How to Write an IEP: A Step-by-Step Guide for IEP Teams.

Learning how to write an Individualized Education Program (IEP) can feel overwhelming. An effective IEP requires more than filling in a form—it is a collaborative process that uses evaluation data, present levels of performance, measurable goals, accommodations, services, and ongoing progress monitoring to create an educational program tailored to a student’s unique needs.

Whether you’re writing your first IEP or simply want to understand how the IEP development process works, this guide walks through each step, from the initial evaluations to the final document.

Even if you’ll never be the person responsible for writing an IEP, understanding how an IEP is developed will make you a more informed member of the IEP team and help you participate more effectively in the process.

You may also need: IEP Present Levels Sentence Starters and Templates + Easy IEP Data Collection

How to Write an IEP for Special Education

Before you can write an effective IEP, you need to understand what an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is—and what it’s designed to do. An IEP is a legally binding document that outlines a student’s unique educational needs, the special education services and supports they will receive, and how their progress will be measured. If you’re new to the process, start with my guide on What is an IEP?

Writing an IEP isn’t something one person does alone. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the IEP to be developed by the IEP team, which includes the student’s parents, educators, and other required team members. The team uses evaluation data, present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP), parent concerns, and the student’s individual needs to create an appropriate educational program.

Whether you’re writing an IEP or simply want to understand how the document is developed, the steps below walk through the process from start to finish.

Who Writes an IEP?

An IEP is not written by one person. It is developed by the IEP team, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Every team member brings a different perspective. Depending on the student’s needs, the IEP team may include:

• The student’s parent(s) or guardian(s)
• At least one special education teacher or provider
• At least one general education teacher
• A school district representative who is knowledgeable about special education services and has the authority to commit district resources
• Someone who can interpret the evaluation results, such as a school psychologist
• Related service providers, such as speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, or behavior specialists, when appropriate (not mandated IEP team member)
• The student, when appropriate (mandated at transition planning age)

Although one person (often the case manager or special education teacher) may draft the document before the meeting, the IEP itself should be developed collaboratively. Parents are equal members of the IEP team, and their concerns, priorities, and knowledge of their child should be considered throughout the process.

No one should arrive at an IEP meeting with a “finished” IEP that isn’t open to discussion. The purpose of the meeting is for the team to review data, discuss the student’s needs, and develop an appropriate program together.

When Is an IEP Written?

An IEP must be in effect at the beginning of each school year for every student receiving special education services. Most students have an annual IEP meeting to review progress, update the program, and develop the next year’s IEP. However, the IEP team can meet at any time if changes are needed.

In reality, very few IEPs are written from scratch during the meeting itself. Modern IEPs are often lengthy, data-driven documents that require input from multiple team members. It’s common (and perfectly appropriate) for school staff to gather evaluation data, draft portions of the IEP, and prepare supporting information before the meeting.

The important distinction is this: a draft is not a final IEP. Parents are equal members of the IEP team, and their concerns, questions, and recommendations must be considered before the IEP is finalized.

During the meeting, the team should review:

• Evaluation results and other relevant data
• The student’s Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
• Parent concerns
• Progress toward current IEP goals
• New annual goals
• Special education services, related services, accommodations, modifications, and supports
• Placement and any other required components of the IEP

Once the meeting is complete, the IEP may be revised based on the team’s discussion before it is finalized. The IEP isn’t “set in stone” after the annual meeting, either. If the student’s needs change, any member of the IEP team can request another meeting to review and revise the IEP or they can use a no-meet IEP addendum.

Before You Start Writing an IEP

Before anyone starts typing goals or checking boxes, the IEP team should have enough information to understand the student’s unique needs. A well-written IEP isn’t based on opinions or assumptions, it’s based on data.

That information may include:

• Comprehensive evaluations
• Classroom performance
• Progress monitoring data
• Parent concerns
• Teacher observations
• State and district assessments
• Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), when available
• Input from related service providers
• The student’s strengths, interests, and preferences

One of the biggest mistakes I see is teams jumping straight to writing goals before they’ve clearly identified the student’s present levels of performance. If the data doesn’t accurately describe where the student is today, it’s almost impossible to write meaningful goals or determine appropriate services.

Another section that often causes confusion is the IEP Special Factors page. On most state IEP forms, these questions appear near the beginning of the document. However, they really shouldn’t be answered first.

The IEP team should review the evaluation data and develop the student’s Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) before deciding whether special factors apply. For example, determining whether a student needs positive behavior supports, assistive technology, communication supports, Braille instruction, or services for a Deaf or Hard of Hearing student should be based on the student’s identified needs, not simply checked off (or not) because they appear early in the form.

Remember, the order of the pages in your IEP software isn’t necessarily the order in which the team should develop the IEP. The student’s needs should drive every decision, including the Special Factors.

Conduct a Comprehensive Special Education Evaluation

Every good IEP begins with good data. Before the IEP team can write goals, determine services, or recommend accommodations, they need a clear understanding of the student’s strengths, challenges, and educational needs.

A comprehensive special education evaluation may include:

• Academic achievement
• Cognitive abilities
• Speech and language
• Occupational or physical therapy evaluations
• Behavior and social-emotional functioning
• Functional skills
• Classroom observations
• Parent input
• Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), when appropriate

The evaluation isn’t just about determining eligibility for special education. It provides the information the IEP team needs to make informed decisions throughout the IEP.

If the evaluation doesn’t accurately identify your child’s needs, the rest of the IEP is built on an incomplete picture. The evaluations will also determine IEP eligibility.

Write the Present Levels (PLAAFP)

Before anyone starts writing goals, the IEP team should develop strong Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP).

The Present Levels section is the section that “drives” the rest of the IEP. IEP goals are written from baselines in present levels.

The PLAAFP should describe:

• What the student can currently do
• Areas of educational need
• Academic performance
• Functional performance
• The effect of the disability on involvement and progress in the general education curriculum
• Current data and baseline information

Weak Present Levels always lead to weak goals.

The key to a solid present levels section is this: When Present Levels are written clearly and thoroughly, data collection becomes easier, more consistent, and more defensible. When they are vague or overly narrative, data collection either doesn’t happen or turns into meaningless checkmarks that don’t tell the team anything.

The key is this: a Present Levels paragraph should already tell you what data you need to collect for IEP progress monitoring. You should not have to invent a data system after the IEP is written. If you can’t write a goal directly from your Present Levels paragraph, it’s a sign the baseline or impact statement needs to be clearer, not longer.

Develop Measurable Annual Goals

Once the student’s present levels are clearly documented, the IEP team develops annual goals.

Goals should address the student’s disability-related needs, not every area where the student struggles. Since many students have multiple skill deficits, the team must work together to prioritize the goals that will have the greatest educational impact.

Every goal should:

• Be measurable
• Include baseline data
• Describe the expected level of performance
• Explain how progress will be measured

Some IEP goals also include short-term objectives or benchmarks. Under IDEA, these are generally required only for students who participate in alternate assessments aligned with alternate academic achievement standards.

Writing effective IEP goals is both an art and a science. The team should rely on evaluation data, progress monitoring, and parent input.

I have an entire IEP Goal Bank, with thousands of sample IEP goals by skill area. It’s completely appropriate to use one, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, as long as they are personalized for the student and use their baselines.

Determine Special Education Services and Supports

After identifying the student’s needs and goals, the IEP team determines what services are necessary for the student to make meaningful educational progress.

These services may include:

• Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
• Specialized reading or math instruction
• Small-group or individual instruction
• Consultation services
• Behavior supports
• Transition services, when appropriate

Specially Designed Instruction is the individualized teaching that makes special education different from general education interventions. It should directly address the student’s disability-related needs and align with the annual goals.

If you’re unfamiliar with SDIs, I have a separate article explaining Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and how it differs from accommodations and related services.

Determine Accommodations and Modifications

Accommodations and modifications are often confused, but they serve different purposes.

Accommodations change how a student learns or demonstrates knowledge without changing the learning expectations. Examples include:

• Extended time
• Preferential seating
• Assistive technology
• Copies of class notes
• Reduced distractions during testing

Modifications change what the student is expected to learn. These are generally appropriate only when the curriculum itself must be altered because of the student’s disability.

The IEP should include only the accommodations and modifications the student actually needs to access and make progress in the curriculum.

If you’d like more information, I’ve written a separate article comparing IEP Accommodations vs. Modifications.

Identify Related Services

Some students need more than specialized instruction to benefit from special education.

Related services are provided when they are necessary for the student to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

Depending on the student’s needs, related services may include:

• Speech-language therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Counseling
• Transportation
• Orientation and mobility services
• Assistive technology services

The IEP should clearly describe which related services will be provided, how often they will occur, where they will be delivered, and who is responsible for providing them.

You can read more in my guide to IEP Related Services.

Decide on Educational Placement

Only after the IEP team has identified the student’s needs, goals, services, and supports should it determine placement. Placement is not the starting point of the IEP process.

Instead, the team asks:

Given everything we’ve determined this student needs, where can those services be delivered in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)?

Placement should always be driven by the student’s individual needs and not by available staffing, schedules, or district convenience.

Establish a Plan for Progress Monitoring

An IEP isn’t complete until the team decides how progress will be measured.

Every annual goal should include a clear method for collecting data and reporting progress.

Progress monitoring might include:

• Curriculum-based measurements
• Work samples
• Teacher-collected data
• Behavioral data collection
• Standardized assessments
• Observation

Parents should receive regular progress reports describing whether the student is making sufficient progress toward each annual goal.

I offer an IEP Progress Monitoring Toolkit, including what meaningful progress data should look like.

Consider Extended School Year (ESY)

For some students, the IEP team also needs to determine whether Extended School Year (ESY) services are necessary. ESY is not the same as summer school. Instead, it provides special education services beyond the regular school year when they are needed for the student to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

The IEP team should discuss ESY annually and base the decision on the student’s individual needs and supporting data—not on disability category, grades, or district policy. Factors such as regression and recoupment, emerging skills, and the severity of the student’s disability may all be considered.

If ESY is appropriate, the IEP should clearly describe the services to be provided, including the goals being addressed, the frequency and duration of services, and where they will be delivered.

For a more detailed explanation, see my complete guide to Extended School Year (ESY).

Finalize the IEP

Once the team has reviewed all of the required components, the IEP can be finalized.

A complete IEP typically includes:

• Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
• Measurable annual goals
• Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
• Accommodations and modifications
• Related services
• Supplementary aids and services
• Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Progress monitoring procedures
• Transition planning, when required

Although schools often use specialized IEP software to generate the final document, the software doesn’t write the IEP, the IEP team does.

Finally, remember that IEP requirements vary slightly from state to state. While IDEA establishes the federal requirements, your state’s special education regulations and forms may include additional requirements. Staying current with both federal and state guidance helps ensure that every IEP is legally compliant and, more importantly, individualized for the student.