by Sassy Jones

Created on: June 06, 2009   Last Updated: June 10, 2009

In IEP meetings the LEA and the rest of the IEP team must meet IDEA's obligation of FAPE for the student in the LRE, which often involves determining if a student should be included in an RSP class or in an SDC class and if they need ESY.

Even those who have been involved with Special Education for years may not know all of the jargon used in the previous sentence. So those who are new to Special Education, whether a new Special Education teacher, a Regular Education teacher who has students mainstreamed in her class, or a parent trying to navigate the Special Education labyrinth, need a primer on the various acronyms and phrases employed in Special Education. While not a comprehensive list, this is a good basic listing of the more general and prevalent jargon.

IDEA stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law, first established in 1975, governs all of Special Education and guarantees children with special needs will have their educational needs met by the schools, known as FAPE.

FAPE stands for Free and Appropriate Public Education. In essence, this means that schools will provide, without charge, appropriate services, accommodations, and modifications where necessary to meet the individual needs of the student.

IEP stands for an Individualized Education Plan. Each school-aged student in Special Education has to have one. An IEP is developed in an IEP meeting and includes several people. At an IEP meeting there needs to be an Administrator, a School Psychologist, a Special Education teacher, a Regular Education teacher, and a parent/guardian. While not legally required unless over the age of 18, the student is an important member of the IEP team. There are also many other people who could be involved including District Representative, Nurse, any employee who provides special services (e.g. Speech and Language or Adaptive PE) to the student, parent advocate, outside counselors, or lawyers. An IEP itself contains several parts. There is a narrative of all that was discussed and a catalogue of the student's strengths and parent's academic concerns. The majority of the IEP details each subject that the student has a deficit in, the present level of performance, and the goals that the student will work toward during the next year in that subject. Some students also have goals involving study skills, social skills, or behavior goals. Some IEPs also include a Transition Plan (see below). The IEP also delineates what accommodations and/or

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