by Murray L. Musser

Created on: April 17, 2008

Individualized Education Programs, Individualized Education Plans, or IEP are one of many tools used in the educational system to help those that require additional help in the classroom. They may have different names, but they all have the same goal in mind. An IEP is a one on one evaluation of a students needs and best way to further their education. It is a paperwork nightmare, a time consuming task, an additional work load, and a positive tool in educating a child. It can be looked upon as a burden or as a plan of attack. An educator has the choice of using an IEP to it's fullest or not. The attitude and application of a teacher will make the system work or fail. What ever teacher should know about Individualized Education Programs is that it is up to them, and them alone, to make the program work to the benefit of our youth.

Depending on the grade level that a teacher has the challenge of teaching, they have the responsibility of taking 30 to 210 young minds and expanding their knowledge. It is a huge task that all teachers have decided will be their career goal and path in life. For some it is a passion that can be the most rewarding position that they will ever experience. It is a task that would be hard enough, if all the students were equal in intelligence, social skills, behavior, and learning skills. Sprinkle in children with gifted abilities, lack of social skills, disabilities, behavior problems, and random ways to best retain new learning, now you have the common classroom that an under paid and often ill appreciated teacher has to contend with daily. The IEP program is designed to make a teachers position easier when it comes to a child with a special need. It will give them the tools, knowledge, and ways to help the child in many different areas. An IEP recommends the accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided to the child to best further their knowledge.

An easy way of thinking about an IEP program is with an automobile. If each student were a different car, some would be high performance, others mid class, and some basic models. The teacher is the mechanic. The mechanic's job is make each of the cars perform better. Each year, 30 new cars are brought to the mechanic. Dropped off by their owners ( parents ) and left in your shop. Some of the owners tell you how their cars perform and what makes them operate better. Most just leave you the keys and go. But, the cars with the IEP have a full diagnostic test handed to you.

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