LRE, placement and ESY
Placement is decided after the goals and services are written, not before. The question is where those services can be delivered with the student learning alongside peers without disabilities as much as appropriate.
These guides cover the least restrictive environment requirement, the continuum from general education with supports to separate settings, how a team documents a placement decision, extended school year eligibility and planning, and what counts as a change of placement. They are written for case managers and teams who have to explain these decisions at the table.
Start here
- Least restrictive environment, with examples
What least restrictive environment means for your child: the continuum of settings, what moves a child along it, and real LRE statements tied to data.
How-to guides
- 30-day interim placement review: purpose and agenda
What a 30-day IEP review is, when teams hold one after a new or interim placement, a ready agenda, a worked example with dates, and mistakes to avoid.
- Calculating percent of time in general education
How to calculate the percentage of time in general education on an IEP: what counts, the formula, the federal reporting bands and a worked example.
- Collecting regression and recoupment data
How to collect regression and recoupment data for ESY: probes before and after a break, how to calculate loss and recovery time, and a worked example.
- How IEP teams decide placement
How IEP placement is decided: the order of steps, who must be in the room, how long each step takes, a worked example and the mistakes that weaken a decision.
Examples
- LRE justification statement examples
20 annotated LRE justification statements for every point on the continuum, with weak and strong versions side by side and the data behind each one.
Comparisons
- ESY vs summer school
ESY vs summer school explained for parents: what each one is, who decides, what it costs, a side-by-side table and three examples with the answer.
- Inclusion vs mainstreaming: what each means for your child
Inclusion vs mainstreaming explained for parents: a side-by-side table, one question that tells them apart, and three classroom scenarios with answers.
- Placement vs services: two separate IEP decisions
Placement vs services on an IEP: services are what your child gets, placement is where. A side-by-side table, one deciding question and three scenarios.
- Private school placement: parent-placed vs district-placed
What happens to an IEP in private school: parent-placed vs district-placed, services plans, tuition reimbursement, a comparison table and three scenarios.
- Resource room vs self-contained classroom vs inclusion
Resource room vs self-contained classroom vs inclusion: how much of the day each takes, who teaches, a side-by-side table and three scenarios with answers.
For parents
- Extracurricular activities and the IEP
How the IEP covers clubs, sports, field trips, lunch and recess: what the law says, an annotated example, and word-for-word questions to ask the team.
- Home and hospital instruction for students with IEPs
How home and hospital instruction works when your child has an IEP: who decides, what the IEP should say, an annotated example and questions to ask.
- IEPs in virtual school
How an IEP works in a public virtual school: services online, the parent's role, an annotated example, questions to ask before you enroll, and next steps.
- Moving schools or states with an IEP
What happens to your child's IEP when you move to a new school or state: comparable services, new evaluations, an annotated example and questions to ask.
- Shortened school days for students with IEPs
When a shortened school day can be part of an IEP, when it may be a removal or a change of placement, an annotated example and questions to ask.
- The continuum of special education placements
What the continuum of special education placements is, how to find it on your child's IEP, and the exact questions to ask before a team picks a setting.
Explainers
- Change of placement: when a meeting and notice are needed
When a change counts as a change of placement under IDEA, when a meeting and prior written notice are needed, the discipline rules, and a scenario with dates.
- ESY eligibility: regression, recoupment and critical skills
How IEP teams decide ESY eligibility: no single federal test, but common factors like regression, recoupment and emerging skills. A worked example.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn your goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.