Service matrix template for a resource program
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A special education service matrix is one table that lists every student in a program with each IEP service, minutes per week, setting, group size, provider and IEP dates. It shows at a glance which staff deliver what, where the minutes add up and where the schedule has gaps. Fill one row per service, total by provider, and update it at every IEP change.
A service matrix is the bridge between individual IEPs and the program schedule. Each IEP lists its own services with frequency, location and duration,[1] but nobody can staff a resource program by reading 24 IEPs one at a time. The matrix pulls every service row into one table, so a coordinator can see total minutes by provider, students who can be grouped and services that have no time slot yet.
This page gives a fill-in matrix, a completed example for one resource teacher and notes on each column. For the building-wide timetable built from it, see building a special education master schedule. For the services page it draws from, see IEP services and minutes.
The fill-in template
Program header:
| Field | Fill in |
|---|---|
| Program | Building and program name, such as "Resource, grades 3 to 5" |
| Provider(s) | Each staff member and role |
| Provider capacity | Each provider's weekly direct-service minutes available |
| School year and date updated | The date matters; a stale matrix is worse than none |
Service rows (one per service, per student):
| Student | Grade | Service and area | Minutes per week | Sessions | Setting | Group or individual | Provider | Goal areas | IEP due | Reeval due | Time slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Totals by provider:
| Provider | Pull-out minutes | Push-in or co-taught minutes | Consult minutes | Total | Capacity | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A completed example
This is a fictional, illustrative program: one resource teacher, grades 3 to 5, in a building with a 1,950-minute school week. The teacher's contract leaves 1,500 minutes a week for direct service after planning, lunch, duty and meetings. All students are shown by initials, and the reevaluation column is left off here to fit the page.
| Student | Grade | Service and area | Min/wk | Sessions | Setting | Group | Provider | Goal areas | IEP due | Time slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.B. | 3 | SDI reading | 150 | 5 x 30 | Resource | Group (3) | Resource teacher | Decoding, fluency | 10/14 | 10:30 to 11:00 daily |
| C.D. | 3 | SDI reading | 150 | 5 x 30 | Resource | Group (3) | Resource teacher | Decoding | 2/3 | 10:30 to 11:00 daily |
| E.F. | 3 | SDI reading | 150 | 5 x 30 | Resource | Group (3) | Resource teacher | Fluency, comprehension | 4/22 | 10:30 to 11:00 daily |
| E.F. | 3 | SDI math | 90 | 3 x 30 | Gen ed | Co-taught | Resource teacher | Computation | 4/22 | 12:00 to 12:30 M, W, F |
| G.H. | 4 | SDI writing | 120 | 4 x 30 | Resource | Group (2) | Resource teacher | Paragraph writing | 11/5 | 11:15 to 11:45 M to Th |
| I.J. | 4 | SDI writing | 120 | 4 x 30 | Resource | Group (2) | Resource teacher | Sentence writing, spelling | 3/18 | 11:15 to 11:45 M to Th |
| I.J. | 4 | Supplementary aid: adult support in writing | 100 | 5 x 20 | Gen ed | Individual | Para, teacher-directed | Writing | 3/18 | 9:10 to 9:30 daily |
| K.L. | 5 | SDI math | 150 | 5 x 30 | Resource | Group (4) | Resource teacher | Fractions, problem solving | 12/9 | 1:30 to 2:00 daily |
| M.N. | 5 | SDI math | 150 | 5 x 30 | Resource | Group (4) | Resource teacher | Fractions | 1/27 | 1:30 to 2:00 daily |
| O.P. | 5 | SDI executive function | 60 | 2 x 30 | Resource | Individual | Resource teacher | Organization, planning | 5/12 | Not yet placed |
Provider totals (resource teacher): A row's minutes are per student, but group sessions share teacher time. The teacher's real time is counted once per session:
| Block | Teacher minutes per week |
|---|---|
| Grade 3 reading group | 150 |
| Grade 3 co-taught math | 90 |
| Grade 4 writing group | 120 |
| Grade 5 math group | 150 |
| O.P. executive function | 60 |
| Consult with gen ed teachers (from IEPs) | 60 |
| Total | 630 |
| Capacity | 1,500 |
| Remaining | 870 |
This small example has room. A full caseload often does not, and the matrix shows that before the year starts. Notice O.P.: a service with no time slot is the first thing a reviewer finds, and the matrix makes it visible.
Notes on each column
Student and grade. Use initials or IDs on any copy that leaves the special education office. The matrix is a student record.
Service and area. Match the IEP wording and add the skill area. "SDI reading" groups well; "Resource" does not.
Minutes per week and sessions. Convert monthly services to a weekly figure for the totals, but keep the IEP's own wording in a note. Reviewers check that the matrix matches the IEP exactly.
Setting. This drives the student's time in general education. A pull-out row and a co-taught row for the same student both belong on the matrix.
Group or individual. Group size tells you which students can be served together. The IEP sets whether group service is allowed. The resource room goals page is useful when you plan groups by skill.
Provider. List the role, and for paras, the teacher who directs them.
Goal areas. Grouping by goal, not by grade or label, produces better groups.
IEP and reevaluation due dates. These let the coordinator spread meeting load. The free IEP due date calculator works out annual and three-year dates.
Time slot. Blank means unserved. Fill this last, after the master schedule.
What reviewers and parents look for
- Every IEP service appears on the matrix, including consult and supplementary aids.
- Minutes on the matrix match the current IEP, including amendments.
- Group sizes match what the IEP allows.
- No service is left without a time slot after the first two weeks of school.
- Provider totals stay within capacity, or there is a plan when they do not. See caseload caps and staffing ratios.
Parents rarely see the matrix, but they feel it. When a parent asks why reading help never happens on Fridays, the matrix and the service log together answer the question. The IEP service log template shows the session-level record that sits underneath each matrix row, and the service delivery continuum explains the models the setting column refers to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a service matrix and a master schedule?
The matrix lists what every IEP requires: services, minutes, settings and providers. The master schedule assigns those services to times and rooms. Build the matrix first, then use it to build the schedule.
How often should the service matrix be updated?
After every IEP meeting or amendment that changes services, and whenever a student enrolls or leaves. A quick check each month catches changes that slipped through.
Should group minutes count once or per student?
Both, in different places. Each student's row shows their own IEP minutes. Provider totals count a group session once, because the provider's time is spent once.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Resource room in the IEP glossary
- Self contained classroom in the IEP glossary
- Inclusion in the IEP glossary
- Goals for the resource room setting
- IEP due date calculator
Related guides
- IEP services and minutes: how to write the services page
- The special education service delivery continuum
- IEP service log template
- Building a special education master schedule
- Caseload caps and staffing ratios by model
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, 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.