IEP at a Glance | Accessible Hive
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM

IEP at a Glance

A simple guide to understanding your child's IEP, following progress, and knowing what to ask at the meeting.

01 TranslateHelp me understand the IEP.Start with six questions that cut through IEP jargon.02 Build + TrackI am worried about goals.Build parent goal drafts, organize school progress data, and see each goal against its exact target.03 PrintI want the workbook.Print the parent friendly IEP Section Workbook and bring it to the meeting.
Acronym key. tap to open
IEP. Individualized Education Program
IDEA. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
FAPE. Free Appropriate Public Education
LRE. Least Restrictive Environment
SDI. Specially Designed Instruction
PLAAFP. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance
PWN. Prior Written Notice
PSN. Procedural Safeguards Notice
ADE. Arizona Department of Education
PEA. Public Education Agency
LEA. Local Educational Agency
MET. Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team
AT. Assistive Technology
AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication
SLP. Speech Language Pathologist
SLPA. Speech Language Pathology Assistant
OT. Occupational Therapy / Occupational Therapist
COTA. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
PT. Physical Therapy / Physical Therapist
PTA. Physical Therapist Assistant
FBA. Functional Behavioral Assessment
BIP. Behavior Intervention Plan
MDR. Manifestation Determination Review
ESY. Extended School Year
IEE. Independent Educational Evaluation
ADA. Americans with Disabilities Act
Start here

You do not need to be an IEP expert.

The team may use terms like PLAAFP, baseline, criterion, SDI, LRE, and progress monitoring. You can bring every conversation back to a few plain questions about your child.

If you only have five minutes: read the six questions below. Then open only the part of this page you need today.
An IEP meeting is a chance to bring everyone’s knowledge together. You know your child. The team knows the school setting. These questions help connect the two.
Where did my child start?IEP term: Present Levels + Baseline

You need a clear starting point you can understand and measure.

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Where are they now?IEP term: Progress Data

You need current numbers or observable data that can be compared with the starting point.

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Where should they be by the end of the year?IEP term: Annual Goal

You need a measurable target, not a vague promise that your child will “improve.”

See a simple Start → Now → Goal example
Start
72 words/minuteBaseline: what the student can do now.
→
Now
88 words/minuteCurrent progress data.
→
End of IEP year
105 words/minuteAnnual goal target.
What are you doing to help my child get there?IEP terms: SDI + Services + Supports

Who is teaching what? How often? For how long? Where? What support is supposed to remove the barrier?

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How will we know if it is working?IEP term: Progress Monitoring

Ask what will be measured, how often, and when you will receive progress reports.

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What can we adjust if progress is slower than expected?IEP term: Review + Revision

Do not wait a year just because the annual meeting is months away. Ask whether progress is sufficient and what the team will reconsider or revise if it is not.

Give me one sentence to say in the meeting
One sentence to keep in your pocket

Bring it back to the child.

“I want to make sure I understand. Where did my child start, where are they now, what is the end of year target, what are we doing to get them there, and what changes if the data says it is not working?”
Translate common school phrases into parent questions

What they may say → what you can ask

“The student is making progress.”“Can you show me the baseline, the current data, and the goal target?”
“They are emerging in this skill.”“What can they do independently right now, and how are you measuring it?”
“We provide accommodations as needed.”“Which accommodations, in which settings, and who is responsible for providing them?”
“The goal is appropriate.”“What current data did the team use to choose this target?”
“We will continue to monitor.”“How often will data be collected, and what would tell us we need to change something?”
“They did not meet the goal.”“What does the data suggest did not work, and what are we changing now?”
Translate common IEP terms
PLAAFP = where your child is nowBaseline = the starting numberAnnual goal = the end targetSDI = what is taught differentlyRelated service = support needed to benefit from special educationAccommodation = access supportLRE = participation with nondisabled peersPWN = written notice of what the school proposed or refused and why
BasicsWhat is an IEP, really?See the whole plan in one simple loop: need → goal → support → progress.
1

Start with the need

What can the student do now? What is getting in the way of learning, participation, communication, independence, or access?

2

Build the plan

The team decides what should be taught, supported, measured, and provided so the student can make appropriate progress.

3

Check whether it works

Progress data should loop back into the plan. If the student is not making expected progress, the team revisits the IEP.

The most useful question: “Can I follow this need all the way through the IEP. from baseline, to goal, to instruction or support, to progress data?”
EligibilityDoes my child qualify for an IEP?A diagnosis can matter, but eligibility is about educational impact and the need for special education.
Qualifying IDEA disability categoryThe team determines whether the student meets criteria under an IDEA category.
+
Educational impactThe disability adversely affects educational performance.
+
Need for special educationThe student needs specially designed instruction because of the disability.
=
IEP eligibilitywhen all required criteria are met
Important: a student can have a disability and still not need an IEP. That student may still have protections under Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
EvaluationWhat happens after I ask for an evaluation?See the Arizona evaluation pathway without having to memorize the legal vocabulary.
1
Parent request

Put the evaluation request in writing

Describe the concerns and the areas you believe may need evaluation.

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2
Rights notice

Procedural safeguards

The school provides information explaining important IDEA rights, including consent, Prior Written Notice (PWN), records, complaints, due process, and more.

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3
Arizona response point

School responds within 15 school days

Arizona requires the school to begin the evaluation process by reviewing existing data or give PWN explaining a refusal to evaluate.

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4
Consent

Parent gives informed written consent for the initial evaluation

The evaluation timeline runs from receipt of consent, subject to applicable exceptions.

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5
Evaluation

Comprehensive evaluation

The evaluation should be sufficiently comprehensive to identify the student's special education and related service needs, not just produce a label.

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6
Eligibility

Team determines IDEA eligibility

The team reviews evaluation data and decides whether the student meets IDEA criteria and needs special education.

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7
First IEP

If eligible, the first IEP is developed

The initial IEP meeting must occur within 30 calendar days of the eligibility determination.

IEP cycleWhat happens during the IEP year?Implementation, progress reports, annual review, and reevaluation.
Implementation

Services + supports begin

Staff responsible for implementation should have access to the IEP and know their responsibilities.

During the year

Progress monitoring

The school measures progress toward annual goals and reports progress according to the IEP.

At least annually

IEP review

The team reviews the IEP and revises it as appropriate, including when expected progress is not occurring.

At least every 3 years

Reevaluation

A reevaluation occurs at least every three years unless parent and school agree it is unnecessary. It may happen sooner under IDEA rules.

You do not have to wait for the annual meeting. In Arizona, a written request for an IEP review identifies the basis for the request, and the review must occur within 45 school days.
Progress reports are not automatically “quarterly.” The IEP itself should say how progress on annual goals will be measured and when periodic reports will be provided. Compare each report with the goal’s baseline and exact target.
Read the documentHelp me understand the actual IEPPlain English examples and parent questions for the major sections of the IEP.
Keep asking questions until the plan feels clear and understandable. A technically correct answer is not very useful if you leave the meeting unable to tell where your child started, where they are now, where they are going, or what happens if the plan is not working.
Free printable workbook

IEP Section Workbook

Prefer paper? Print the full workbook and walk through your child's IEP section by section. Each page explains what the section means, shows a plain language example, gives parent questions to ask, and leaves space for your notes and concerns.

Present LevelsAnnual GoalsSDI + ServicesAccommodationsAssistive TechnologyProgress MonitoringLRE + PlacementTransition
Open + Print the IEP Section Workbook Use the Interactive Version Below
01
Present Levels / PLAAFP + Baseline

Where did my child start?

This is the starting point. It should tell you what your child can do now, what is hard, what helps, and how the disability affects school. For anything the team wants to improve, look for a measurable baseline.

Could be clearer

“Avery struggles with writing and needs support.”

A clearer example

“Given a grade level writing prompt, Avery independently writes 2 complete sentences in 10 minutes in 1 of 5 samples. Avery can explain ideas verbally in detail, but handwriting speed and spelling demands limit written output.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

02
Current Progress Data

Where are they now?

A progress report should let you compare today's performance with the original baseline and the end target. Words like “progressing” are hard to evaluate without the underlying measurement.

Could be clearer

“Avery is making good progress toward the writing goal.”

A clearer example

“Baseline: 2 complete sentences independently. Current: 3 complete sentences independently across 4 of 5 recent writing samples. Annual target: 5 sentences.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

03
Measurable Annual Goal

Where should they be at the end of the year?

The annual goal is the destination for this IEP year. You should be able to tell exactly what your child will do, under what conditions, how well, and how success will be measured.

Could be clearer

“Avery will improve written expression skills with 80% accuracy.”

A clearer example

“Given a grade level writing prompt and access to speech to text, Avery will independently produce a 5 sentence paragraph containing a topic sentence and at least 3 supporting details in 4 of 5 writing samples.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

04
Specially Designed Instruction + Services

What are you doing to get them there?

A goal says where your child is going. This section should tell you what the school is actually going to do to help them get there. Ask about teaching, therapy, services, methods, frequency, duration, and who is responsible.

Could be clearer

“Special education support: 45 minutes.”

A clearer example

“A special education teacher will provide 45 minutes of explicit, systematic structured literacy instruction 5 days per week in a small group, with cumulative review and immediate corrective feedback.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

05
Accommodations + Supplementary Aids + Assistive Technology

What support removes the barrier?

These are the tools and supports that help your child access instruction, communicate, participate, regulate, organize, or demonstrate what they know. The wording should be specific enough for staff to implement consistently.

Could be clearer

“Extra time and breaks as needed.”

A clearer example

“Avery receives 50% extended time on classroom tests and may request or be offered a 5 minute regulation break after 20 minutes of sustained independent work. Speech to text is available for written assignments longer than 3 sentences.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

06
Progress Monitoring

How will we know whether it is working?

The IEP must say how progress toward annual goals will be measured and when progress will be reported. Parents should be able to follow the same measurement from baseline to current performance to annual target.

Could be clearer

“Teacher observation. Progress reported quarterly.”

A clearer example

“Writing samples will be scored every 2 weeks using the same 5 point rubric. Parents will receive a graph every 9 weeks showing baseline, each data point, current performance, and annual target.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

07
IEP Review + Revision

What can we adjust if the goal is not on track yet?

If progress is slower than expected, the team can look at the data together and decide whether the IEP needs to be adjusted. IDEA requires the team to review the IEP periodically and revise it as appropriate when expected progress is not occurring.

Could be clearer

“Avery did not meet the goal. Continue goal next year.”

A clearer example

“Data show Avery improved from 2 to 3 sentences but has remained at 3 for 12 weeks despite consistent instruction. The team will review the instructional method, intensity, accommodations, current baseline, and whether additional evaluation or a revised goal is needed.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

08
Least Restrictive Environment + Placement

Where and with whom will my child learn?

Placement is not just a room name. The IEP should explain the extent, if any, that your child will not participate with nondisabled peers and what supports are needed for access and participation.

Could be clearer

“Resource room for reading.”

A clearer example

“Avery receives 45 minutes of specialized reading instruction outside general education daily and participates with nondisabled peers for all other academic and nonacademic periods. The team considered in class supports but determined the intensity of decoding instruction required a quieter small group setting for this block.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

09
Assessment Participation

How will my child participate in testing?

Testing accommodations should reflect your child's individual access needs and, where appropriate, supports the student actually uses during instruction. Alternate assessment decisions require specific justification.

Could be clearer

“Testing accommodations per IEP.”

A clearer example

“Avery receives 50% extended time and small group testing. Text to speech is used only where reading decoding is not the construct being measured.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

10
Secondary Transition

What are we building toward after school?

When transition requirements apply, the plan should connect your child's own goals for adult life with transition assessment, postsecondary goals, services and activities, course of study, and annual IEP goals.

Could be clearer

“Student wants to work with animals after high school.”

A clearer example

“After graduation, Maya plans to enroll in a veterinary assisting certificate program. This year she will compare 2 local programs, practice requesting accommodations, complete a supported campus visit, and develop a transportation plan.”

Parent translation

You do not need to use the technical term. Ask the plain question in the title until the answer makes sense.

Questions parents actually ask

Before you leave the meeting, can you answer these?

1
Where did my child start?I can point to a baseline or clear description of current performance.
2
Where are they now?I have current data that can be compared with the baseline.
3
Where should they be by the end of the IEP year?I understand the annual target and what success looks like.
4
What is the school doing to get them there?I know the instruction, services, supports, frequency, duration, and who is responsible.
5
How will we know whether it is working?I know what will be measured, how often, and when I will receive progress information.
6
What can we adjust if progress is slower than expected?I know what data would trigger another conversation and what the team may need to review or revise.
ProgressHow do I know if my child is actually making progress?Compare where they started, where they are now, and where the goal says they should end.
1

Enter the school update

When a progress report, teacher update, speech update, OT update, PT update, or work sample comes home, enter the same number or result under that goal and label it as school data.

2

Track carryover during homework

Use a quick home check when the same reading, writing, math, communication, motor, executive function, or therapy related skill naturally comes up at home.

3

Compare. do not assume

If school and home look different, bring both patterns to the team. Setting, task difficulty, fatigue, prompts, materials, and measurement methods can all change performance.

A useful meeting question: “The school progress report shows one pattern, and I am seeing another pattern during homework/carryover at home. What is different about the task, support, setting, or measurement?”
Interactive toolHelp me build or track a goalUse the goal builder and keep school progress data beside your own observations.
If you are tired, remember this: baseline → exact target → instruction/support → progress data. If you cannot follow that chain, that is a good meeting question.
Make service wording specific. Arizona guidance says the IEP should make the school commitment clear. If you see wording such as “as needed,” you can ask: “How often, for how long, and where will this happen?” See the Arizona IEP FAQ.
Question 1 of 6

Who is this goal for, and what are we working on?

Start with the disability related educational skill, not the service or placement.

Parent meeting plan

My IEP Goals

Build as many goals as you need. The student name, age, and grade stay filled in. Each saved goal can be opened into a parent progress organizer.

Important: this tracker is supplemental. IDEA requires the IEP itself to describe how the school will measure progress and when progress reports will be provided. Keep school data and parent observations labeled by source.
No goals added yet.
DecisionsWhat if the school proposes or refuses something?Understand drafts, parent participation, and Prior Written Notice without getting lost in the terminology.
Before the meeting

Ask for the draft before the meeting.

Arizona Department of Education guidance says that if the school creates a draft IEP for team discussion, it should be provided to the parent in advance and clearly marked as a draft. The draft is only a proposal. the IEP team makes decisions at the meeting.

Arizona guidance. not a universal 5/10 day IDEA deadline
Parent participation

Prepare with the same seriousness as the rest of the team.

Ask for drafts and meeting materials early enough to review them. Send your priorities and outside information before the meeting when useful. The goal is meaningful participation. not approving a plan that was already decided.

Prior Written Notice (PWN)

Check Your Prior Written Notice

The school creates the official Prior Written Notice. This parent tool helps you save what happened, then compare the written notice with the decision you understood at the meeting.

Save the decision while it is fresh. Write down what you asked for, what the school proposed or refused, and what reasons or data were discussed. This gives you something concrete to compare with the official PWN later.
Meeting prepHelp me organize what I want the team to knowUse the quick parent snapshot or print the full parent input worksheet.
Free printable worksheet

IEP Parent Input Worksheet

Prepare clear, specific parent input before the meeting. This printable walks through your child's strengths, student voice, communication, academic and functional needs, sensory and regulation needs, what is working, long term priorities, specific requests, unresolved concerns, and questions for the team.

Strengths + interestsStudent voiceCommunicationSensory + regulationAcademic + functional needsSpecific requestsLong term prioritiesMeeting follow up
Open + Print the Full Worksheet Use the Quick Snapshot Below
Educational preparation tool only, not legal advice. You do not need to answer every question. focus on what helps the team understand your child and what you want the team to discuss.
I want help writing my parent input
Use the Accessible Hive worksheet to organize your thoughts. If you want another Arizona example of how a parent input statement can be structured and shared with the team, this independent resource may help.
Independent Arizona resource

AZ Resource Hub Parent Input Statement Guide

An additional example of topics parents may want to cover, such as strengths, concerns, school needs, home observations, accommodations, strategies that help, and ways to share written input with the team.

Open parent input guideIndependent informational resource. It is not an Arizona Department of Education page and is not legal advice.
Keep it practical. Write down what the team needs to know to understand current educational needs, participation, access, independence, and what is or is not working.

Meeting basics

Start with the student

Current school functioning

Supports and services

Questions I do not want to forget

PeopleWho does what on the IEP team?Know who can answer which questions and who has authority to solve the problem.
Parent / guardian

You are a required team member

You bring concerns, history, priorities, outside information, observations, and knowledge of the student across settings.

General education

Classroom access + implementation

Useful for classroom performance, curriculum demands, participation, and how accommodations work in the regular education setting.

Special education

Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) + goals + progress

Brings expertise in disability related learning needs and specially designed instruction. May also coordinate the IEP process locally.

Related services

Educationally relevant specialist support

SLP, OT, PT, counseling, and other providers contribute expertise when their services are relevant to educational access and Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

School leadership

Implementation barriers

A principal or administrator can help with building level staffing, scheduling, procedures, and repeated implementation concerns.

Public agency representative

Required IDEA role

This representative must meet federal qualifications and know the resources available from the public agency.

Two common myths: the principal is not automatically a required IEP member, and IDEA does not require the special education teacher to be the “case manager.”
MeetingWhat should I do before, during, and after?A short checklist for the parts that are easiest to forget when the meeting gets busy.

Before

During

After

When something is vague

“Can you show me the data you are using to make that decision?”

When you hear “we do not usually do that”

“Can we discuss what this student needs individually and what data supports the team's decision?”

When progress is unclear

“What was the baseline, where is the student now, and is that rate of progress enough?”

When the team does not agree with a request

“Please help me understand why the team is refusing this and what information was used to reach that decision.”

Show me Arizona tools I can use before the meeting
Start with Arizona Department of Education resources when you want to understand the state process. Use outside examples and advocacy resources as extra help.
Official Arizona source

Arizona IEP Frequently Asked Questions

A strong plain language reference for what an IEP must contain, how services should be described, how amendments can happen, and how parent participation fits into the process.

Open Arizona IEP FAQsOfficial Arizona Department of Education resource.
Official Arizona source

Arizona IEP Practical Suggestions

Parent friendly guidance from the Arizona Department of Education about IEP development, drafts, services, accommodations, and written decisions.

Open Arizona guidanceOfficial state resource.
Official Arizona source

Facilitated IEP Training Resources

Arizona training materials that include an IEP checklist, parent input form, student input questions, team roles, accommodation examples, and specially designed instruction examples.

Open Arizona training resourcesOfficial state resource.
Sample document

Arizona IEP Example

A sample Arizona IEP that can help you recognize the kinds of sections and service information you may see. Use it as an example, not as a required state form.

Open sample IEPThird party sample, not an Arizona Department of Education form.
When progress needs a closer lookWhat can I do if progress needs a closer look?Start close to the problem, document what happens, and know when to bring the team back together.
1
Closest to the issue

Teacher / provider / case contact

Clarify what happened, what the IEP says, what data exist, and what can be corrected immediately.

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2
Bring the team together

Request an IEP review

Put the request in writing and state the basis for the review.

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3
School level barrier

Principal / administrator

Useful for staffing, scheduling, school procedures, or repeated implementation concerns.

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4
District level support

Special education director / coordinator

Useful when concerns remain unresolved or need broader district or PEA involvement.

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5
Neutral support

Facilitated IEP or mediation

Arizona offers voluntary, no cost dispute resolution options that can help teams work through disagreement before or instead of a hearing.

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6
Formal IDEA options

State complaint or due process

These address different kinds of disputes and use different timelines. They are not interchangeable.

Evaluation gapsImportant suspected needs were never assessed.
Weak present levelsThe IEP describes concern but gives no measurable starting point.
Disconnected goalsA documented need has no goal or the goal does not match the baseline.
Supports on paper onlyStaff do not know, have, or consistently use the agreed support.
Placement firstThe setting appears chosen before needs, SDI, and supplementary aids are fully considered.
Progress reports without useful dataReports say “progressing” without showing change from baseline.
I want additional support
You can bring in additional support when you want it. These links connect Arizona families with advocacy and legal resources. Accessible Hive does not provide legal advice.
Arizona disability rights resource

Disability Rights Arizona Sample Letters

Use these when you need a starting point for a written request, including asking for an evaluation, records, an IEP review, written notice, procedural safeguards, or an independent educational evaluation.

Open sample lettersNonprofit disability rights resource. Adapt any sample letter to your child's facts.
Private legal resource

IEP Defenders Arizona

A private special education law resource serving Arizona families. This may be an option when you want legal help with an IEP, services, placement, evaluations, implementation, or a dispute with the school.

Visit IEP Defenders ArizonaPrivate law firm resource. Their site advertises no cost help for qualifying cases. Review their eligibility and terms directly.
Legal detailsShow me the official sourcesIDEA and Arizona sources behind this page, plus the educational information disclaimer.
IDEA §300.320. Required IEP contentsIDEA §300.321. IEP teamIDEA §300.324. Developing, reviewing, revising IEPsIDEA §300.114. Least restrictive environmentIDEA §300.504. Procedural safeguards noticeArizona Department of Education. Special EducationArizona ADE. IEP FAQsArizona ADE. Special Education TimelinesArizona ADE. IEP Team Meeting FAQsArizona ADE. Secondary Transition Rule ChangeArizona ADE. Draft IEP & PWN Practical SuggestionsArizona ADE. PWN / Meeting Notice / Safeguards FAQsIDEA §300.503. Prior Written NoticeIDEA §300.322. Parent ParticipationArizona ADE Facilitated IEP Training ResourcesDisability Rights Arizona Sample LettersIEP Defenders Arizona, private legal resourceAZ Resource Hub Parent Input Statement Guide, independent resource
Educational information only, not legal advice. Special education rights are highly fact specific and rules can change. For a current dispute, confirm the governing law and current Arizona guidance.
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