What paraprofessionals should know about a student's IEP
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Paraprofessionals should know the parts of a student's IEP they carry out: the goals they support and how each is measured, the accommodations they give, the times they provide support, the behavior plan steps and any health or safety needs. They do not need the whole file. Ask the supervising teacher for a one-page summary and the plan for each routine.
An IEP can run 20 pages or more. A para supporting four students will not read 80 pages before the first day, and does not need to. What a para needs is the part of each IEP they are responsible for carrying out, written so they can act on it.
The law supports this. Each IEP must be accessible to every teacher, related service provider and other service provider responsible for carrying it out, and each must be told their specific responsibilities, including the accommodations, modifications and supports they give.[1] Paras carry out parts of the IEP under a teacher's supervision,[2] so the supervising teacher is usually the one who tells them what applies.
For the full para role, see paraprofessional roles and responsibilities. For a plain introduction to IEPs, see what is an IEP.
The parts of the IEP a para needs
| IEP part | What the para needs from it | What the para can skip |
|---|---|---|
| Present levels | One or two lines on what the student can do now | Full test scores and evaluation history |
| Annual goals | The goals they support, in plain words, and how each is measured | Goals worked on only by other providers |
| Accommodations and modifications | Each one they give, with when and how much | Testing rules for settings they do not work in |
| Services | The times and places they provide support | Minutes for other services |
| Behavior plan | The steps, in order, and the replacement skill | The full functional behavior assessment |
| Health or safety plan | What to do and who to call | Medical history |
| Communication or assistive technology | How the student communicates and which device they use | Device settings managed by others |
The IEP at a glance template is a one-page format many teachers use for exactly this.
One student, one month: Jordan's example
Jordan is a fictional grade 5 student. His IEP was written on April 18, 2026, and the annual review is due by April 17, 2027. A new para starts on September 3 and will support Jordan for 60 minutes a day, during math and at two transitions.
September 3: the summary. The supervising teacher gives the para a one-page summary. It lists two goals the para supports:
- Math facts: Jordan will answer single-digit multiplication facts at 40 digits correct per minute on a 2-minute probe. His baseline is 20.
- Asking for help: When stuck during independent work, Jordan will raise his help card in 8 of 10 opportunities. His baseline is 3 of 10.
It also lists three accommodations the para gives in math: directions given in chunks of one step, a calculator for multi-step word problems, and a 2-minute break after 15 minutes of work. The behavior plan steps fit on three lines.
September 4: training. The teacher trains the para on the help-card routine using the step card and the data sheet. The math facts probe stays with the teacher, because it is timed and needs a standard sheet. The para learns where that goal fits but does not score it.
September 10: agreement check. The teacher and para score the same 10 help-card opportunities. They agree on 9 of 10, so the para takes this data alone from now on.
October 1: first look at the data. Jordan uses his card on his own in 5 of 10 opportunities, up from 3. The teacher graphs the para's data. At the progress report, the help-card numbers come from the para's sheets and the math facts numbers from the teacher's probes.
By October, the para knows exactly what the IEP asks of them: two routines, three accommodations, three behavior steps. They have not read the whole IEP, and they have never needed to.
Step by step: reading a goal onto the data sheet
Most paras use the opportunity and trial data sheet. Here is how a goal turns into marks on the sheet, using Jordan's help-card goal.
- Find the condition. "When stuck during independent work." That tells you when an opportunity happens: each time Jordan stops working on a problem.
- Find the behavior. "Raise his help card." That is what counts as correct. Putting his head down or calling out does not count.
- Find the number of opportunities. The goal says 10. Mark up to 10 per session.
- Mark each opportunity. A plus for independent, or the prompt code for the help you gave, from the prompt hierarchy.
- Leave the criterion to the teacher. "8 of 10" is the target. Whether Jordan has met it, and for how long, is the teacher's call.
- Hand in the sheet. Same place, same time, every day.
The teacher's side of this routine is in sharing IEP data collection with paraprofessionals.
Rules that apply, and where states differ
| Topic | General rule | Source | Where it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to the IEP | Each provider responsible for carrying out the IEP can access it and is told their part | 34 CFR 300.323[1] | Districts decide how access is given (summary, full copy, software) |
| Para role | Paras assist when trained and supervised | 34 CFR 300.156[2] | States set qualification and training rules |
| Confidentiality | Share student information only with staff who need it | FERPA[3] | Some states add their own student privacy laws |
| IEP meetings | Paras are not required members; parents or the school may invite others with knowledge of the child | 34 CFR 300.321[4] | District practice on inviting paras varies |
| Measuring progress | The IEP says how each goal is measured and when progress is reported | 34 CFR 300.320[5] | Report schedules and forms vary |
| Changing the IEP | Only the IEP team changes goals, services or accommodations | IEP team process | Amendment procedures vary by state |
| Restraint and crisis response | Only trained staff, following the plan and state law | State law | Varies widely; ask about required training |
Questions to ask your supervising teacher
- Which goals do I support, and how is each one measured?
- Which accommodations do I give, and when?
- What are the behavior plan steps, in order?
- Is there a health or safety plan I need to know?
- Where do my data sheets go, and when?
- Who do I ask when the plan does not fit what is happening?
If you want to know more about prompting or how feedback works, see prompt hierarchy for paraprofessionals and feedback for paraprofessionals.
Frequently asked questions
Are paraprofessionals allowed to read a student's IEP?
Generally yes, for the students they serve. The IEP must be accessible to each person responsible for carrying it out. Many districts give paras a summary of the parts they carry out and access to the full IEP on request.
Do paraprofessionals go to IEP meetings?
They are not required members of the IEP team. A parent or the school can invite a para who knows the student well. Often the teacher brings the para's data and observations instead.
What should a para do if the IEP and the teacher's directions seem to conflict?
Follow the teacher's direction in the moment unless it is a safety issue, then ask the teacher privately about the difference. If an accommodation in the IEP is not being given, the teacher needs to know.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Paraprofessional in the IEP glossary
- Prompt hierarchy in the IEP glossary
- Opportunity trial data sheet
- IEP in the IEP glossary
- Accommodation in the IEP glossary
Related guides
- Paraprofessional roles and responsibilities
- Sharing IEP data collection with paraprofessionals
- Feedback for paraprofessionals: how to give it so it changes practice
- Prompt hierarchy for paraprofessionals: how to prompt in the moment
- IEP at a glance: one-page summary template for teachers
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.323: When IEPs must be in effect, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 34 CFR §300.156: Personnel qualifications, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- FERPA, Protecting Student Privacy, U.S. Department of Education
- 34 CFR §300.321: IEP Team, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 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.