What is an IEP? A plain guide to the plan and what is in it

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is a written plan for a child with a disability who qualifies for special education under the federal law IDEA. It describes how the child is doing now, sets yearly goals, and lists the teaching, services and supports the school will provide. The school, the parents and the team write it together and review it at least once a year.

IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. Many people say "Individualized Education Plan," and that is fine in everyday talk. The law's term is program, because the IEP is more than a plan on paper. It is a promise of specific teaching and services that the school must provide.

An IEP is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. That law says eligible children with disabilities have a right to a free appropriate public education, called FAPE. The IEP is how a school spells out what FAPE means for one child.

What an IEP means in plain words

An IEP answers four questions about your child:

Where is my child now? What can your child do, and where are they having trouble?
What should my child learn this year? These are the yearly goals.
How will the school help? This is the teaching, services, supports and changes the school will provide.
How will we know it is working? This is how progress is measured and how often you hear about it.

The IEP is written for one child. Two children with the same disability can have very different IEPs, because the plan comes from each child's needs.

Who gets an IEP

A child gets an IEP when two things are true. First, the child has a disability in one of the categories IDEA lists, such as a specific learning disability, autism, a speech or language impairment, or other health impairment. Second, because of that disability, the child needs special education, which means teaching designed for the child's needs.^[5]

A diagnosis alone does not mean a child gets an IEP. The school must first do an evaluation and the team must decide the child is eligible. The school must finish the first evaluation within 60 days of getting your written consent, unless your state sets a different timeline.^[3]

IEPs cover children from age 3 until they finish high school or reach the upper age limit, usually around 21, depending on the state. Babies and toddlers under 3 get a different plan, called an IFSP.

The legal basis for each part

The federal rule at 34 CFR 300.320 lists what every IEP must contain.^[1] Another rule, 34 CFR 300.324, says what the team must think about when it writes the IEP and how often it must review it.^[2] States add their own forms and sometimes extra requirements, so your child's IEP may look different from a neighbor's in another state. The required parts are the same.

An annotated example IEP, section by section

Mia is a fictional 4th grader. She has a specific learning disability in reading. Here is what each part of her IEP says, with the federal rule that requires it. The details are made up.

1. Student information and eligibility

Mia's IEP says: Mia, grade 4. Eligibility: specific learning disability in basic reading skill and reading fluency. Meeting date: October 8, 2026. Annual review due: October 7, 2027. Reevaluation due: September 2028.

This part is set by your state's form. The dates matter: the team must review the IEP at least once a year, and the school must reevaluate at least once every 3 years unless you and the school agree it is not needed.^[4] See annual review and reevaluation.

2. Present levels (300.320(a)(1))

Mia's IEP says: "On three grade 4 passages in September, Mia read a median of 52 words correct per minute with 90% accuracy. She guesses at words with vowel teams and long words. She understands grade 4 stories when they are read to her. In class, she cannot finish science and social studies readings, so she misses content."

This is the starting point for everything else. It must describe how your child is doing now and how the disability affects learning in the general curriculum. Look for numbers, not phrases like "below grade level." The glossary calls this the PLAAFP, short for present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.

3. Measurable annual goals (300.320(a)(2))

Mia's IEP says: "By October 2027, given unpracticed grade 4 passages, Mia will read 90 words correct per minute with 97% accuracy, median of 3 weekly probes."

Goals say what your child should be able to do in a year. They must be measurable. Children who take an alternate state test also get short-term objectives or benchmarks, which are smaller steps toward each goal. See measurable annual goal and short-term objective. The parent guide to IEP goals explains what a good goal looks like.

4. How progress is measured and reported (300.320(a)(3))

Mia's IEP says: "Reading fluency will be measured weekly with 1-minute passage readings. Progress reports go home with each report card, 4 times a year."

The IEP must say how each goal will be measured and when you will get reports. Ask to see the graph, not only a sentence like "making progress." The guide on how to read a progress report shows what to look for.

5. Services, supports and modifications (300.320(a)(4))

Mia's IEP says: "Specialized reading instruction: 150 minutes per week in a small group in the resource room. Accommodations: text-to-speech for science and social studies readings; questions read aloud on math, science and social studies tests; time and a half on tests over 10 items. Program modifications: none. Support for staff: the reading specialist consults with the classroom teacher 30 minutes per month."

This is the heart of the IEP. It lists the specially designed instruction your child gets, any related services such as speech or occupational therapy, the supplementary aids and services that help in general education, and any changes or training for staff. Accommodations change how your child learns or shows learning; the page on IEP accommodations explains them.

6. Time with peers without disabilities (300.320(a)(5))

Mia's IEP says: "Mia is in general education for all of the day except 150 minutes per week of reading instruction in the resource room."

The IEP must explain how much of the day, if any, your child will not be with children without disabilities in the regular class and other activities. This connects to the rule on the least restrictive environment: children should learn alongside peers without disabilities as much as is appropriate.

7. State and district tests (300.320(a)(6))

Mia's IEP says: "Mia will take the state tests with questions read aloud on math and science, in a small group."

The IEP must list any accommodations your child needs on state and district tests. If the team decides your child will take an alternate test, it must explain why. See testing accommodations and the guide on testing accommodations for students with IEPs.

8. When, how often, where and how long (300.320(a)(7))

Mia's IEP says: "Services begin October 15, 2026. Reading instruction: 5 sessions of 30 minutes per week, resource room, through October 7, 2027."

Each service needs a start date, how often it happens, where, and for how long. This is how you check that your child is getting what the IEP promises. See service minutes.

9. Transition planning, from age 16 (300.320(b))

Mia's IEP does not have this yet. It starts with the first IEP in effect when a child turns 16, or younger if the team or state decides. It adds measurable goals for life after high school and the transition services to reach them.

10. Transfer of rights at the age of majority (300.320(c))

Mia's IEP does not have this yet. At least one year before your child reaches the age of majority under state law (often 18), the IEP must state that your child has been told which rights will transfer to them. See transfer of rights.

Special factors the team must consider

The team must also consider certain needs when they apply: behavior that gets in the way of learning, English language needs, braille for a child who is blind, communication needs, needs of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, and assistive technology.^[2] Mia's team noted that she needs text-to-speech as assistive technology. See special factors.

Who writes each section

The IEP is written by a team, called the IEP team. The team must include you, at least one of your child's general education teachers if your child is or may be in general education, at least one special education teacher, a district representative, someone who can explain evaluation results, and, when appropriate, your child.^[6] In practice, people draft different parts.

Section	Usually drafted by	Your role
Present levels	Special education teacher, with input from teachers, therapists and evaluators	Add what you see at home: strengths, worries, what works
Goals	Special education teacher; therapists for their areas	Ask how each goal connects to present levels
Progress measurement	Whoever writes the goal	Ask how often you will see data
Services and minutes	The team, at the meeting	Ask what each service looks like in a school week
Accommodations	Special education teacher, with general education teachers	Share what helps at home, such as audio books
Time with peers	The team, at the meeting	Ask why any time apart is needed
State tests	Case manager, using the state manual	Ask which accommodations your child uses in class
Transition (16+)	Case manager, with your child	Your child's own goals for after high school

The case manager often writes a draft before the meeting. A draft is a starting point. The team, including you, decides the final plan at the meeting.

How an IEP gets made: the steps

Referral. You or the school asks for an evaluation.
Consent. You give written permission for the evaluation. This is called informed consent.
Evaluation. The school tests and observes your child, within 60 days or the state's timeline.
Eligibility. The team decides whether your child has a disability and needs special education. See eligibility.
IEP meeting. The team writes the IEP, within 30 days of the eligibility decision.^[7]
Consent for services. You give written consent before services start the first time.
Services begin. The school carries out the IEP as soon as possible after the meeting.
Progress reports and annual review. You get reports as the IEP says, and the team meets at least once a year.

Your rights as a parent

Parents are full members of the IEP team. You have the right to take part in meetings, to see your child's records, and to get a copy of the IEP. The school must give you written notice before it changes or refuses to change your child's services, called prior written notice.^[8] It must also give you a copy of your rights, called the procedural safeguards notice.^[9] If you disagree, you can ask for another meeting, mediation, a state complaint or a due process hearing.

Every state has at least one Parent Training and Information Center that helps families understand IEPs for free. You can find yours through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.^[10]

IEP vs 504 plan

An IEP is not the only kind of school plan. A 504 plan comes from a different law, Section 504, and usually lists accommodations without specially designed instruction or goals.

	IEP	504 plan
Law	IDEA	Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Who qualifies	A child in an IDEA disability category who needs special education	A child with a disability that substantially limits a major life activity
What it includes	Present levels, goals, special education, services, accommodations	Mostly accommodations and some services
Progress reports on goals	Required	Not required

The full comparison, with examples and three student scenarios, is in IEP vs 504 plan. For more on 504 plans alone, see what a 504 plan is.

These glossary terms come up in almost every IEP meeting:

The full IEP glossary defines more than 200 terms in plain words.

The IEP process, one guide per step

Each step above has its own guide, in the order you meet them:

IEP basics guides

Before your next meeting, the list of questions to ask at the IEP meeting can help you prepare.

Frequently asked questions

What does IEP stand for?

IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. Many people say Individualized Education Plan, and schools will know what you mean. It is the written plan that describes the special education and services a school will provide to an eligible child with a disability.

Is an IEP a legal document?

Yes. Once the IEP is in place, the school must provide the services, supports and accommodations it lists. If the school does not carry out the IEP, parents can raise it with the team and use the dispute options in their procedural safeguards notice.

Can I ask the school for an IEP?

You can ask the school, in writing, to evaluate your child for special education. The school must respond. If it agrees to evaluate, it needs your written consent. An IEP is written only after the child is found eligible.

Does an IEP follow a child to a new school?

Yes. If you move within the same state, the new district must provide services similar to the old IEP until it adopts that IEP or writes a new one. Moves between states have similar rules, and the new state may evaluate your child.

Does an IEP go on a child's permanent record?

An IEP is part of your child's education records, which are private under federal law. It is not shared with colleges or employers without consent. Rules on what a transcript can show vary, so ask your district.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.301: Initial evaluations, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.303: Reevaluations, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.8: Child with a disability, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.321: IEP Team, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.323: When IEPs must be in effect, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.503: Prior notice by the public agency; content of notice, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.504: Procedural safeguards notice, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.