An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written plan for a student who needs special education support. It describes a student’s strengths and needs. It also lists the supports, changes to learning expectations, or alternative learning goals that are part of the student’s program.
The IEP is a working document. This means it can be changed and updated as needed. Parent and guardian input is important and welcomed when the IEP is created and reviewed. The school will work with you to create a program that supports your child and will keep you informed about changes. A copy of the IEP will be kept in your child’s Ontario Student Record.
When a student is having difficulty with learning, the In-School Team may talk with you about starting an IEP. IEPs can be created to support programming that is accommodated, modified and/or alternative. The student’s program is assessed, monitored, and reviewed on an ongoing basis.
IEP Programming
During the IEP development process, the school team will consider a variety of programming options for students, some of which are listed below.
Accommodations
Accommodations provide students with special teaching strategies, assessment strategies, human supports and/or individualized equipment to enable a student to learn and demonstrate learning. Accommodations do not alter the Ontario Curriculum expectations.
Modifications
Modifications are changes made in the Ontario Curriculum expectations for a subject or course in order to meet a student’s learning needs. Expectations may be at a different grade level and/or an increase or decrease in the number and/or complexity of the Ontario Curriculum.
Alternative
Alternative expectations are developed to help students acquire knowledge and skills that are not represented in the Ontario Curriculum. Some examples include: social skills, orientation/mobility training and personal care programs.
Students may be placed on an IEP to support growth and success. Some students are formally identified by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC). Both formal and informal assessment assist in the IPRC decision process and can be provided by the parent/guardian and/or the school or both. For students who have been formally identified through the IPRC process, an IEP is a mandatory and valuable programming plan to set goals, strategies and plan assessments that serve the individual needs of your child specifically.