This document provides an overview of Individualized Education Program (IEP). If you do not need an overview, skip this page and proceed with developing an IEP.
What is an IEP?
An IEP is a program for students who are eligible for IDEA services. The program describes the student's academic achievement and functional performance, defines the learning goals, and lists all services and supports the student will receive. The IEP reflects the shared decision-making of the student's parents, the Student Team and other individuals responsible for providing services to the student.
IEP Status Description
As you create new IEPs, these status labels will be assigned by eCSSS:
Draft – A saved IEP that has not been activated. Only the latest draft can be edited. A draft IEP will have a watermark displayed to indicate that it is a draft. Once activated, the watermark will disappear.
Active – The latest IEP that was Activated (i.e., Activate is checked on the Actions tab of the IEP).
Inactive - An active IEP becomes Inactive when a new IEP is activated or eligibility has been rescinded.
Types of IEPs
Initial – The IEP that is developed when a student is found eligible via an initial IDEA evaluation.
Annual – A student’s program and services must be reviewed comprehensively at least once a year, or sooner, if warranted. A new Annual IEP is created to document this required review by copying some of the data from the active IEP. Once the Annual IEP has been developed, agreed upon and provided to the parent, the IEP Annual Due Date is reset to one year from the IEP meeting date. Progress report periods are also reset to period 1.
Reevaluation – To conclude a reevaluation, a new IEP must be created. Use either of the following types:
Reevaluation/Revision – If you are creating the IEP shortly after the last Annual IEP and there are few, if any, changes to the IEP, then create a Reevaluation/Revision IEP. The SDRT information is carried over from the Annual IEP. The IEP Annual Due Date is not reset, and the progress report period should continue in the sequence where the previous active IEP left off.
Reevaluation/Annual – If the IEP is to be reviewed comprehensively as a result of the reevaluation, or the IEP Annual Due Date is approaching, then create a Reevaluation/Annual IEP. This type of IEP does not carry over the SDRT information from the previous IEP. The IEP Annual Due Date and progress report periods are reset.
A Revision IEP can be created for any of the above IEP types. Revisions begin as a copy of the active IEP and the SDRT information is carried over. The IEP Annual Due Date and progress report periods are not reset.
Get details about what information copies into a new IEP.
IMPORTANT NOTE: IEP types are assigned by eCSSS depending on the type of evaluation being conducted or where the IEP is in the IEP cycle. For example, eCSSS will not allow an Initial IEP to be created for a reevaluation. The link to create an Annual IEP or a Revision IEP becomes available only when there is already an active initial or reevaluation IEP in eCSSS.
Brief Overview of the IEP Cycle
Prior to developing an IEP, the Student Team must take the referral through steps outlined in the Student Support Process (SSP). Once the referral is in the Develop Plan stage, the IEP is developed and updated via Annual and Revision IEPs.
The outline below is an example of the path an IEP may follow as displayed on the referral tree. This outline is abbreviated to demonstrate when IEP types take effect. Important procedures (e.g., conferences, PWNs, Service Records, Progress Reports, etc.) will display for their corresponding IEPs on the eCSSS Referral Tab.
Initial
Initial IEP created.
Initial IEP (must be activated before a Revision or Annual IEP can be created)
Revision IEP
Revision IEP
Annual
Annual IEP
Annual IEP (must be activated before a Revision IEP or a new Annual IEP can be created)
Annual
Annual IEP
Annual IEP (must be activated before a Revision or a new Annual IEP can be created)
Revision IEP
Reevaluation
A new referral is created. The Evaluation Worksheet must set the Evaluation Type as Reevaluation.
Reevaluation (NOTE: This can be either a Reevaluation/Revision or Reevaluation/Annual IEP)
Reevaluation IEP (must be activated before a Revision or Annual IEP can be created)
Revision IEP
Revision IEP
Annual
Annual IEP
Annual IEP (must be activated before a Revision or a new Annual IEP can be created)
Revision IEP
See instructions: