Kathryn Stover
IRIS IEP Module
1. What is an IEP? What purpose does it serve?
An IEP is a specific plan for educating an individual that is created by a team of collaborative
educators, parents, and other school personnel. An IEP is a written plan that guides the
student’s goals, monitoring, services, accommodations, and modification for the school year.
The purpose of the IEP is to give the student the services, supports, and monitoring needed for
them to succeed in the classroom.
2. Explain the difference between procedural requirements and substantive requirements for
developing IEPs. How did the Endrew case clarify the substantive standard for IEPs?
When an IEP meets procedural requirements, it is considered a technically sound IEP. When an
IEP meets the substantive requirements, it means that the IEP can be considered educationally
meaningful.
The Endrew case created a clear idea of the extent of educational benefits that school systems
must confer on children who have disabilities to provide them with the free and appropriate
public education that is promised and guaranteed by IDEA.
3. Bella is a 7th-grader with a learning disability. Her IEP includes the following PLAAFP statement
for reading:
Bella reads at the 4th-grade level at approximately 100 wpm (orally). Her oral reading rate
includes many incorrect words. When asked comprehension questions about fictional text, she
is able to identify broad concepts such as main characters and events. However, she has
difficulty identifying main ideas and supporting details in content area texts (e.g., science, social
studies). She struggles with abstract concepts, inferences, deductions, and connecting what she
has read to real-world examples.
A. This is not an example of a high-quality PLAAFP statement. Identify the elements that
are missing or incomplete. For those that are incomplete, discuss information that
should be included.
There was no statement to list what Bella’s academic needs are. There needs to be a
specific statement regarding what skills Bella needs to have to be successful in the
general education classroom. There was also not a statement about how Bella’s
performance is impacting her education. There should be s specific statement regarding
how Bella’s current performance is hindering her from meeting grade level curriculum
benchmarks. There were not any annual goals listed within this statement. There was
also not a statement regarding the appropriate special education services Bella receives.
B. Based on the PLAAFP statement, Bella’s IEP team developed the following annual goal:
When given a textbook passage at the 4.2 grade level, Bella will read the passage aloud
at a rate of 100 wpm by the end of the school year.
Kathryn Stover
Does this annual goal contain all of the required elements? If not, identify any missing
element(s).
This annual goal is not specific and cannot be measures. The goal is too broad. The goal
must be observable, measurable, and realistic. The goal also must have a time frame.
For example: By May 2022, Bella will be able to read grade 4.2 level passages at a rate of
100 words per minutes four out of five opportunities at 80% accuracy.
Does this annual goal meet the SMART criteria? Explain your answer.
It is missing the aspects of S and M, which are specific and measurable. The goal is too
broad, and the goal is not measurable.
Is this annual goal sufficient to meet all of Bella’s needs in reading? Justify your answer.
Bella is already reading 100 words per minute. The goal is increasing her current level
from 4.0 to 4.2 passages. This goal will help increase her reading level and strength. I
think this goal is sufficient and realistic. If Bella does meet this goal, the IEP team can
choose to modify the goal by increasing the grade level for the end of the year.
C. Bella’s IEP team is ready to develop the statement of the individualized services and
supports for her IEP. List and briefly describe the six elements that should be included in
this statement.
Student’s needs- Bella’s needs for services and extra help to be successful academically.
Effect on progress in the general education classroom- This information is how Bella’s
current abilities affect her success in the general education classroom.
Baseline information- Baseline information is the data collected before working towards
the goal.
Connection to goal and services- Bella’s goal meets her academic needs and her services
assist her in academic growth.
Attainability of the goal- The goal is realistic to Bella’s abilities.
Time based- The goal is time-based. It will be met by a certain time.
4. Explain the importance of monitoring a student’s progress toward meeting his or her IEP goals
and reporting that progress to parents.
IDEA requires that the IEP teams tracks the students’ progress towards the annual goal to
determine if the services provided are working, if the student is progressing, and if other
services need to be provided to assist the student in achieving this goal. A report should be sent
home to parents to keep them updated on their child’s progress. The parent is a part of the IEP
teams and should be aware of any changes or needs that their student has.
