IEP services and minutes: how to write the services page
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Write the IEP services page one row per service. Each row names the service, how often it happens, where, for how long and from what start date to what end date, and who delivers it. Every goal should trace to at least one row, and every row should serve at least one goal. Then check that the minutes add up across the week.
The services page is the part of the IEP a district actually staffs and schedules from. Goals say what the student will learn. The services page says who will teach it, where, and for how many minutes. If a row is vague, nobody can tell later whether the service happened.
Federal rules require the IEP to state the special education, related services and supplementary aids the student will get, and the projected start date with the anticipated frequency, location and duration of each.[1] Your state form adds its own fields, but those four elements are the core of every row.
What the services page has to cover
Most forms split the page into three or four blocks. Use the definitions behind each block, because a service in the wrong block confuses the schedule and the minutes count.
| Block | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Specially designed instruction | Teaching that changes content, method or delivery to meet the student's needs[2] | Explicit phonics instruction in a group of 3 |
| Related services | Support needed for the student to benefit from special education, such as speech, OT, PT, counseling or transportation[3] | Speech-language therapy, 30 minutes weekly |
| Supplementary aids and services | Supports that let the student learn in general education settings[4] | Adult support during science labs |
| Supports for school personnel | Training or consultation for the adults | OT consult with the classroom teacher, 15 minutes monthly |
The glossary pages on specially designed instruction, related services and supplementary aids and services go into each term.
The row model: five fields for every service
Write every service as one row with the same five fields. If a field is blank, the row is not finished.
- Service. Name it the way your district codes it, plus the skill area: "Specialized instruction, reading," not "Resource."
- Frequency. Sessions per week or per month: "4 times per week."
- Location. General education classroom, special education setting, or another named place. This field drives the placement percentage, so be exact.
- Duration. The length of each session in minutes, and the start and end dates of the service.
- Provider. The role responsible, such as "special education teacher" or "SLP." Use roles, not names, so the row survives a staff change.
The word duration causes trouble. In the federal rule, frequency, location and duration describe the service over the IEP year, so the start and end dates matter.[1] Many state forms also use "duration" for minutes per session. Fill in both: minutes per session and the service dates. Then nobody has to guess.
Four filled examples
These rows are illustrations for one fictional 4th grader, Maya, not benchmarks for any disability. Change every number to fit your own data.
| Service | Frequency | Location | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized instruction, reading (decoding and fluency) | 4 times per week | Special education setting | 30 min per session; 9/15/2026 to 9/14/2027 | Special education teacher |
| Speech-language therapy (expressive language) | 2 times per week | 1 session special education setting, 1 session general education classroom | 25 min per session; 9/15/2026 to 9/14/2027 | SLP |
| Occupational therapy consultation (handwriting supports) | 1 time per month | General education classroom | 20 min per session; 9/15/2026 to 9/14/2027 | Occupational therapist |
| Adult support during written work (supplementary aid) | Daily | General education classroom | 20 min per day; 9/15/2026 to 9/14/2027 | Paraprofessional, under teacher direction |
A few choices in these rows are worth copying. The reading row names the skill, so a reviewer can match it to the reading goals. The speech row splits its location, because one session happens in the classroom. That split changes the time-in-general-education figure. The para row says "under teacher direction" because a para delivers support but does not design it.
Step 1: Start from the goals, not last year's minutes
Copy-forward is the most common source of a services page that no longer fits. List the current goals first. Then ask, for each goal, what instruction it needs and who has the skills to give it. Minutes come last.
A reading goal built on a baseline of 48 words correct per minute needs explicit, frequent practice. That points to several short sessions a week, not one long one. A goal for using a self-check list in class may need no pull-out time at all, only a classroom support and a teacher check.
Step 2: Map every goal to a service
Build a small map before you fill in the form. It catches goals with no service and services with no goal.
| Goal (short name) | Service row that delivers it | Who takes the data |
|---|---|---|
| Decoding: multisyllable words, 70% to 90% of words read | Specialized instruction, reading | Special education teacher |
| Oral reading fluency: 48 to 85 words correct per minute | Specialized instruction, reading | Special education teacher |
| Expressive language: retell with 4 story parts | Speech-language therapy | SLP |
| Written work: complete 3 sentences with a checklist | Adult support during written work, plus OT consultation | Para collects, teacher reviews |
If a goal has no row, either add a service or ask whether the goal belongs in this IEP. If a row has no goal, it may be an accommodation or a support for school personnel, which is fine. It still needs a reason the team can state.
Step 3: Choose frequency and session length
Pick the frequency from how often the skill must be practiced and the length from how long the student can work well. Short, frequent sessions suit skills that need daily practice, such as decoding. Longer, less frequent sessions suit work that needs setup, such as a writing conference.
Use the data you have. If the student loses focus after about 15 minutes of reading work, a 45-minute block will not give 45 minutes of instruction. The team can always add time at a review if progress data shows the student needs more.
For how teams arrive at the total, see how IEP service minutes are decided. Aligning goals to services and minutes shows how to tie each goal to a service row, and speech therapy minutes compares group and individual sessions for speech.
Step 4: Write the location precisely
Location is where a service is delivered, not a label for the student. "Special education setting" and "general education classroom" are the usual choices. If a service happens in both, split it, as in the speech row above.
Location also feeds placement. The IEP has to explain how much of the day the student will not be with peers without disabilities.[1] The least restrictive environment guide covers how teams make that decision. Whether a service is delivered inside the classroom or outside it is its own choice, compared in push-in vs pull-out services.
Step 5: Add up the week
Total the minutes per week in each location. For Maya:
- Reading: 4 x 30 = 120 minutes, special education setting.
- Speech: 25 minutes special education setting and 25 minutes general education classroom.
- Para support: 5 x 20 = 100 minutes, general education classroom.
- OT consult: about 5 minutes per week averaged, but it is a support for the teacher and is often not counted as direct student time.
If the school week is 1,800 minutes, Maya spends 145 minutes, about 8% of the week, outside the general education classroom. That figure goes into the LRE section. Check it against the schedule before the meeting, because a figure the schedule cannot deliver is a promise the school will break.
Common mistakes on the services page
- Weak: "Speech as needed." Better: "Speech-language therapy, 2 times per week, 25 minutes, special education setting." Without frequency and minutes, nobody can show the service was delivered.
- Weak: "Resource, 300 minutes per week." Better: "Specialized instruction, reading, 4 times per week, 30 minutes" and "Specialized instruction, math, 3 times per week, 30 minutes." One lump total hides which goal gets which time.
- Weak: A provider listed by name. Better: The role. A name goes stale the day that person changes schools.
- Weak: Minutes that do not fit the bell schedule. Better: Minutes built from real session lengths.
- Weak: Consultation written as direct service. Better: Consultation listed as a support for school personnel, with how often the provider meets the teacher.
Logging minutes once the IEP is in place
The page only matters if the services happen. Keep a log with the date, minutes delivered, and a code for missed sessions, such as student absent or provider absent. The free service log prints that sheet, and the caseload tracker compares minutes delivered with minutes required for each student. Bring the log to the next review, and the service minutes entry explains how teams use it.
Frequently asked questions
What does duration mean on the IEP services page?
In the federal rule it refers to how long the service lasts over the IEP year, so list the start and end dates. Many state forms also use it for minutes per session. Writing both removes the guesswork.
Do consultation minutes count as direct service minutes?
Usually not. Consultation is time the provider spends with the teacher, so most forms list it as a support for school personnel. Check how your district codes it, and state how often the provider and teacher meet.
Can the team change service minutes before the annual review?
Yes. The team can meet to revise the IEP at any time, and many states let the parent and district agree to a change in writing without a full meeting. Base the change on progress data.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Service minutes in the IEP glossary
- Specially designed instruction in the IEP glossary
- Related services in the IEP glossary
- Service log
- Caseload tracker
Related guides
- Push-in vs pull-out services
- Least restrictive environment, with examples
- The IEP meeting: before, during and after
- The IEP case manager's handbook: responsibilities, calendar and tools
- Aligning goals to services and minutes
- How IEP service minutes are decided
- Supplementary aids and services examples
- IEP service log template
- 1:1 aide vs shared para support
- Assistive technology devices and services in the IEP
- Building a special education master schedule
- Caseload caps and staffing ratios by model
- Co-teaching models explained
- Consultation services on the IEP: what counts and how to log it
- How to request a 1:1 aide and what data teams look for
- Medicaid consent for school-based services
- Related services goals: who writes what
- Related services under IDEA: the full list
- Scheduling pull-out services without missing core instruction
- SDI vs accommodations vs supplementary aids
- Service matrix template for a resource program
- Specially designed instruction examples by area
- Supports for school personnel examples
- The special education service delivery continuum
- Transportation as a related service
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.39: Special education, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.42: Supplementary aids and services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
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.