-schoolers already in our program and revision meetings throughout the year. I'm going to share my tips with you from the experience of writing a pre-school IEP. I specify pre-school student because again, many IEPs look different among states, and can also be different for different grade levels. I might include stuff your IEP doesn't require, and your IEP might require stuff that mine does not. Either way I hope you still find these resources helpful to you in your writing process!
Before I get started I make sure I have a time sheet to keep with my paperwork. This isn't something we're required to do, but something I began doing myself this year just to keep track of how much time I spend on an IEP for a student.
When I'm writing an IEP for a new student the first thing I look through is the evaluation report and while doing so there are several things I'm looking for. I can save time by using this page to fill in info as a come across it.
The next thing I'm looking for are the areas of delay for the students. I list out both the areas of qualifying delays and the areas with a partial delay. A partial delay may still require a need area or even a goal on the IEP if the child still has skills under this domain they need support with. The areas with qualifying delays MUST have goals.
Once I've identified the areas where I need to write goals I move to the next sheet. I use one of these for each need area where I am writing a goal, so you'll have to print multiples of this one. I list the area of need at the top, then refer to the evaluation report to gather the students present level of performance in this area.
When I write goals I always write the annual goal first and then make my benchmarks from there. I included space for up to four benchmarks on this page. Sometimes you may have 5 depending on when during the year you're writing the goal.
Once goals are completed the IEPs we write look at additional considerations. This includes special transportation, 12 month entitlement services, and extended school year (ESY) services. This is typically stuff I add to the online system as I'm going through, but I've included it in the forms as well just in case.
And for me, the last consideration for the IEP is an explanation of the student's placement. The placement page shows what kind of setting the child is in and we have to explain/summarize why that child is placed in that setting. Again, this is typically something I just add to the online system when I get there, but I've also included this on the planning pages.
I hope this is something you'll find helpful while writing an IEP. For me this really helps me organize the information and my thoughts before entering it into the formal IEP system. By having the additional pages for the smaller sections at the end I can get everything done on paper--which might also be helpful if I find myself multitasking during maybe a staff meeting haha.
I've also included forms for when you are working on an annual review IEP for a student you already have. In this case the "process" can be a little different because you aren't using an evaluation report to base your IEP off of.
If this is something you think could help you out, click the photo below to head to my TpT store and grab a copy!
What is 12 month entitlement? I've never heard that term before, so we obviously don't have it in my state, just curious...
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