Reading an IEP section by section
What an IEP must contain, the federal model form as a reading map, the special factors, the draft IEP, and reading the document for the gaps that become your questions.
- Start here: the essentials
- 1. What an IEP must contain
- 2. Reading the main sections
- 3. The special factors
- 4. The draft, your copy, and who else reads it
- 5. Reading for gaps
- 6. Go deeper: technology, alternate tests and grade-level standards
- 7. See it
- 8. Practice
- 9. Your situation
- 10. Check your work
- 11. Knowledge check and scenario
Start here Essentials
For a first pass, get the IEP or the draft, copy its dates, goals and services into one sheet, and write a question beside one part you do not follow. The material on assistive technology, alternate assessments and grade-level standards is Go deeper.
- Get the current IEP or the draft, and note its date. If you have neither, ask the school in writing for a copy; the IEP copy comes at no cost (the draft and your copy).
- Fill the summary fields from the first pages. Dates, eligibility as written, the placement statement, test participation (the main sections).
- Copy each goal and each service into its table. One row per goal, one row per service, in the IEP's own words (the main sections).
- Put a question beside one section you do not understand. Use the gap list to find it (reading for gaps).
Minimum time: about 45 minutes with the document in front of you. Done when: the IEP at a glance sheet shows the IEP's dates, every goal and every service, and at least one question.
1. What an IEP must contain Understand
An IEP looks like a long form, and many families read it the way they read a contract they did not write: skimming for the part that matters and hoping the rest is fine. It reads better as an answer sheet. The federal regulations list what an IEP must say, in order, and almost every section answers one question about your child. If you know the question, you can tell whether the page answers it.
The IEP is a written statement for one child, developed, reviewed and revised under a fixed set of rules (34 CFR 300.22, the IEP). Its required contents are in one regulation (34 CFR 300.320, definition of individualized education program). The table below turns that list into the question each part answers.
| Part of the IEP | The question it answers | In 34 CFR 300.320 |
|---|---|---|
| Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance | Where is the child now, and how does the disability affect taking part and progressing in the general curriculum (or, for a preschooler, in appropriate activities)? | (a)(1) |
| Measurable annual goals, academic and functional | What should the child be able to do a year from now that they cannot do now? | (a)(2) |
| How progress is measured and when it is reported | How will anyone know whether the goal is being met, and when will you hear? | (a)(3) |
| Special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, program modifications, supports for school personnel | What will the school do, provide or change, so the child can work toward the goals and take part with other children? | (a)(4) |
| Extent of not participating with nondisabled children | How much time, if any, does the child spend apart from children without disabilities, in class and in other activities? | (a)(5) |
| State and district tests | Which accommodations does the child use on those tests, or, if the team chooses an alternate assessment, why? | (a)(6) |
| Dates, frequency, location, duration | When does each service start, how often, where, and for how long? | (a)(7) |
| Transition services | From the IEP in effect at 16 (or younger if the team decides): what are the student's goals after school, and what services lead there? | (b) |
| Transfer of rights at the age of majority | A year before the state's age of majority: has the student been told which rights will transfer? | (c) |
This list is the federal floor. Your state and district may add parts, rename them or put them in another order Convention. A form with a different look still has to answer these questions somewhere, so when a section seems to be missing, look for it under another heading before you write it down as a gap.
The federal model form as a reading map
The Department of Education published a model IEP form in 2006, laid out in the same order as the regulation. Few schools use it as is; states and districts use their own forms. Its value for you is as a map. Open it beside your child's IEP, and for each section of the model, find the matching place in your child's document. The model also shows what a blank section looks like, which helps you see when a section on your child's IEP was left thin.
The IEP at a glance sheet follows the same order, so filling it is the reading.
2. Reading the main sections
Present levels
The present levels section is the foundation, and families often skip it because it reads like a summary of things they already know. Read it slowly. Every goal should grow out of something written here, and every service should answer a need written here. A present levels statement describes the child's current academic achievement (reading, writing, math, and so on) and functional performance (attention, communication, daily living, behavior, motor skills), and how the disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)). The CPIR page on IEP contents explains each part with the regulation's text beside it.
Three things to look for. First, sources: does it say where its information came from (an evaluation, classroom data, a teacher's observation, your input)? Second, specifics: "reads 42 words per minute on a grade 2 passage" tells you more than "below grade level." Third, strengths: the team must consider the child's strengths (34 CFR 300.324), so they belong here, not only the problems. Compare it with the observation log and priorities from Observations and priorities. A priority of yours that appears nowhere in the present levels is a question for the meeting.
Annual goals and progress
Each goal should be measurable: something a person could observe and count, by a date (34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)). The IEP must also say how progress toward each goal will be measured and when reports will be given, and the regulation's own example is "quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards" (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)). Copy each goal word for word into the goals table. Goals, services and placement takes the goal apart into its pieces; for now, note whether you can find a baseline, a target and a measure, and leave a question where you cannot.
For a child who takes an alternate assessment aligned to alternate achievement standards, the IEP must also include short-term objectives or benchmarks. For other children, the federal regulation does not require them, though a state or district form may.
Services, aids, modifications and supports
This section says what the school will provide. The regulation names four kinds, and they are easier to read once you can tell them apart (34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)):
- Special education: specially designed instruction, such as reading instruction from a special education teacher.
- Related services: support the child needs to benefit from special education, such as speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, counseling or transportation (34 CFR 300.34).
- Supplementary aids and services: aids, services and supports in regular classes and other settings, so the child can be educated with children without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate (34 CFR 300.42). The CPIR page on supplementary aids and services gives examples.
- Program modifications or supports for school personnel: changes to the program, or training and help for the staff who work with the child.
The regulation says these services should be "based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable." That phrase is a reason to ask what a service is based on, not a test you apply yourself.
Copy every service into the services table. The regulation also requires the start date and the "anticipated frequency, location, and duration" of each service and modification (34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)). On many forms, those details sit in a grid on a different page from the description of the service. Put them in the same row.
Taking part with other children, and tests
The IEP must explain the extent, if any, to which the child will not take part with children without disabilities in the regular class and in extracurricular and nonacademic activities (34 CFR 300.320(a)(5)). Notice the direction of the sentence: it describes time apart, not time together. Copy it into the summary's "extent" field in the IEP's own words. Goals, services and placement explains how placement is decided.
The IEP must also state any individual accommodations the child needs on state and district tests, or, if the team decides the child will take an alternate assessment, why the child cannot take the regular one and why the alternate is appropriate (34 CFR 300.320(a)(6); 34 CFR 300.160).
Transition and the age of majority
For a student whose IEP will be in effect at 16, or younger if the team decides, the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals (training or education, employment and, where appropriate, independent living skills) and the transition services that lead to them (34 CFR 300.320(b)). Beginning at least one year before the student reaches the age of majority under state law, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been told which rights will transfer (34 CFR 300.320(c)). Mark both as present, absent or "not yet due" in the summary fields. Transitions and changes explains what they mean.
3. The special factors
When the team writes the IEP, the regulation names five situations it must consider (34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)). They are called the special factors, and the IEP form often has a checklist for them. A checked "no" means the team considered the factor and decided it does not apply; it is worth knowing which boxes were checked and why.
| Special factor | What the team must do | A question you might ask |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior that impedes learning (the child's or others') | Consider positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address the behavior | What information is the behavior section based on, and how will we know whether the supports are working? |
| Limited English proficiency | Consider the child's language needs as they relate to the IEP | How does the IEP address language learning alongside the disability? |
| Blind or visually impaired | Provide for instruction in Braille and its use, unless the team decides after an evaluation that it is not appropriate | What evaluation of reading and writing media was the decision based on? |
| Communication needs; deaf or hard of hearing | Consider communication needs, and for a deaf or hard of hearing child, language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communication with peers and staff in the child's language and mode, and the full range of needs | Where in the day does the child communicate directly with peers in their own language and mode? |
| Assistive technology | Consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services | Was assistive technology considered, and on what information? |
The CPIR page on special factors has examples and resources for each. A special factor is a duty to consider, not a guarantee of a particular service. What the team decides belongs in the IEP; if you cannot find where it went, that is a question.
4. The draft, your copy, and who else reads it
The draft IEP
Many schools prepare a draft IEP before the meeting: a proposed version for the team to discuss. The federal regulations do not mention drafts. They do not require one and do not forbid one, so practice differs by school and district. Ask the authority Ask the school in writing whether a draft will be prepared and whether you can have it a few days before the meeting; check your state's page on Rules and Record in case your state addresses it. Reading a draft at home, with time, is very different from seeing it for the first time across a table.
A draft is a proposal. It becomes the IEP only through the team's process at the meeting (In the meeting), and you can bring written questions and suggested changes to it. Write "draft" and its date in the summary's status field, so you can later compare the draft with the final version line by line (After the meeting).
Your copy
The school must give you a copy of your child's IEP at no cost (34 CFR 300.322(f)). If you do not have the current one, ask for it in writing and record the request on the requests sheet. Keep the copy you receive unmarked as your original; write on a photocopy or in the sheet.
Who else reads it
The IEP must be accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related service provider and other service provider responsible for carrying it out, and each must be told their specific responsibilities and the specific accommodations, modifications and supports they provide (34 CFR 300.323(d)). This matters most at the start of a school year or after a change of teacher. After the meeting includes a check that it has happened.
This chapter explains what each section of an IEP must contain. It does not judge whether a present level, goal or service is right for your child; the team decides that under 34 CFR 300.324, with you as a member, and in a disagreement the processes in When you disagree do. A section that looks thin is a question to ask, not a violation this manual declares. Your state's and district's forms may arrange things differently from the federal list.
5. Reading for gaps
Once the sheet is filled, read across it for gaps. A gap is not proof that anything is wrong. It is a place where the document does not yet answer a question you have, and every gap becomes a question on your list for the meeting (Before the meeting).
| What you notice | Where to look first | The question to write |
|---|---|---|
| A priority from Observations and priorities appears nowhere | Present levels, goals, services | Where does the IEP address [the priority]? |
| A goal without a measure or a number | The goal, and the progress measurement section | How will the team measure this goal, and what counts as meeting it? |
| A goal with no baseline in the present levels | Present levels | Where does this goal start from today? |
| A service without minutes, frequency or setting | The service grid, often on another page | How many minutes, how often, where and by whom? |
| No schedule for progress reports | The progress measurement section | When will I receive progress reports, and in what form? |
| A special factor checked without explanation | The special factors page | What information was the team's decision on [factor] based on? |
| Test accommodations that differ from classroom accommodations | Assessment section and supplementary aids | Why does the child use this on tests but not in class (or the reverse)? |
| No transition section for a student who will be 16 during the IEP | Transition pages | When will transition planning begin, and how will the student take part? |
Write each question in the question column beside the row it belongs to, then copy the most important ones into your questions sheet with the IEP section marked. The question bank has more, filtered by section.
Keep the tone of your questions open. "How will this be measured?" invites an answer; "This goal is not measurable" invites an argument about whether it is. The first gets you the same information and leaves room for the team to explain something you missed Preference.
6. Technology, alternate tests and grade-level standards Go deeper
Assistive technology
Assistive technology devices or services, or both, must be made available to a child if they are required as part of the child's special education, related services or supplementary aids and services (34 CFR 300.105). A device can be as simple as a pencil grip or as complex as a speech-generating device; a service includes evaluating the need, getting the device, and training the child, family and staff. When the IEP lists a device, look for where it is used (school only, or home too) and who trains whom.
Alternate assessments
Most children with IEPs take the same state and district tests as other students, with accommodations where the IEP lists them. A small group take an alternate assessment, and the IEP team decides which test a child takes (34 CFR 300.160). If your child's IEP lists an alternate assessment, read the stated reasons and ask how that choice affects the courses and diploma options open to your child; the answer is set by your state, so ask the school and check your state's sources.
Goals tied to grade-level standards
In a November 2015 Dear Colleague letter, the federal special education office stated its position that IEPs should be aligned with the state's academic content standards for the grade in which the child is enrolled (OSEP, Dear Colleague Letter on FAPE, November 16, 2015). The letter was listed on the Department's policy guidance page without a rescinded mark when we checked on October 23, 2026. It is guidance, not regulation. It explains why some IEPs name grade-level standards in their goals while setting the child's own starting point and target, and it gives you a question to ask if your child's goals are written below grade level with no link to the grade's standards.
A state's own form
Comparing the model form with your state's own IEP form shows what your state added or renamed. Your district's form is the one that counts for your child; ask the school for a blank copy if you want to read it without your child's details on it.
7. See it See it
Lena Marsh and Jasper, California. Lena is Jasper's grandmother and legal guardian. Jasper is 12, in grade 6, and has had an IEP since grade 3, with goals on starting and finishing classwork and a behavior support section. The annual review is coming.
What Lena does. She asks the case manager in writing for the draft, and it arrives four days before the meeting. She fills the IEP at a glance sheet: the summary fields from page 1 (draft, dated the meeting day; placement in general education with a resource period; next reevaluation in spring 2028), two goals into the goals table, and three services into the services table (specialized academic instruction 45 minutes daily in the resource room; counseling 30 minutes twice a month; a daily check-in with an aide).
The gaps she finds. The classwork goal says Jasper "will start assignments independently with 80% accuracy." She cannot find a baseline in the present levels, and "accuracy" does not fit starting a task. The behavior special factor is checked "yes," and a behavior support section is attached, but the present levels do not say what information it is based on. The check-in service has no minutes. Her three questions go into the question column and then into her questions sheet.
Known: the draft's contents and date; the services as written. Assumed in the example: that the draft follows the district's usual form, so the service grid is on page 7. Open: what the goal's measure is (settled by the team at the meeting); whether the goals are still the right ones (settled by the team, with Lena as a member, under 34 CFR 300.324).
Daniel Reyes and Sofía, Texas. Sofía is 15, in grade 9, deaf, and uses an interpreter in class. Daniel prefers documents and meetings in Spanish. In Texas, decisions about a child's program are made by an admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee, Texas's name for the IEP team, according to Rules and Record's Texas page (sources last checked October 6, 2026), and the page's languages row says the notice is published in Spanish.
What Daniel reads for. On the special factors page he finds "communication needs; deaf or hard of hearing" checked, with a note that Sofía has an interpreter in core classes. His question: where in her day does she communicate directly with peers and staff in her own language and mode, as the regulation asks the team to consider? He also checks for the transition section: Sofía turns 16 during the next IEP, so the federal floor puts transition planning in that IEP.
Open: what the communication factor means for her IEP (settled by the ARD committee under 34 CFR 300.324); when transition planning starts (the federal floor is the IEP in effect at 16; the committee may start earlier).
Free references for reading an IEP, chosen because they quote the regulation and add plain explanations:
- Contents of the IEP (CPIR): every required part with the regulation's text and an explanation.
- Model IEP form (U.S. Department of Education, 2006): the federal model laid out in the regulation's order, to read beside your child's form.
- Special Factors in IEP Development (CPIR): the five special factors with examples and resources.
- Supplementary Aids and Services (CPIR): examples of aids, services, modifications and supports for staff.
8. Practice Practice
Minimum: the summary fields, every goal, every service, and one question. Time: about 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the IEP's length. Materials: the current IEP or the draft (a photocopy you can write on), your priorities from Observations and priorities, and the IEP at a glance sheet.
- Find the dates. On the first pages, find the meeting date, the start date, the review date and the next reevaluation date. Write them in the summary fields, with "draft" or "final."
- Copy eligibility and placement in the IEP's words. Copy the eligibility category as written, the placement statement, and the sentence about time apart from children without disabilities. Do not paraphrase yet.
- Copy every goal. One row per goal. In the baseline, target and measure columns, copy the parts you can find; leave a column blank where the IEP does not say, and write a question.
- Copy every service. One row per service, with the minutes, sessions, period, setting and provider from the service grid. If a detail is missing, leave it blank and write a question.
- Read for gaps. Check your three priorities against the sheet. For each one you cannot find, write "Where does the IEP address...?" in the summary's questions field.
- Copy the accommodations. (Go deeper; optional.) One row per accommodation or modification, with where it applies. Compare the classroom list with the test list.
- Read the special factors page. (Go deeper; optional.) For each factor checked, find where the IEP addresses it.
9. Your situation Your situation
10. Check your work Check your work
Criteria
- Does the summary show the IEP's dates and whether it is a draft or final?
- Does every goal on the IEP have a row, in the IEP's own words?
- Does every service have a row, with minutes, frequency, setting and provider, or a question where one is missing?
- Have you checked each of your priorities from Observations and priorities against the IEP?
- Is there at least one question, written as a question rather than a complaint?
Worked example
Lena's sheet shows the draft's date, two goals and three services, with three questions: the classwork goal's baseline and measure, the information behind the behavior section, and the check-in's minutes. Each question is written so the team can answer it. She has not decided whether the goals are right; that happens at the meeting.
Common mistakes
- Paraphrasing too early. Copy the IEP's words first. A paraphrase can hide the gap you were looking for ("reading support" in your notes, "consultation" on the IEP).
- Missing the service grid. Frequency, location and duration often sit on a different page from the service description. Look for a grid before you write "no minutes."
- Treating a checked special factor as settled. A check shows the factor was considered. Find what the team decided and where it is written.
- Reading only the goals. The present levels are the foundation; a goal with nothing behind it in the present levels is the most common gap.
What is still unresolved
This chapter tells you what the IEP says and where it is silent. It does not tell you whether the goals are ambitious enough or the services sufficient; Goals, services and placement explains the standard the team works to, and the team decides. Your questions get answered at the meeting (Before the meeting and In the meeting).