What It Means
An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is a written plan that a public schoolPublic schoolA school run by publicly elected or appointed officials and paid for mainly with public money, including district, charter and magnet schools. See more develops for a child with a disability who is found eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It records how the child is doing in school now, sets annual goals, and lists the special education and related services the school will provide. Parents are members of the team that writes it, and the plan is reviewed at least once a year.
Try It: Map an IEP's Timeline From Consent
Tap each stage to see the federal rule. Change the evaluation window if your state sets its own.
You give informed consent for the evaluation. The count starts here. Agreeing to an evaluation isn't agreeing to services.
The evaluation must be done within 60 days of the school receiving your consent, or within your state's own timeline if it sets one.
Eligibility is decided: whether your child is a child with a disability under IDEA, and what their educational needs are.
A meeting to write the IEP is held within 30 calendar days of the eligibility decision.
The IEP is reviewed at least once a year. You or the school can ask for a meeting sooner.
Your child is reevaluated at least once every three years, often called the triennial, unless you and the school agree it isn't needed.
How Parents Say It
- "We finally got the IEP signed."
- "Is speech therapy in her IEP?"
- "His IEP review is next month."
The Breakdown
What the rule says. IDEA and its regulations at 34 CFR Part 300 require a public school to write an IEP for each child found eligible for special education and related services. The regulation at 34 CFR 300.320 lists what the IEP must contain, including the child's present levels of performance and annual goals, along with the services the school will provide.
Who it applies to. Children with disabilities, generally ages 3 through 21, who qualify after an evaluation under IDEA Part B. Before the evaluation, the school must give notice and get the parent's informed consent.
The federal timelines
| Step | Deadline | Where it's set |
|---|---|---|
| Initial evaluation | Within 60 days of the school receiving your consent, or your state's own timeline | 34 CFR 300.301 |
| First IEP meetingIEP meetingThe meeting where a child's IEP team, parents included, writes or reviews the child's special education plan under IDEA. See more | Within 30 calendar days of the eligibility decision | ED, A Guide to the IEP |
| IEP review | At least once a year | ED, A Guide to the IEP |
| Reevaluation | At least once every three years, unless you and the school agree it isn't needed | ED, A Guide to the IEP; 34 CFR 300.303 |
Documents to keep. Per ED's guide, the present levels in an IEP usually draw on evaluation results, classroom tests and assignments, and observations from parents, teachers and other school staff. Keep copies of each evaluation report, recent report cardsReport card(1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish. See more and work samples, and your own notes on what you see at home.
Official source. The IDEA regulations at 34 CFR Part 300 on the U.S. Department of Education's IDEA website, sites.ed.gov/idea, as checked September 30, 2026.
Good to Know
Giving consent for an evaluation doesn't count as consent for special education services, under 34 CFR 300.300. The 60-day evaluation window can be different where a state sets its own timeline, so check your state education agency's special education pages. You don't have to wait for the yearly review to change a plan: the U.S. Department of Education says either the parents or the school can ask for a meeting to revise the IEP.
FAQ
What does IEP stand for?
Individualized Education Program. It's the written special education plan a public school makes for an eligible child under IDEA.
How long does a school have to hold the first IEP meeting?
Within 30 calendar days of deciding the child is eligible, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The evaluation before that must be finished within 60 days of your consent, unless your state sets its own timeline.
How often is an IEP reviewed?
At least once a year, and more often when needed. Parents or the school can ask for a meeting to revise it, and the child is reevaluated at least once every three years unless you and the school agree it isn't needed.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar and Reminders
Put the IEP's yearly review date on your Buhata Calendar and set a Reminder three weeks before, so you have time to gather work samples and notes.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- 504 plan
A school's plan of supports for a student whose disability substantially limits a major life activity, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- IEP meeting
The meeting where a child's IEP team, parents included, writes or reviews the child's special education plan under IDEA.
- Least restrictive environment
The IDEA rule that children with disabilities learn with children without disabilities as much as appropriate, and leave regular classes only when needed.
- Evaluation request
A request, usually from a parent, that the public school evaluate a child for a disability and special education services under IDEA.
Sources
U.S. Department of Education, IDEA regulations, 34 CFR 300.300 (Parental consent), 300.301 (Initial evaluations) 300.303 (Reevaluations) and 300.320 (Definition of individualized education program); U.S. Department of Education, IDEA statute, 20 U.S.C. 1414; U.S. Department of Education, "A Guide to the Individualized Education Program" (archived)
- sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.300
- sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.301
- sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.303
- sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.320
- sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii/1414
- www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html
Last updated .