What is the school administrator’s role in overseeing the IEP process?
Page 1: The IEP Process
For Your Information
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees that each eligible student with a disability—one whose disability adversely affects school performance—is entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Name given in 1990 to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) and used for all reauthorizations of the law that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education in the least-restrictive environment.
free appropriate public education (FAPE)
One of IDEA’s six guiding principles; ensures that each eligible student with a disability receives an individualized education that meets his or her unique needs and is provided in conformity with the student’s IEP at no cost to the child or family.
Effective school administrators* are those who articulate a vision that all students are capable of learning and that the school community as a whole is responsible for meeting their educational needs. Although administrators have always been expected to support and promote student success, more recently both administrator and school evaluations are based in large part on annual standardized achievement test scores, including those of students with disabilities. In 2016, approximately 13 percent of all public school students—more than 6 million—had disabilities that affected their learning. If they are to make appropriate progress, these students may require the services and supports delivered through special education as outlined in an individualized education program (IEP), a fluid document that describes the services and supports that will be delivered to address a student’s unique learning needs.
special education
Individualized education for children and youth with exceptional learning needs, provided at no cost to the student’s parents, that meet the unique academic and/or functional needs of the student.
*Note: Throughout this module, the term “school administrator” refers specifically to the school principal. Although it’s not uncommon for school administrators to assign certain responsibilities related to the IEP process to one or more designees, administrators themselves remain ultimately responsible for ensuring that those designees possess the training and knowledge to properly execute those roles.
School administrators play a critical role in ensuring that high-quality IEPs are developed and implemented for each student with an eligible disability. To do so requires a solid understanding of the IEP process: a series of formal steps, each with its own clear guidelines on how and when the IEP should be developed. Schools that follow this process meet the procedural requirements of IDEA; those that do not, risk poor outcomes for students with disabilities and open themselves and their districts up to potential legal ramifications.
eligible disability
Any of a number of disabilities designated by the federal government as criteria by which students may be eligible to receive special education services. These are:
- autism
- deaf-blindness
- deafness
- emotional disturbance
- hearing impairment
- intellectual disability
- multiple disabilities
- orthopedic impairment
- other health impairment
- specific learning disability
- speech or language impairment
- traumatic brain injury
- visual impairment (including blindness)
In some states, an additional category, developmental delay, can be used for children under the age of nine who are not meeting age-appropriate developmental milestones.
These federal categories guide how states define these disabilities in their laws and regulations.
This IEP process is initiated when a student who demonstrates learning or behavior difficulties does not respond adequately to systematic changes made to instruction or other aspects of the learning environment. To learn more about steps in the initial IEP process, take a moment to review the table below.
| Step | Description |
Referral |
The student is referred for a formal evaluation, usually by school personnel or her parents. The student’s parents must give written, informed consent. That is, they must understand that they are allowing their child to be evaluated to determine whether she has a disability that affects her educational performance. x
informed consent A requirement of IDEA (§300.9) that stipulates that a parent:
|
EvaluationTimeline: The evaluation must be conducted within 60 days of receiving parental consent or within state-established timelines. |
This initial comprehensive, individualized assessment of the student is conducted in all areas of concern, including academic and functional performance.The data collected during this step form the foundation upon which the IEP will be developed. As such, its importance cannot be overstated. |
Eligibility determination |
At this point, the student’s evaluation results are reviewed with an eye toward answering a pair of key questions (sometimes referred to as the two-prong test):
If the answer to both of these questions is “yes,” the student is considered eligible for special education services. |
IEP developmentTimeline: The meeting must be conducted within 30 days of the eligibility determination. |
When a student meets the eligibility criteria, the IEP team—a group that includes a variety of education professionals, the student’s parents, and the student (when appropriate, such as when developing secondary transition plans)—develops the IEP. The IEP team determines and documents:
For more information about an IEP team, view this handout: |
IEP implementationTimeline: The implementation must take place as soon as possible after the IEP is developed. |
Education professionals provide the special education supports and services to the student as outlined in the IEP. If the student does not make appropriate progress, the IEP team meets to determine possible reasons for her lack of progress, and makes adjustments accordingly. |
Annual reviewTimeline: The annual review must occur within 12 months following the development of the previous IEP. |
The student’s progress toward meeting her IEP goals is to be evaluated annually, unless the IEP team and the student’s parents agree otherwise. At this time, the student’s current performance, progress, needs, and placement are revisited and her IEP updated accordingly. |
Re-evaluationTimeline: Re-evaluation must occur at least once every three years. |
The student must be re-evaluated every three years, unless the IEP team members and the student’s parents agree otherwise. The purpose of the re-evaluation is to determine whether she is still eligible for and requires special education services. This usually entails another comprehensive, individualized evaluation (see Evaluation step). |
Note: The timelines described above are those specified by IDEA. State officials may develop state-specific timelines that shorten the process, but they cannot lengthen it. The only exception is the evaluation timeline; a state can have an evaluation timeline that is longer than 60 days, which some states base on calendar days and others on school days.
Though IDEA requires states to meet its requirements, the law does allow states to interpret, apply, and pass their own laws regarding students with disabilities. State special education laws are not allowed to contradict or provide less than what IDEA stipulates; however, they can provide more. In states where the law exceeds IDEA’s protections, special educators must follow state law. For example, IDEA requires that a student’s initial evaluation must be conducted within 60 days of receiving parental consent or within state’s established timelines. In Washington state, however, the law requires that schools complete the initial evaluation within 35 days of receiving parental consent. Guidance is available for both school personnel and parents regarding state-specific requirements. Examples include:
- State-published guides to help administrators understand and adhere to their state’s special education laws, often available on each state’s education department or agency website.
- OSEP-funded Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) that provide information for parents about IDEA and the IEP process. To locate the parent center in your state, visit the Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR).
Although some districts may have a special education coordinator or liaison who handles many of the responsibilities associated with the IEP process, the school administrator is still ultimately responsible for ensuring that this process is carried out in accordance with the law. As the school’s instructional leader, the administrator is responsible for establishing school-specific procedures and practices related to the IEP process. These are intended to not only protect the administrator and school from legal action but also to ensure every student with a disability receives appropriate services. These procedures and practices should address items such as:
- Who is responsible for facilitating the IEP process
- How the IEP is disseminated to relevant educators and other school personnel
- Who will be responsible for evaluating progress on the goals
David Bateman explains that administrators often delegate responsibilities associated with the IEP process, though they are ultimately responsible for overseeing the process (time: 1:03).
David Bateman, PhD
Professor, Department of Educational Leadership
and Special Education
Shippensburg University
David Bateman, PhD
The administrators typically, as a part of facilitating an IEP meeting, often delegate. Again, it depends. It’s district-by-district. Some districts, the case manager or the person who writes the IEP or the special education teacher, it could be one and the same with those, is the person responsible for at least getting the invites out and then scheduling appropriately. But often it’s the administrators who in the end are the ones who have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that all the parts are there. It’s not the teacher’s responsibility, though they may be the individual case manager. It’s the administrators who oversee them who are the ones who need to make sure that all the parts are there and it’s all ready to go. But that takes coordination. That takes meetings. That takes time. But it also takes responsibility, because one of the things that individuals writing IEPs often complain about is that they have difficulty getting information from other teachers or others who work or spend time with the child. You need to have administrators who can make sure that the teachers provide that information.
For more information on best practices in the development of high-quality IEPs for students with disabilities, view the following IRIS Module:
