Push-in vs pull-out services
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Push-in means the provider delivers the service inside the general education classroom. Pull-out means the student leaves the classroom for a separate room. The deciding question is where the student can practice the skill with the most success and the least time away from peers. Many students need a mix of the two.
Push-in and pull-out describe where a service is delivered, not what the service is. Reading instruction, speech therapy, OT and counseling can each be delivered either way. The choice changes the student's schedule, the time in general education on the IEP, and how the skill carries over to class.
Neither term appears in federal special education law. They are practice terms. What the law does require is that the IEP state the location of each service, and that students be removed from regular classes only when they cannot be educated there satisfactorily with supports.[1][2] That is why the choice belongs to the IEP team and has to be written down.
The deciding question
Ask: where can this student practice this skill with enough intensity to make progress, while missing as little as possible?
If the classroom can give enough focused practice, with the provider there, push-in is the default. If the skill needs a quiet room, special materials, or more repetitions than a class lesson allows, pull-out time is justified. Write the reason in the IEP either way.
Side-by-side table
| Push-in | Pull-out | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The provider works with the student inside the general education classroom (push-in) | The student leaves the classroom for a separate setting (pull-out) |
| Basis in law or practice | Practice term; the IEP must state the location of each service[1] | Practice term; removal from regular class must be justified under LRE rules[2] |
| Who decides | The IEP team, including the parent | The IEP team, including the parent |
| Typical services | Co-taught lessons, in-class speech or OT support, small group at a side table | Intensive reading or math instruction, articulation drill, private counseling |
| Strength | Skills are practiced where they are used; no missed class content | Fewer distractions; more repetitions per minute; specialized materials |
| Weak spot | Noise and pacing of the class can cut practice time | Missed class time; skills may not carry over to the classroom |
| Effect on time in general education | Counts as time in the general education setting | Counts as time outside the general education setting |
| Where it is documented | Services page, location field: "general education classroom" | Services page, location field: "special education setting" |
| Scheduling | Must match the class lesson the provider joins | Must avoid core instruction where possible |
Examples by service
| Service | Push-in version | Pull-out version |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Special education teacher runs a guided reading group inside the 3rd grade room | Explicit phonics group of 3 in the resource room, 30 minutes |
| Speech-language | SLP models vocabulary during a science lesson | Articulation practice with 80 to 100 trials per session in the speech room |
| Occupational therapy | OT sets up a slant board and pencil grip during writing time | Fine motor strengthening with therapy materials |
| Counseling | Counselor coaches a peer group during lunch | Weekly individual session on coping skills |
| Math | Co-teacher supports a small group during the class lesson | Pre-teaching fractions before the unit starts |
Three scenarios
A 2nd grader with an articulation goal for /r/
The student needs many correct productions of a sound that is just emerging. In a busy classroom, the SLP might get 10 trials in 20 minutes. In the speech room, the same 20 minutes gives 80 or more. Answer: pull-out for now. Add classroom carryover sessions once the student produces /r/ correctly in sentences. The articulation /r/ goals show how the goal moves from drill to conversation.
A 6th grader who stops working during independent writing
The student can write, but stalls at the blank page. The problem shows up in class, with class assignments. Pulling the student out would remove the exact moment the support is needed. Answer: push-in. A special educator or para checks in at the start of writing time with a planning organizer. The task initiation goals fit this need.
A 4th grader reading 2 years below grade level
The student needs explicit, sequenced phonics instruction every day. The class reading block is grade-level comprehension work. Answer: a mix. Pull-out for 30 minutes of direct decoding instruction, scheduled outside core literacy if possible. Push-in during the class block, with support for reading grade-level text. The minutes for each go on separate rows.
When the student needs both
A split service is often the best fit, and it is easy to write. Put push-in and pull-out on separate rows, or one row with a split location: "2 times per week: 1 session special education setting, 1 session general education classroom." Then the time-in-general-education figure stays accurate.
The services page guide shows full rows for both kinds. For the placement side of the decision, see the least restrictive environment guide.
Splitting the time is part of the minutes decision. How IEP service minutes are decided explains how teams set the total, and aligning goals to services and minutes shows how to tie each block to a goal. For speech, speech therapy minutes compares group and individual sessions.
Mistakes teams make with push-in and pull-out
- Weak: Push-in that is really the provider standing at the back. Better: A plan for what the provider does during that lesson, such as running a station or a small group.
- Weak: Pull-out during the student's only science block every week. Better: A rotating time, or a time during a non-core period, agreed with the classroom teacher.
- Weak: Choosing by provider convenience. Better: Choosing by the deciding question above, and writing the reason.
- Weak: Calling an in-class group at a side table "pull-out." Better: Calling it push-in, because the student is still in the classroom.
- Weak: Keeping the same model for years out of habit. Better: Checking at each annual review whether progress data still supports it. A student who now produces /r/ in sentences may be ready to move from pull-out to classroom practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is push-in required by law?
No. Federal law does not use the terms push-in or pull-out. It requires the IEP to state where each service is delivered and requires that removal from regular classes be justified. The IEP team decides which model fits.
Does pull-out time lower the student's time in general education?
Yes. Minutes delivered outside the general education classroom count as time outside it. Push-in minutes count as time in the general education setting, even when the student works in a small group.
Can a parent ask for push-in instead of pull-out?
Yes. Any team member, including the parent, can raise it at an IEP meeting. Bring data on where the student practices the skill best. The team decides together and records the reason.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Push in in the IEP glossary
- Pull out in the IEP glossary
- Service minutes in the IEP glossary
- Co-teaching in the IEP glossary
- Service log
Related guides
- IEP services and minutes: how to write the services page
- Least restrictive environment, with examples
- The IEP meeting: before, during and after
- Scheduling pull-out services without missing core instruction
- Supplementary aids and services examples
- Assistive technology devices and services in the IEP
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.114: LRE requirements, 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.