You’ve got the present levels. You’ve got the goals. Now comes the really important question: What does the student actually need to make progress?
Part 3 of the IEP Series follows the next logical step in the process: services, supports, and placement.
We’ll look at the Schedule of Services, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids and services, and the continuum of placements—and, more importantly, how those pieces are supposed to connect to the individual student’s needs.
One of the biggest questions we’ll tackle is what “placement” actually means. It isn’t simply a room or a building. The services a student receives, who provides them, and how much time they receive can all matter when determining where and how a student is educated.
We’ll also look at why service minutes matter, the difference between direct and indirect services, and why accommodations and modifications should be individualized rather than copied from one IEP to the next.
And we’ll challenge one assumption that comes up again and again: that more time in general education—or more special education—is automatically the right answer. The goal is individualized programming that gives the student what they actually need to make meaningful progress.
Who Is This For?
Parents & Caregivers
Walk into the IEP meeting with a better understanding of how goals translate into actual services and supports.
Parent Advocates & Attorneys
Develop a framework for looking at service minutes, placement, LRE, and the connection between student needs and the services offered.
Educators & Administrators
Understand how services and placement should connect to the student’s individualized program.
Evaluators
See how evaluation information and goals ultimately connect to the services a student receives.
Related Service Providers
Understand where direct and indirect services, accommodations, and other supports fit into the IEP.
Students & Emerging Professionals
Build a practical understanding of the pieces of an IEP that determine how services are actually delivered.
The IEP Series
Part 3: Services & Placement
The goals tell you what the student needs to work on. This is where you start asking: Who will provide it, how often, where, and what does that actually look like?