What needs to be in an IEP?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that all IEPs must contain the following:

• A statement of measurable annual goals for your child, including academic and functional goals that are designed to:

  • Meet your child’s needs resulting from their disability so they can be involved in the general curriculum and make progress in their studies

  • Meet each of your child’s other educational needs resulting from their disability. If your child takes alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards, then their IEP should include a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives.

• A description of:

  • How your child’s progress toward meeting their annual goals will be measured, and

  • When you will be provided with periodic reports on the progress your child is making toward meeting their annual goals. For example, this can be done through the use of quarterly reports in addition to your child’s report cards.

For more about writing an IEP, check out our IEP Goal-Writing Guide.