CLASSROOM ADVICE:

The Individual Education Plan (IEP) 

– What You Need to Know

IEPs are written plans describing the special education assistance provided to exceptional students and 
how that assistance will be delivered. Ontario Regulation 181/98 requires that an IEP be developed for 
every student identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC). 
School boards may also prepare IEPs for students who have not been identified as exceptional but are 
receiving accommodations and program modifications.

The principal is responsible for ensuring that an IEP is prepared within 30 school days after a student 
has been placed in a special education program (a program based on and modified by the results of 
continuous assessment and evaluation and that includes a plan containing specific objectives and an 
outline of educational services) – for most students, this would occur at the beginning of the school year. 
The principal must also take into consideration any recommendations made by the IPRC.

Every IEP must include:

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program goals;

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an outline of the special education services the student will receive;

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a statement about how the student’s progress will be reviewed; and

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a transition plan (if the student has no particular need of support during transitions, the 
transition plan should state that no actions are required).

The IEP is the result of a collaborative effort among teachers, parents, the student, the school, and other 
professionals involved with the student. Parents must be asked to sign the IEP and indicate whether they 
were consulted during its development; parents are also entitled to receive a copy of the final IEP. The IEP 
is kept in the Ontario Student Record (OSR), unless parents object in writing.

IEPs are reviewed at least once every formal reporting period. The Elementary Progress Report Card 
introduced in the fall of 2010 represents one formal reporting period, and so the requirement for three 
IEP reviews during the school year remains. Because the IEP is a working document, adjustments to its 
program goals may be necessary throughout the school year; those adjustments should be noted and 
significant changes should be shared with the parent.

The IEP Process – Tips for Teachers

y

 Become familiar with IEP requirements in the IEP standards document, The Individual Education 

Plan, A Resource Guide (2004). An electronic version is available through the Ontario Ministry of 
Education website.

y

 Review posted IEP samples developed by writing teams from across the province.

y

 Ensure your principal has established, in a collaborative manner, clear roles and responsibilities 

for staff members assisting in the development of the IEP.

y

 Involve parents in the collaborative process as early as possible.

y

 The IEP is a confidential document; use discretion when disseminating any information 

contained in an IEP.

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