What Is an IEP and How Does It Work in an Online Public School?
byConnections Academy
5 min to read
You may have heard the term IEP. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that ensures eligible students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Through IDEA, schools provide special education and related services that are documented in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) designed to meet each student's unique needs. The IEP helps an eligible public school student with a disability receive the services needed to be successful in school.
An IEP brings families, educators, and related services providers together to identify the student’s strengths and needs, set goals, and outline the services and support that can help them make progress.
Students can have IEPs in both brick-and-mortar public schools and online public schools. While the school day may look different online, the focus remains the same: helping each student access learning and work towards their individual goals.
What is an IEP?
An IEP is a written educational plan developed for an eligible student with a disability who needs special education and related services. The individualized part matters. No two students have exactly the same strengths, challenges, goals, or support needs. An IEP is designed around one student, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
An IEP may include:
Current performance: How the student is doing academically and in other areas of their school experience.
Annual goals: The progress the student will work towards during the school year.
Special education services: Specially designed instruction and related services based on the student’s individual needs.
Accommodations: Supports that help the student access learning.
Modifications: Changes the expectations of what the student is expected to learn.
Progress monitoring: Ways to measure and share the student’s progress with the family.
Service details: When, where and how often the students will receive the services in their plan.
An IEP is also a working plan. As the student grows and makes progress, the team reviews the plan and updates it when appropriate to reflect their changing needs.
Could my child qualify for an IEP?
A child does not automatically qualify for an IEP because they are struggling in school or have received a medical diagnosis.
Eligibility is determined through a formal evaluation process. This helps the school and family build a fuller picture of the student’s learning, development and day-to-day needs. The team then determines whether the student meets eligibility requirements as determined by IDEA and state requirements and needs special education and related services.
A diagnosis can provide helpful information, but it is not the same as an educational eligibility decision. Families can share medical reports, previous evaluations, schoolwork, or other relevant information to help the school understand their child more fully.
Evaluation procedures and eligibility requirements may vary by state. If you think your child may need extra support, contact their school to discuss your concerns.
How do you get support for your child?
It can be difficult to know where to begin, especially when you are already concerned about your child. But you don’t need to have all the answers before reaching out.
While the exact process can vary, here are four steps families can generally expect:
1. Share your concerns
Start by talking to your child’s school. Explain what you have noticed and provide specific examples when possible. Perhaps your child is having difficulty reading, writing, staying focused, communicating, keeping up with assignments, or managing part of the school day. Recent schoolwork, progress reports, teacher feedback, or relevant medical information may help the school understand your concerns. You and your child’s school will discuss supports (often called interventions) that may be implemented to help support their unique needs. These interventions often happen before an evaluation begins, though they may also occur at the same time. In some cases, the school may also agree to move forward with an evaluation requested by the family.
2. Take part in the evaluation
The school can explain what the evaluation involves, the information it may gather, the timelines that apply, and your rights as a parent or caregiver. If an evaluation is recommended, parental consent is required prior to completion. You know your child best, so your perspective matters. You can share information about your child’s strengths, interests, needs, history, and experiences at school and at home. An evaluation should consider different sources of information rather than relying on a single test or score. If the IEP team agrees to move forward with an evaluation, parent consent is required.
3. Review the eligibility decision
Once the evaluation is complete, you’ll review the information with the appropriate school professionals. The team determines whether the student is eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA, and whether they needs special education and related services.
4. Develop the IEP
If the student is eligible, the IEP team will work together to develop the written plan.
As a parent or caregiver, you play an important role on that team. You can share what’s helped your child, ask questions, and learn how the proposed goals and services connect to their needs.
The team will monitor the student’s progress and review the IEP regularly. As your child grows and their needs change, the plan may change too.
How does an IEP work in an online public school?
The heart of an IEP doesn’t change when school takes place online. The plan is still built around a student’s strengths, needs, and goals.
What may change is how parts of the plan fit into the online school day. Depending on the student’s IEP and the school, the team may consider:
Access to learning: Helping students access online courses, materials, and learning tools.
Accommodations: Applying the agreed supports to assignments and assessments.
Instruction: Providing specially designed instruction based on the student’s needs.
Communication: Keeping teachers, service providers, and families connected and informed.
Progress: Measuring and sharing the student's progress towards annual goals.
Related services: Providing services included in the IEP.
Technology: Identifying assistive technology or other tools that may help the student learn.
Clear, regular communication can be especially valuable. When families, teachers, and service providers share information, they can better understand what is working and where a student may need more support.
Learning works best when students feel supported. Meaningful relationships among students, families, and educators can create a strong circle of support. The Connections Academy approach also recognizes that every student is different and that learning should reflect the student’s individual needs.
Because each IEP is different, families should talk directly with the online public school about how it would review your child plan’s and what support would look like day-to-day. Services, procedures, and the way support would be provided may vary by school and state.
Does an IEP transfer to an online public school?
Yes. An IEP transfers to an online public school. Like a brick-and-mortar public school, an online public school must follow the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and provide eligible students with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
When your child changes public schools, the new school will review the existing IEP, consult with thefamily, and determine the next steps. During a qualifying transfer within the school year, the new school provides services comparable to those in the current IEP while it adopts that plan or develops and implements a new one. The specific process may vary depending on whether your child is moving within the same state or to a different state, so ask the new school to explain what applies to your family.
Having the following information ready may help the new school get to know your child:
The student’scurrent IEP
Recent evaluation or reevaluation reports
Progress reports
Details of accommodations and/or modifications
Relevant service records
Examples of approaches or supports that have worked well
Records tell only part of the story. You can also tell the school about your child’s interests, strengths and goals, as well as the environments or approaches that help them do their best.
What should you ask an online public school about IEP services?
Choosing a school is a personal decision. Asking a few practical questions can help you understand how an online public school may support your child.
Consider asking:
What happens when the school receives my child’s IEP?
Who will be part of my child’s IEP team?
What might online instruction and services look like?
Which accommodations can support my child?
When will our family receive progress updates?
Who can answer our questions?
You know your child best. An open conversation with the school can help you understand what support may look like and whether the learning environment may be a good fit for your family.
Find the right support for your child
Every student brings a different mix of strengths, interests, goals, and support needs to school. An IEP is designed to help an eligible student receive support that reflects those individual needs.
If you’re considering online public school, contact the Connections Academy school in your state. The team can answer your questions, explain the enrollment requirements and IEP review process, and help you understand what support may be available for your child.
Editorial note: This article provides general educational information, not legal advice. Special education procedures, timelines, enrollment requirements, and services may vary by state and school. Families should contact their school or state education agency for information about their individual circumstances.
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