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This is an app for the visually impaired and/or colorblind. The app identifies colors in real time. Further, it is FREE. This is a great tool to use on the classroom with students. Parents can also use this at home to supplement learning and assist in everyday activities outside of school. It is very user-friendly, and appropriate for a wide age range.

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**THE PERFECT APP FOR THE COLOR-IMPAIRED OR THE COLORBLIND!**

ColoredEye will identify the colors from your camera in real-time! Or you have option to identify colors within a saved photo.

Simply use your iPhone or iTouch to take a photo in good lighting, then pick an object or location within the photo for ColoredEye to classify, or use the live camera mode to find out colors instantly.

Each color database has its own set of names for a range of colors. You can pick from:
+ BASIC - 16 fundamental colors (purple, green, blue, etc)
+ CRAYOLA - 134 fun pigments (burnt sienna, piggy pink, turquoise, etc)
+ DETAILED - 134 descriptive colors (dim gray, dark slate gray, gray, etc)

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Never wear mismatched socks again! Learning colors can be fun for kids, too! Now you can identify the perfect paint color, sweater, car, anything!

For support or suggestions, please email: support@mgsapps.com

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Version 2.8.0

- iOS 13 Support.
- Dark Mode support on iOS 13.
- Added new setting that provides the option of announcing when the camera light is turned on.
- Color will not be subsequently announced if it has not changed.
- Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Great idea. Tweaks needed.

I was thinking to myself the other day why hasn't anybody ever invented an app to help those who are colorblind. And then I saw this app and was excited. However when I point the camera at a pitch black remote it interprets it as midnight blue which I know is incorrect.

Doesn't work

Good idea but doesn't work well with identifying colors

Please add Arabic language to the App

Please add Arabic language to the App

Information

Compatibility

Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Languages

English, Arabic, Armenian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Vietnamese

Copyright

© 2010-2019 mgs apps

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎**THE PERFECT APP FOR THE COLOR-IMPAIRED OR THE COLORBLIND!** ColoredEye will identify the colors from your camera in real-time! Or you have option to identify colors within a saved photo. Simply use your iPhone or iTouch to take a photo in good lighting, then pick an object or location within th...

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This app is a place for students who struggle verbalizing and communicating. The app allows students to create up to 15 family members/ people with various skin tones (for FREE). This allows students to represent the important people in their life; further, it assists their ability to communicate socially. For students with certain disabilities, social communication is sometimes neglected. This app provides a way for SWD to verbalize their life, connection, and feelings--something so important to their development and self-identity within the classroom.

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Imagine a doll house where your child can use everything, even the closets, TV and shower. Where you can fry an egg and feed the family pizza. Where you can pour drinks, blow bubbles and turn out the lights.

Imagine a doll house where the pieces are impossible to lose and never break. A doll house which grows over time and where new accessories and rooms are given to you for free.

Imagine if it was designed so that even a 2 year old could use it, yet detailed enough to entertain an 8 year old.

Imagine a doll house that could excite and captivate your children for hours for less than the price of a cup of coffee....
My PlayHome is the original and best dolls house app. Massively interactive, your kids can explore and use everything in the house. The characters eat, sleep, shower, brush their teeth and more. Want the room to be darker? Close the drapes! Fancy a change in music? Pop a different CD into the stereo!
No other doll house app comes close in interactivity, detail, ease of use and just plain fun!

Privacy Policy

How to gift an app from your iPad

email: [email protected]

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My PlayHome - An imaginative play house app for young children, toddlers and pre-k kids - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch/Android

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Imagine a doll house where your child can use everything, even the closets, TV and shower. Where you can fry an egg and feed the family pizza. Where you can pour drinks, blow bubbles and turn out the lights. Imagine a doll house where the pieces are impossible to lose and never break.

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Grammarly is a free online browser extension that intuitively proofreads and understands grammar mistakes. This is more developed and extensive than typical grammar checks through Word, Google Docs, and so on. This is helpful for all students alike. Specifically regarding SWD, this would be very helpful for a student with Dyslexia.

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This app allows low vision and blind users to easily type and navigate on touch-screen devices. This would be helpful in a classroom setting--allowing all students to participate and be more self-sufficient.

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I was a beta tester for this app. I've loved using it from the day I started. This app makes typing amazingly fast, and accurate. Great for a first version!
The price is unbeatable too. it's free! Who can beat that?

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‎Gestype is an inclusive keyboard app which allows low-vision and/or blind users to very easily type on touch screen devices. Designed from scratch to allow for fast typing on touchscreen including iPad and iPhones. It has can be operated in two modes: with 4 keys and 2 keys. Typing is triggered b...

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This app allows SWD to express themselves and how they are feeling. This is especially helpful for students with social-emotional disorders. In general practice, this is a great way for students to communicate and express their feelings. Furthermore, it helps students be consciously aware of how they are feeling and how this is impacting their ability to learn.

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‎This truly unique dictionary is a world first. Emotionary guides users through five primary emotions to find the right category of feeling, with all definitions pared back to the essentials and displayed so they can be easily compared. It’s the ideal way to develop a rich vocabulary of emotions – t…

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This app assists students with ADHD and/or who struggle with focusing and completing tasks. It helps students plan their day and goals. The app is appropriate for students of all ages--encouraging their success and development!

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iPhone Screenshots

Flora is a new way to stay focused on your tasks, clear to-do lists, and build positive, life-changing habits. Whenever you want to make progress towards your goals, plant a seed in Flora. As you work hard, the seed will grow into a healthy tree. Let the tree be your coach and grow yourself with it. You will be amazed at how great you can be.

FOCUS TREES

Have trouble putting down the phone? Flora blocks distracting apps and helps you focus on what's more important in real life. If you cannot resist the temptation of using your phone and leave the app while growing a tree, the tree will be killed! Things get even more interesting when you challenge your friends to plant trees together-you will see who kills a tree (ouch). However, if you successfully stay away from your phones together, each of you will win an additional tree from a random friend.*

* Flora is the original app for multi-user tree planting. Any other apps that cloned this feature (and even charged it for money) are not associated with us. If you like planting trees with your friends, please support the original Flora app. It's FREE!

TO-DO LIST

Flora is a to-do list. Simply create a to-do item and set a reminder, then you will never forget a thing. Even better, you can tag your trees with a to-do item to easily track the progress towards each of your life goals. No matter if your goal is daily, weekly, or monthly, Flora will help you follow it through and achieve it.

HABIT TRACKER

Enjoy a rewarding daily habit routine. If you grow trees regularly, you will earn yourself a beautiful, vibrant garden. Take a look at it and feel proud of yourself! Each tree records your perseverance and a step towards a healthy life. You can also view the daily, weekly, or monthly statistics of your activities in Flora to find opportunities to improve your time-management and planning skills.

REAL TREES

Why not plant REAL trees while improving yourself? Flora proudly offers the opt-in Price and Care services that let you plant real trees on the earth if you kill or successfully grow a tree in the app. We partner with tree-planting organizations in Africa and East Asia, such as the Trees.org, to plant fast-growing soil rebuilding trees, fruit trees that diversify incomes and nutrition, and trees that can provide forage and fuel-wood. All these trees help make the earth greener and provide long-term financial aid to families who need it most.

Sounds good? Download Flora and join our 2,000,000+ productive users now!

Version 3.0.2

- New signup and login methods
- To-do list and reminders
- New multi-user planting rule: you win a tree from a random partner if succeed
- Interactive Garden: tap to rearrange plants
- Improved UI and navigation
- Bug fixes and performance improvements

Great Overall App

I started using Flora in the middle of August at the beginning of my senior year of college, and apparently, I've studied/stayed focused for over 100 hours! Which is great because I was recently diagnosed w/ severe ADHD. This app has been such a useful tool in helping me actually put my phone down and focus on my schoolwork. Not only that, but seeing exactly where my time goes when I do study via the convenient "tags" feature helps me to efficiently plan out my days so I know exactly how much time I need to spend on which subject.

However, my only questions/concerns are a.) can you only have 6 tags? I've tried to make more, but I can't find a way to create a new tag or even delete old ones. Even just adding a section about this to the FAQs would be really helpful; b.) sometimes I'll set a timer, and since Flora has gotten me used to not checking my phone for 1+ hour(s) at a time, I'll go back an hour or so later to check how much time I have left to find that the app reset, and all that progress I made was lost! This can be very frustrating especially when I'm specifically trying to study a certain amount of hours per day.

Other than that, great app; thanks to the developers for helping me stay focused this year!!

Hi there, Thanks for your feedback. We will take it into account when planning our future releases. To your questions: 1) In the Tags & Goals screen, you can swipe a tag to the left to delete it or reset the goal. 2) If you received a notification that your tree has grown up (or been killed) but when you opened the app it starts from the login screen rather than showing the Congrats (or Oops) view, then the app was killed by the iOS system due to memory pressure. We have added to the latest version (v2.4.5) a feature that restores your planting session at login time if it was killed by iOS before. Please see if the problem is resolved. Enjoy and have a nice day!

Needs some fixes

I love the concept behind this app, but I've experienced some problems with it in the past. For example, there are times when I spend 40-90 minutes studying and once the timer is up, I'm directed toward a "connection failure" menu even when I'm connected to the Internet. This screen will not disappear until I close and refresh the app, which prevents me from earning the time spent on my different goal trackers.
At times, when I open the app after the timer goes off, there are messages saying that one of my tress was killed, even when my phone remained untouched the whole time.
It would also be helpful if there was a "0 minutes" mark when planting a tree for when people want to focus for exactly one or two hours. Maybe you could also add minutes that are not just multiples of five for those that need to concentrate for a very specific amount of time.
This last point is not a flaw but something I would like to see in the app. As a busy student, I like to keep track of multiple aspects of my life, and I would like this app to have more than just six goal trackers if it were possible. It would be truly beneficial as there are some aspects of my life I'd like to monitor too besides my six main ones.
This app has helped me a lot in concentrating on my homework and studying during the summer and with some fixes, it could be even better.

Hi there, Thanks for your feedback. You might have encountered server updates that false kill your trees and we are sorry for that. We will continue making app better for you. Have a nice day!

EDIT: Thank you!

Thank you SO MUCH for adding other login options than facebook. I've been loving the app so far, and I've gotten so many things done today. It's cool how you added the Sign-In With Apple option, too. Now I don't have to download a paid app to get all the nice features that this app has. Thanks again!

I've been waiting to use this app for almost a year now, since I'm only in middle school and can't download the paid Forest app and don't have a Facebook account to log in to this app. It's kind of annoying that when I found this app I was like "FINALLY I'VE FOUND IT," but then realized that I couldn't even log in. Now it's been 12 months and still you have not released another email option. Is it supposed to take this long? I know I'm being impatient, but you're blocking out so many users because of the limit you put on them. You shouldn't expect students to have Facebook, anyway. So many people are in need of this app, and I've signed up for the email notification and everything. Please, please release this option as soon as you can. I'm almost in high school, and this app will be so beneficial in helping me stay focused. Thanks!

Thank you for your support!

Information

Compatibility

Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Languages

English, Traditional Chinese

Copyright

© AppFinca Inc.

In-App Purchases

1. Amazon Rainforest $0.99

2. Amazon Rainforest $1.99

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎Flora is a new way to stay focused on your tasks, clear to-do lists, and build positive, life-changing habits. Whenever you want to make progress towards your goals, plant a seed in Flora. As you work hard, the seed will grow into a healthy tree.

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Northeastern University: 5 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies

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Northeastern University: 5 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies

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This is a great article that breaks down 5 culturally responsive teaching strategies for educators. It asks purposeful self-reflective questions about one's classroom; further, it provides evidence-based research. This is a great resource for doing "self-checks" about making sure your classroom is one that promotes inclusion and equity.

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Over the past few decades, students, their experiences, upbringings, and backgrounds have changed. Classrooms now reflect families of varying races, cultures, and socioeconomic statuses. As a result, the way teachers educate these students must change, too, says Cherese Childers-McKee, assistant teaching professor in Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies. One of these shifting approaches to education is known as culturally responsive teaching.

Below, we explore the concept of culturally responsive teaching, compare it against traditional teaching models, and offer a number of strategies that you can use to incorporate the approach into your own methods.

Download Our Free Guide to Earning Your EdD

Learn how an EdD can give you the skills to enact organizational change in any industry.

What is culturally responsive teaching?

Culturally responsive teaching, also called culturally relevant teaching, is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning. Traditional teaching strategies emphasize the teacher-student dynamic: The teacher is the expert and adheres strictly to the curriculum that supports standardized tests while the student receives the knowledge. This teaching method is outdated, Childers-McKee says.

"Teachers have more diverse classrooms today. We don't have students sitting in front of us with the same background or experience, so instruction has to be different," she says. "It needs to build on individual and cultural experiences and their prior knowledge. It needs to be justice-oriented and reflect the social context we're in now. That's what we mean when we talk about culturally responsive teaching."

Culturally Responsive vs. Traditional Teaching Methods

Culturally responsive teaching can manifest in a number of ways. Using traditional teaching methods, educators may default to teaching literature by widely accepted classic authors: William Shakespeare, J.D. Salinger, and Charles Dickens, for example, adhering to widely accepted interpretations of the text.

Culturally responsive teaching, on the other hand, acknowledges that there's nothing wrong with traditional texts, Childers-McKee says, but strives to include literature from other cultures, parts of the world, and by diverse authors. It also focuses on finding a "hook and anchor" to help draw students into the content using their past experiences.

"This way, students can see themselves in some of what they're reading and not just the white, western world. The learning is more experimental, more hands-on," she says. "Instead, you're showing them a worldwide, multicultural community and looking for different interpretations while relating it to what it means for society today."

Why is culturally responsive teaching important?

Culturally responsive teaching is especially pertinent today because the traditional education path from school to college to a career and life in the suburbs isn't a reality-or desire-for everyone, Childers-McKee says. Educators' approaches to teaching need to reflect these differences.

"That typical, mainstream education is not addressing the realities of today's students. Culturally responsive teaching isn't just for those students who don't come from white, middle-class, English-speaking families-it's an important teaching strategy for everyone. When done the right way, it can be transformative."

When integrated into classroom instruction, culturally responsive strategies can have important benefits such as:

Strengthening students' sense of identity

Promoting equity and inclusivity in the classroom

Engaging students in the course material

Supporting critical thinking

Here's a look at five culturally responsive teaching strategies all educators can employ in their classrooms.

5 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies for Educators

1. Activate students' prior knowledge.

Students are not blank slates, Childers-McKee says; they enter the classroom with diverse experiences. Teachers should encourage students to draw on their prior knowledge in order to contribute to group discussions, which provides an anchor to learning. Taking a different approach to the literature that's taught in classrooms is one example of this.

2. Make learning contextual.

Tie lessons from the curriculum to the students' social communities to make it more contextual and relevant, Childers-McKee advises. "If you're reading a chapter in history class, for example, discuss why it matters today, in your school, or in your community," she says. "Take the concept you're learning about and create a project that enables them to draw parallels."

3. Encourage students to leverage their cultural capital.

Because not all students come from the same background, it's important to encourage those who don't to have a voice. Say, for example, you teach an English class that contains ESL students. It's important to find ways to activate the experiences they do have-their cultural capital, Childers-McKee says.

The teacher may choose a book for the class to read in which the ESL students could relate and feel like they could be the expert, for instance. As a teacher, Childers-Mckee's once chose a book that told the story of a child of migrant workers because some of her students came from an agricultural background.

"When you have a mixed classroom, you want those in the minority to feel like they are an expert. You want to draw from their experiences," she says. "I do caution that you don't want to cross a line and make 'Johnny' feel like he needs to speak for all Mexican people by putting them on the spot, for example. That's a line you need to walk."

4. Reconsider your classroom setup.

Take inventory of the books in your classroom library: Do they include authors of diverse races? Is the LGBTQ community represented? Do the books include urban families or only suburban families? Beyond your classroom library, consider the posters you display on your walls and your bulletin boards, too. "These are all small changes you can make to your classroom more culturally responsive," Childers-McKee says.

5. Build relationships.

Not all students want to learn from all teachers because the teachers may not make them feel like they're valued, Childers-McKee says. Teachers need to work to build relationships with their students to ensure they feel respected, valued, and seen for who they are. Building those relationships helps them build community within the classroom and with each other, which is extremely important, she says.

"When we think about culture and diversity, people often automatically think about black students, but people need to think broader than that, now," Childers-McKee says. "Some teachers whose students are all white and middle-class struggle with how culturally responsive teaching strategies apply to them. It's equally important for them to teach students about diversity. These aren't just teaching strategies for minorities, they're good teaching strategies for everyone."

Educating for the Future

Educators have the unique power to impact the lives of their learners. Making use of thoughtful, inclusive instruction can have positive effects on students that last far beyond their time in the classroom.

Employing culturally responsive teaching strategies is a small step toward enacting meaningful change in education. If you're interested in leading your organization toward positive change on a larger scale, earning an advanced degree is one way to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to do so.

Pursuing a degree, such as a Doctor of Education , will empower you to address the challenges currently facing education and improve the learning experience. Students of the program work with industry-aligned faculty on real-world organizational issues, allowing them to have an immediate impact on their professional environments.
To learn more about how an EdD can further your career while improving students' educational experiences, explore Northeastern's Doctor of Education program page, or download our free guide below.

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: 5 Strategies for Educators

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Culturally responsive teaching values students' cultural references in all aspects of learning. Here are five strategies to bring to the classroom.

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New America: Culturally Responsive Teaching

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New America: Culturally Responsive Teaching

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This is a great article that breaks down exactly what the term "Culturally Responsive Teaching" means. It serves as a great resource to reference ensure that you are covering all aspects of culturally responsive teaching within the classroom setting. Having a good foundation in what "culturally responsive teaching" means will help further promote and ensure equity.

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An analysis of teaching standards in all 50 states to better understand whether states incorporate culturally responsive teaching.

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Understood- Culturally Responsive Teaching: What You Need to Know

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Understood- Culturally Responsive Teaching: What You Need to Know

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This resource further breaks down what it means to practice culturally responsive teaching. Further, it emphasizes the "why" behind the practice. This showcases the various aspects that culturally responsive teaching impacts. Every teacher needs this resource in their tool belt to ensure that (1) culturally responsive teaching is being practiced (2) the purpose behind the practice is understood and (3) the practice is being implemented thoughtfully and effectively.

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At a glance

Culturally responsive teaching is a rich, intentional approach woven into every aspect of student learning.

It focuses on the assets students bring to the classroom rather than what students can't do.

It raises expectations and makes learning relevant for all students.

Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach to teaching. It connects students' cultures, languages, and life experiences with what they learn in school. These connections help students access rigorous curriculum and develop higher-level academic skills.

Our brains are wired to make connections. It's easier for our brains to learn and store information when we have a hook to hang it on. That hook is background knowledge. Students bring this knowledge to the classroom every day.

But for students of color, English language learners (ELLs), and other underserved student populations, those assets are often overlooked. When that happens, educators miss the chance to use them to support learning. (See recent work by Zaretta Hammond for the neuroscience behind this.)

Culturally responsive teaching values and reflects the assets of all students. By doing that, it raises academic expectations for all learners. It also sends the message that multiculturalism is an asset.

Dive deeper

The benefits of culturally responsive teaching

How culturally responsive teaching, UDL, and SEL work together

For educators: Culturally responsive teaching in the classroom

For educators: How to partner with families

About the author

About the author

Educators Team at Understood is made up of passionate writers, editors, educators, and subject matter experts who have worked in classrooms and with students who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Karla Vigil, MAT is the chief executive officer and co-founder of the

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Culturally responsive teaching is a rich, intentional approach woven into every aspect of student learning. It focuses on the assets students bring to the classroom rather than what students can't do. It raises expectations and makes learning relevant for all students. Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach to teaching.

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15 Culturally-Responsive Teaching Strategies and Examples

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15 Culturally-Responsive Teaching Strategies and Examples

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This article provides an extensive list of culturally responsive teaching strategies and examples. Further, it provides a downloadable list for educators to utilize within the classroom. This resource is an essential tool for educators--providing them with many ways to make their classroom a safe, inclusive, and open-minded learning environment.

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All Posts

No single teaching approach will engage each student at once, but building a strategy to consistently deliver culturally-responsive teaching lessons will help you appeal to diverse learners with distinct backgrounds.

Rooted in differentiated instruction principles, culturally-responsive pedagogy aims to link content - from delivery to assessment - with students' ancestral and contemporary cultures.

To augment their understanding and responsiveness, this involves:

Empowering students to share thoughts

Integrating diverse work and study practices

Understanding student learning needs and styles

Emulating culturally-significant instruction styles, such as oral storytelling

To help you plan and deliver lessons that resonate with a diverse classroom, we'll explain what culturally responsive teaching is and how it is implemented.

We also put together 15 culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples that will resonate with diverse students and foster an inclusive classroom environment.

These strategies are available as a downloadable list below for quick reference so you can reference them during classroom instruction.

Let's start with some simple explanation of what culturally responsive teaching actually means.

What is culturally responsive teaching?

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a pedagogy that acknowledges and embraces students' cultures, languages and experiences - and relates them to classroom learning.

Culturally responsive teachers are actively aware of the various cultural backgrounds present in their classrooms, and act as a facilitator of lessons that can resonate with each.

It is not an easy task - creating this learning environment requires not only a high level of cultural competence, but also an intentional effort to learn about students' backgrounds and cultures.

It can be majorly beneficial to closing achievement gaps between students of different backgrounds and addressing inequities in the classroom. You can also create stronger partnerships with your students by fostering a learning environment where they are represented clearly.

Conditions for creating a culturally-responsive classroom

Reflected in the 15 strategies and examples in the next section, there are four conditions any teacher must fulfill to establish a culturally-responsive classroom, according to an authoritative academic book about the subject called Diversity and Motivation.

As you prepare and deliver any lesson, strive to:

Establish inclusion

This starts by highlighting how the topic you're teaching may relate or apply to students. For example, many societies and cultures have fireworks festivals.

While such a festival runs, you could teach how to calculate speed using fireworks in sample questions. Establishing inclusion also involves regularly grouping students with different classmates, encouraging discussion to solve problems. In doing so, they can share unique perspectives and diverse background knowledge.

Develop positive attitudes

This further focuses on relating content to students. A popular method is allowing them to choose between activities and assessments that let them showcase their values, strengths and experiences.

For example, while providing clear learning goals and evaluation criteria, encourage students to submit their own project ideas.

Enhance meaning

You can bolster lesson content by drawing connections with real-world issues, asking students to use opinions and existing knowledge to address them.

For example, when teaching about government, you could contextualize concepts through municipal political issues. When appropriate, use student jargon to clarify these issues or improve communication in general.

Foster confidence

Make the assessment process less intimidating by offering different ways to demonstrate skills and understanding. For example, avoid handing out quizzes that are purely multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank.

Among other question types, mix in problems that involve writing short- and long-form answers. After, give students time to assess their own progress and performance, helping them focus on growth.

Meeting these four conditions largely relies on using specific approaches, such as the 15 explored below.

15 Culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples

1. Learn about your students

At the start of the year or semester, demonstrating a desire to adapt your teaching style to students can help them feel valued. Because open communication should uncover their learning needs and preferences, try:

Distributing questionnaires, asking about interests

Handing out surveys, gathering information about learning styles

Holding open discussions, allowing students to talk about positive experiences from past classes

Once you've gathered enough information, tell the class you'll focus on adjusting your teaching approach to help them learn as best as they can. Students should quickly warm up to you.

2. Interview students

You'll build a stronger understanding of students' values and habits - as well as strengths and weaknesses - by individually asking them questions. While running a large-group exercise, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

Hobbies

Their favourite lessons and activities

Which kinds of exercises help them remember lessons and improve skills

Note what each student says to identify themes and different preferences. Then, when possible, relate content to their interests and deliver lessons that appeal to shared strengths.

3. Integrate relevant word problems

Many students will take a greater interest in math if you use word problems to contextualize equations. Working with 41 7th grade students throughout an academic year, a study published by the Canadian Center of Science and Education used such contextual learning strategies to increase test scores by more than 44%. Create culturally-relevant word problems by:

Including student names to make subject matter relatable

Linking to student interests, such as by measuring the shot distance of a famous soccer player

Referencing diverse cultures, such as by determining the diameter of a specific ethnic food platter

Using these word problem tips will not only help you establish a culturally-responsive classroom, but engage students more than by using abstract questions.

4. Present new concepts by using student vocabulary

Delivering relatable content goes beyond math class. In any subject, you can grab and keep student attention by using their vocabulary to build understanding before moving to academic diction. Let's say many of your students are sports fans with family from soccer-crazed nations. Use a soccer example to demonstrate metaphors in language arts class:
Andrea Pirlo is an eagle on the pitch, armed with vision sharp enough to detect the smallest openings and recognize opportunities his opposition can't.
This kind of culturally-responsive language should open the door to presenting challenging skills and concepts, engaging students while doing so.

5. Bring in guest speakers

Guest speakers can bring context and passion to history, geography and social studies lessons, capturing student interest.

A war veteran could deliver a vivid narrative of his or her experiences. A mountaineer could give a striking recount of scaling Lhotse. Both could answer questions many teachers would struggle with, while engaging students much more effectively than a slideshow.

Plus, according to a study by the Economics of Education Review, students are often encouraged to work harder when they share a background with an educator. So, diverse guest speakers may inherently engage and motivate students who share a culture with them.

6. Deliver different forms of content through learning stations

Whether due to culture, socialization, preference or learning needs, students respond differently to different types of content. You can provide a range of material to each student by setting up learning stations. Each station should use a unique method of teaching a skill or concept related to your lesson.

For example, students can rotate between stations that involve:

Playing a game

Creating artwork

Watching a video

Reading an article

Completing puzzles

Listening to you teach

After going through each station, you can help students further process the material by holding a class discussion or assigning questions to answer.

7. Gamify lessons

Want another way to consistently diversify content and its delivery, appealing to different learning styles? Gamify some lesson elements. Easy-to-implement practices include:

Offering rewards, such as badges, for completing specific tasks or achieving certain scores

Setting a clear learning goal for the lesson, charting progress throughout the class to motivate students

Creating an "instruction manual" for a project, which contains the rubric and best practices for earning a high grade

Plus, gamifying your lessons is a way of making connections with contemporary gaming culture - helping students within this culture process and demonstrate understanding of content.

8. Call on each student

Call-and-response - the practice of asking students frequent questions while giving lessons - usually keeps them engaged, but also enables them to share thoughts and opinions. Involve everyone by:

Encouraging the sharing of personal perspectives, when a question allows for it

Calling on students without their hands up, acclimatizing them to speaking amongst peers

Asking a question after each new point or thought, having a student teach back the concept you just spoke about

By lesson's end, this call-and-response approach should allow each student to speak at least once.

9. Use media that positively depict a range of cultures

Children process content more effectively when their cultures and languages have places in the curriculum, according to an oft-cited academic book about teaching in multiracial schools.

Using media, such as books and movies, that positively depict a range of cultures and are relevant to your syllabus can partially address this need. Finding options through databases such as IMDB or American Literature isn't a tough task.

As a bonus, using different media should boost engagement levels.

10. Offer different types of free study time

Free study time typically appeals to students who prefer solo learning, but many cultures prioritize learning in group settings. You can meet both preferences by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned team and individual activities, such as the following:

Provide audiobooks, which play material relevant to your lessons

Create a station for group games that teach curriculum-aligned skills

Keep a dedicated quiet space for students to take notes and complete work

Allow some students to work in groups while taking notes and completing work, away from the dedicated quiet space

Presented with these options, free study time should appeal to a wider range of learners.

11. Encourage students to propose ideas for projects

By asking students to submit ideas for their own projects, the benefits of choice extend beyond free study time. Specifically, they should build confidence by showcasing their strengths and existing background knowledge.

So, encourage them to pitch ideas for taking a project from concept to completion. A student must show how the product will meet academic standards in his or her pitch. If the idea falls short, give the student ideas to refine it. If the student can't refine the idea, he or she can choose a project from a list of options you provide.

Not only will you be pleasantly surprised by some pitches, but you may generate ideas for future culturally-responsive exercises and assessments.

12. Experiment with peer teaching

There'll almost always be some student vocabulary and communal practices you never pick up on. But you can fill these gaps through peer teaching. Relatively-simple exercises include:

Students who read and discuss story passages with peers recall more content and score higher on assessments, according an Ohio University pilot study. And, according to a science education study, students who work in pairs and groups typically perform better on tests that involve reasoning and critical thinking.

Such results are largely achieved due to students discussing and rationalizing concepts in their own words, many of which belong to contemporary cultural lexicon and are not academic.

13. Establish cooperative base groups

Cooperative base groups - which come from collaborative learning pedagogy - allow students to regularly learn and process content together.

Your role consists of creating groups of three or four, scheduling meeting times and detailing agendas for them. Filling knowledge gaps and encouraging communication is also involved. Students' roles focus on supporting each other while striving to meet learning goals over the year.

While working in base groups, students can:

Review lessons

Take on guided research

Address each other's questions

Complete in-class assessments

The connection to culturally-responsive teaching is the same as peer learning: cooperative base groups encourage students to make sense of concepts you've taught by using their own words and thoughts.

14. Run problem-based learning scenarios

The flexibility of problem-based learning lends itself to culturally-responsive teaching. This is because, when presenting a relatable real-world problem for your students to solve, two cultural connections will typically occur.

1. First, there will likely be a cultural link in the question, whether it's explicit or students make it themselves.

2. Second, because they can apply different approaches toward problem-solving, they may use unique cultural perspectives.

But if you want to create a scenario with explicit cultural ties, consider:

Encouraging students to take historical, sociological and anthropological viewpoints

Framing the problem using ethnic events - for instance, solving logistical challenges of running a heritage festival - in the area

Regardless, the student-centred nature of problem-based learning will allow your class to use culturally-relevant examples and information when appropriate.

15. Involve parents by using take-home letters

Involving parents in their child's learning is a core part of almost any culturally-responsive teaching approach -- they act as the main educators in many societies and can provide cultural context. When starting a new unit or trying out an education tool for the first time, consider sending a letter home to parents.

For reference, here's the letter Prodigy provides to its teachers. This opens the door to parent participation. While not all parents will be subject matter experts, most should be able to provide guidance.

Downloadable list of culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples

Click here to download and print a simplified list of the 15 culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples to keep at your desk.

Interested in other teaching strategies to deploy in your classroom?

Culturally-responsive teaching strategies overlap in important ways with many other pedagogical approaches. Consider researching other teaching and instructional strategies to help bolster your approach, or combine different elements of each strategy!

Active learning strategies empower, engage, and stimulate your students as they put them at the center of the learning process.

Experiential learning activities, in contrast to traditional learning activities,aim to develop knowledge and skills through direct, firsthand experience.

Project-based learning involves an open-ended approach that sees students work alone or collectively to work on engaging, intricate curriculum-related questions or challenges..

Inquiry-based learning is broken down into four categories, all of which emphasize student questions, ideas and analyses.

Adaptive learning focuses on changing - or "adapting" - content for each student on an individual basis, especially with the help of technology.

Social emotional learning activities help students build social skills, establish healthy relationships and manage their emotions.

Final thoughts about culturally-relevant pedagogy

Delivering culturally-responsive lessons can not only help you engage students, but allow them to make personal connections with content.

Student populations across your school district are comprised of different races, backgrounds, cultural identities and socioeconomic statuses - it's important that teaching practices reflect and embrace these differences.

Greater student investment should lead to other benefits, such as more rigor and motivation. A happier, focused classroom is the ideal outcome.

Prodigy is a digital game-based learning platform that delivers a range of culturally-relevant math content through engaging word and scenario-based problems. Standards-aligned, it's used by millions of teachers and students across the world.

Create your free teacher account

Create your free teacher account

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: Definition, Strategies & Examples

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Need to engage your diverse classroom? Try using these 15 culturally-responsive teaching strategies and examples, complete with a downloadable list.

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This resource is a compilation of various podcasts, videos, and other resources that can aid in abolitionist teaching. Utilizing this resource, teachers will be equipped to fight injustice and prejudice within the community.

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Abolitionist Teaching Network's mission is simple: develop and support educators to fight injustice within their schools and communities. Utilizing the intellectual work and direct action of Abolitionists in many forms, including community organizers, educators, parents, social workers, counselors, lawyers, therapists, artists, health care providers, and incarcerated folx, we will organize and take action for educational freedom.

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Abolitionist Teaching Network's mission is simple: develop and support educators to fight injustice within their schools and communities. Utilizing the intellectual work and direct action of Abolitionists in many forms, including community organizers, educators, parents, social workers, counselors, lawyers, therapists, artists, health care providers, and incarcerated folx, we will organize and take action for educational freedom.

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Guide to Evidence-Based Practices to Teaching all Students Equitably 

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Guide to Evidence-Based Practices to Teaching all Students Equitably 

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This extensive guide offers various support, data, and suggestions on how to implements culturally responsive teaching into the classroom. These suggestions and support are evidence-based and are very specific. Teachers can use this resource to enhance their classroom and ensure they are giving students every opportunity to have a culturally responsive classroom community.

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Mastering Metacognition: The What, Why, and How

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Mastering Metacognition: The What, Why, and How

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This resource is a breakdown of what the term "metacognition" really means, why it is an evidence-based practice in education, and how educators can implement this into the classroom. Teachers can use this resource to improve student growth. Further, the resource, has a great summarizing supporting visual.

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You may have come across the term "metacognition" recently and wondered if it was just another instructional buzzword. Metacognition is "thinking about thinking," but what exactly does that mean, why does it matter to learning, and how can teachers emphasize it in their instruction?

What is metacognition:

Metacognition is an awareness of one's own learning. It entails understanding the goals of the learning process, figuring out the best strategies for learning, and assessing whether the learning goals are being met. A metacognitive student sees him or herself as an agent in the learning process and realizes that learning is an active, strategic activity.

A useful analogy for understanding metacognition might be mastering an athletic skill: in the early stages, a novice player needs to think carefully about how his or her actions affect performance. For instance, in figuring out the best way to swing a golf club, a novice player might deliberately adjust his or her stance, assess whether the adjustment leads to better performance, and then decide whether to adopt the strategy going forward. This is essentially the active thinking about the learning process that we want to encourage with students.

Metacognition can include any of the following elements:

Understanding what one already knows about a topic

Figuring out what one wants to know about a topic

Realizing what one has learned in the course of a lesson

Monitoring one's understanding during the course of an activity

Choosing which learning strategies to employ and when

Evaluating whether a particular learning strategy was successful in a given circumstance

Why is metacognition important:

Metacognition has been linked to improved learning outcomes. It makes sense that individuals who are strategic in their learning are more successful than those who do not reflect on the learning process. For instance, metacognitive learners are more likely to notice when what they are studying does not make sense. These are the students who try to clarify their understanding rather than passively continuing on with the assignment. According to researcher John Hattie, the effect size for teaching metacognitive strategies is 0.69, making it one of the most effective teaching interventions.

Metacognition is also a significant factor in whether students can transfer their learning to new scenarios. Students who are metacognitive are actively embedding new information in their existing network of knowledge and creating connections among ideas. This is the sort of thinking that gets students beyond surface learning and drives them to deeper understanding.

How do students become metacognitive:

Though some individuals are naturally more metacognitive than others, metacognition is a skill that can be taught and learned. As with other learning skills, students will initially need explicit instruction, scaffolding, practice, and feedback in order to turn unfamiliar operations into habits of mind. Here are a few ideas on how to incorporate metacognition into instruction, particularly as it pertains to literacy.

Metacognition is a skill that can be taught and learned.

Model your thought processes

Teachers can model metacognition by demonstrating their own thought process while they read. They can let students see how they interact with the text: how they determine the purpose of their reading, where they pause to ask a question, how they connect new ideas to previous knowledge, how they track whether they understand the content, how they decide when to slow down and re-read, and how they assess what they have learned. Teachers can do this through read-aloud or by sharing their annotations with students. It is useful to repeat this modeling process, particularly at the beginning of more challenging assignments.

Create simple tasks for students to demonstrate thinking

Teachers can scaffold metacognition by asking students to demonstrate their thinking in writing or during discussion. Instructions on how to do this will need to be explicit; for instance, teachers can guide students to mark one moment in the text they found surprising, confusing, or erroneous and explain their reaction. Reviewing what students have noted is a great way to spur a discussion about the reading.

Increase writing

Writing is a particularly useful way to make metacognition visible because it enables students to look back on their previous notes and see how their thinking has changed. Some teachers find it effective to create portfolios of student learning, including rough drafts and pre-writing activities, then ask students to look back on the trajectory of their work and note how it has evolved with successive revisions.

Pre and post reading polls

To demonstrate the impact of learning, teachers can record students' attitudes and preconceived notions about a topic prior to reading a text, then follow up after the reading to gauge whether students have changed their minds based on what they've learned. This can be done via a pre- and post-reading poll, with the data ultimately driving a discussion about students' previous misconceptions and how the text informed their thinking.

Build in a one question for students to ask themselves

Teachers can encourage students to regularly practice metacognition simply by asking, "How did you figure that out?" after a student offers an answer to a question. This helps students reflect on the learning strategies they employ and gives their classmates an opportunity to see how their peers learn.

Peer assessment

Students can help get in the habit of assessing different learning strategies by judging work: after viewing a detailed answer to a question, students can discuss whether the answer shows an effective use of reasoning and how it can be improved.

Make revisions part of assignments

Finally, students benefit tremendously from opportunities to revise their work and reflect on how their thinking has improved. This gives them the chance to understand what errors they made the first time around and how the learning process has led them to see the problem differently.

RELATED:

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Mastering Metacognition: The What, Why, and How

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This post describes what metacognition is, why it matters, and how teachers can get students to reap the learning benefits of it.

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10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies-- The Core List

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10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies-- The Core List

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This is a compiled list with descriptors of the most relevant evidence-based teaching practices in general education settings. The descriptors aren't very extensive; however, this list can be used by educators to develop activities and practices that can benefit their classroom. These suggestions are great to turn to/ implement to change up classroom routines and supplement student learning.

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10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for 2023

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Some teaching strategies have more impact on your students’ results than others. Discover this core list of 10 evidence-based teaching strat…

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Infographic on Evidence-Based Teaching Practices

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Infographic on Evidence-Based Teaching Practices

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This is a simple, but effective, infographic on Evidence-Based practices within the general education classroom. The infographic is designed in a way that allows teachers to quickly reference to ensure that they are incorporating aspects to their teaching that are purposeful and evidence-based.

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The IRIS Center provides resources and professional development for teachers. These are resources and development opportunities are specifically related to special education. Regarding evidence-based practice, the IRIS Center breaks down the resources by topic, disability, and circumstance, to help educators find the proper resources they need to aid in instruction. These tools are all evidence of best practice in special education.

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The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 [email protected]. The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E220001. The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen.

Copyright 2024 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

* For refund and privacy policy information visit our Help & Support page.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 [email protected]. The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E220001. The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S.

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Public School of North Carolina: Disability Resources, Evidence-Based Practices

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Public School of North Carolina: Disability Resources, Evidence-Based Practices

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NC Public Schools provides resources on their website for teaching SWD. They also provide resources for evidence-based practices in the SES field. This is a great resource for general education teachers that are looking to implement SES evidence-based practices in their classroom to support SWD.

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Evidence-Based Practices - Exceptional Children

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Specific Learning Disabilities / Evidence-Based Practices

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Teaching Strategies for Special Education 

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Teaching Strategies for Special Education 

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This resource is a good overview of SES strategies--providing a PDF that explains the evidence-based research of these practices. Additionally, it includes supporting infographics for clarity and helpful illustration of the practices. This tool is designed for educators. Teachers should keep this resource handy to assist in meeting the needs of their SWD.

NOTE: This resource uses the term "proven". Researchers in special education typically avoid this word because something cannot be "proved" for every student. However, as a resource, this tool provides good evidence-based practices that have been successful for many students.

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Students with special needs both require and deserve the most reliable, proven instruction that educators have to offer. As a learning science company, we're particularly passionate about identifying and creating reliable, proven instruction. For students with specific learning dis/abilities, ensuring we make the most of every moment spent in the classroom is all the more crucial to empowering them to thrive. Special Education teachers seem to share this sentiment: they're constantly searching for new strategies and best practices to bring back to the classroom. To help, we turned to our research archives to unpack the studies that showed positive results for students with special needs. While there are many successful instructional techniques and models available, and every teacher, student, and learning environment will respond to each differently, we chose to focus on Direct Instruction. As an approach, it's been proven effective for a wide variety of student populations, and is perhaps one of the top efficacy-based instructional programs available to teachers.

At the bottom of this blog, you'll find an extensive report on the research behind Direct Instruction. To help you start identifying proven strategies now, we've pulled the core components of the Direct Instruction approach below:

Program Design

Many of the proven teaching strategies of Direct Instruction are embedded within its programmatic design. For example, the instructional language in Direct Instruction is rooted in clear communication - everything is written to ensure consistency and reduce student confusion. There's also emphasis on sequencing of skills, where specific skills are taught cumulatively and lessons move smoothly from teacher-directed activities to independent student activities. Finally, Direct Instruction enables teachers to deliver instruction in tracks, to ensure that lessons are digestible and efficient for students. Track instruction reduces errors and enhances skill integration.

Instructional Organization

Instructional teaching strategies focus on the way Direct Instruction utilizes classroom space and organizes instructional time. Direct Instruction programs pay close attention to grouping, and lessons are generally presented to small groups of students for intensive learning. DI also is mindful of time, and encourages constant interactions between students and teachers to actively promote engaged, productive time dedicated to learning. It's all about making the most of the limited time in the classroom.

Presentation Techniques

Perhaps one of the best components of Direct Instruction in the Special Education space is its approach to content presentation. Lessons are built on the foundation of active student participation, where instruction provides students opportunities to respond to questions and prompts, verbally or through writing. Unison responding uses instructional signals to cue students to respond to prompts together, ensuring that every students has practice time with content. Finally, Direct Instruction pays close attention to student motivation, balancing challenges with successes to build up confidence and maintain engagement.

For more on Direct Instruction, click here.

Find the full research review and more strategies for teaching special education here, or below.

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Proven Teaching Strategies for Special Education

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Students with special needs both require and deserve the most reliable, proven instruction that educators have to offer. As a learning science company, we're particularly passionate about identifying and creating reliable, proven instruction. For students with specific learning dis/abilities, ensuring we make the most of every moment spent in the classroom is all the more crucial to empowering them to thrive.

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This website provides TONS of resources for educators (and parents). This specific article gives a good overview of IEPs, the IEP process, what's in an IEP, and navigating IEP meetings. Educators can use this as a resource to guiding their understanding of the IEP process. Further, educators can share this resource with parents to assist their understanding and comfort in the process.

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For kids to receive special education services, they need an IEP - an Individualized Education Program. If your child has been evaluated, the process of getting an IEP has already begun. But there's still a lot to learn about how the IEP process works and what your role will be.

This guide is designed to help you through every step of your IEP journey. It offers basic information, while also leading you to more detailed information and insights.

The more you know about the purpose of IEPs, the more involved you can be in getting your child the best support possible.

If you just started learning about IEPs, you'll likely hear about many things that are unfamiliar to you. And you'll probably have lots of questions. Who gets an IEP in school? What's the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan? What's the purpose of an IEP?

Having answers to your questions can help you decide if you want to pursue an IEP for your child. It can also help you advocate for your child with more confidence.

The process of getting an IEP for your child can be confusing. It's important to know what happens - and when. The first step is having an evaluation for special education. Then the school must decide whether your child qualifies for services and supports.

How will the school make that decision? What happens if the school decides your child isn't eligible?

If you've never seen an IEP before, the various documents can be hard to decipher. They cover many areas, using terms and information you'll likely have questions about. But all of those pieces - from testing results to goals for progress - add up to the best school program of instruction and supports for your child.

The information in an IEP can give you a deeper understanding of your child's strengths and challenges. And it should lay out exactly how the school plans to help your child improve and build skills.

Your child's special education program kicks off with an IEP meeting. The entire IEP team will be there. You may also hear from professionals at school who were part of the evaluation process. Some might provide services or supports for your child. And that's just the first of many IEP meetings you likely will attend over the course of your child's school years.

IEP meetings can be stressful for some parents. Knowing what happens at IEP meetings can make it easier to navigate them.

The IEP journey continues well after your child's plan is put into place. From here on, you'll play a key role in making sure the plan is working and your child is making progress. But what does that involve? What should you be looking for or asking about?

The IEP will change over time (and your role might as well) along with your child's needs. You'll also be involved in crafting a plan for transitioning out of an IEP toward the end of high school. But you'll still be your child's number-one advocate throughout the school years - and beyond.

Key takeaways

Your child needs an IEP to get special education services at school.

You play a key role throughout the IEP process.

It's important to stay on top of your child's IEP and make sure your child is making progress.

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IEPs in School: Purpose of an IEP and the IEP Process

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IEPs in school: An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written education plan designed to meet a child's learning needs. Learn about the purpose of an IEP and the IEP process in this guide.

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A Guide to the Individualized Education Program

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A Guide to the Individualized Education Program

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This tool, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, is a step-by-step guide to the IEP process. Further it includes sample forms to review. For educators, this can be used to understand the process and gain familiarity with reviewing an IEP. Furthermore, teachers can refer parents to this resource to help them navigate the process and understand what an IEP is.

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Select a link below to jump to the relevant page section.

1. Preface

The purpose of this guidance is to assist educators, parents, and state and local educational agencies in implementing the requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for children with disabilities, including preschool-aged children. (This guide does not address the development of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) for infants and toddlers.)

Guide to the Individualized Education Program
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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
U.S. Department of Education
July 2000

Credits

This guide was developed by the U.S. Department of Education, with the assistance of the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY). The Department staff contributing to this guide include: Debra Price-Ellingstad, JoLeta Reynolds, Larry Ringer, Ruth Ryder, and Suzanne Sheridan, under the direction of Judith E. Heumann, Kenneth Warlick, and Curtis Richards.

Editor: Lisa Küpper, NICHCY

Production: Jean Kohanek, NICHCY

Disability Art: Madison, Moore, www.disabilityart.com

Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.
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To create an effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff--and often the student--must come together to look closely at the student's unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability. Without a doubt, writing--and implementing--an effective IEP requires teamwork.

This guide explains the IEP process, which we consider to be one of the most critical elements to ensure effective teaching, learning, and better results for all children with disabilities. The guide is designed to help teachers, parents and anyone involved in the education of a child with a disability-develop and carry out an IEP. The information in this guide is based on what is required by our nation's special education law--the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

The IDEA requires certain information to be included in each child's IEP. It is useful to know, however, that states and local school systems often include additional information in IEPs in order to document that they have met certain aspects of federal or state law. The flexibility that states and school systems have to design their own IEP forms is one reason why IEP forms may look different from school system to school system or state to state. Yet each IEP is critical in the education of a child with a disability.

Additional copies of this guide are available from:

ED Pubs
Editorial Publications Center
U.S. Department of Education
P.O. Box 1398
Jessup, MD 20794-1398

(877) 4-ED-PUBS
(877) 576-7734 TTY
(301) 470-1244 Fax

The writing of each student's IEP takes place within the larger picture of the special education process under IDEA. Before taking a detailed look at the IEP, it may be helpful to look briefly at how a student is identified as having a disability and needing special education and related services and, thus, an IEP.
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Step 1. Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.

"Child Find." The state must identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities in the state who need special education and related services. To do so, states conduct "Child Find" activities. A child may be identified by "Child Find," and parents may be asked if the "Child Find" system can evaluate their child. Parents can also call the "Child Find" system and ask that their child be evaluated. Or —

Referral or request for evaluation. A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child's teacher or other school professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal or in writing. Parental consent is needed before the child may be evaluated. Evaluation needs to be completed within a reasonable time after the parent gives consent.

Step 2. Child is evaluated.

The evaluation must assess the child in all areas related to the child's suspected disability. The evaluation results will be used to decide the child's eligibility for special education and related services and to make decisions about an appropriate educational program for the child. If the parents disagree with the evaluation, they have the right to take their child for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). They can ask that the school system pay for this IEE.

Step 3. Eligibility is decided.

Clearly, the IEP is a very important document for children with disabilities and for those who are involved in educating them. Done correctly, the IEP should improve teaching, learning and results. Each child's IEP describes, among other things, the educational program that has been designed to meet that child's unique needs. This part of the guide looks closely at how the IEP is written and by whom, and what information it must, at a minimum, contain.
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A group of qualified professionals and the parents look at the child's evaluation results. Together, they decide if the child is a "child with a disability," as defined by IDEA. Parents may ask for a hearing to challenge the eligibility decision.

Step 4. Child is found eligible for services.

If the child is found to be a "child with a disability," as defined by IDEA, he or she is eligible for special education and related services. Within 30 calendar days after a child is determined eligible, the IEP team must meet to write an IEP for the child.
Step 5. IEP meeting is scheduled.
By law, the IEP must include certain information about the child and the educational program designed to meet his or her unique needs. In a nutshell, this information is:
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Current performance.
The IEP must state how the child is currently doing in school (known as present levels of educational performance). This information usually comes from the evaluation results such as classroom tests and assignments, individual tests given to decide eligibility for services or during reevaluation, and observations made by parents, teachers, related service providers, and other school staff. The statement about "current performance" includes how the child's disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

Annual goals.
These are goals that the child can reasonably accomplish in a year. The goals are broken down into short-term objectives or benchmarks. Goals may be academic, address social or behavioral needs, relate to physical needs, or address other educational needs. The goals must be measurable-meaning that it must be possible to measure whether the student has achieved the goals.

Special education and related services.
The IEP must list the special education and related services to be provided to the child or on behalf of the child. This includes supplementary aids and services that the child needs. It also includes modifications (changes) to the program or supports for school personnel-such as training or professional development-that will be provided to assist the child.

Participation with nondisabled children.
The IEP must explain the extent (if any) to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and other school activities.

Participation in state and district-wide tests.
Most states and districts give achievement tests to children in certain grades or age groups. The IEP must state what modifications in the administration of these tests the child will need. If a test is not appropriate for the child, the IEP must state why the test is not appropriate and how the child will be tested instead.

Dates and places.
The IEP must state when services will begin, how often they will be provided, where they will be provided, and how long they will last.

States and school systems have a great deal of flexibility about the information they require in an IEP. Some states and school systems have chosen to include in the IEP additional information to document their compliance with other state and federal requirements. (Federal law requires that school districts maintain documentation to demonstrate their compliance with federal requirements.) Generally speaking, extra elements in IEPs may be included to document that the state or school district has met certain aspects of federal or state law, such as:
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IEP Forms in Different Places
While the law tells us what information must be included in the IEP, it does not specify what the IEP should look like. No one form or approach or appearance is required or even suggested. Each state may decide what its IEPs will look like. In some states individual school systems design their own IEP forms.

Thus, across the United States, many different IEP forms are used. What is important is that each form be as clear and as useful as possible, so that parents, educators, related service providers, administrators, and others can easily use the form to write and implement effective IEPs for their students with disabilities.

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Transition service needs.
Beginning when the child is age 14 (or younger, if appropriate), the IEP must address (within the applicable parts of the IEP) the courses he or she needs to take to reach his or her post-school goals. A statement of transition services needs must also be included in each of the child's subsequent IEPs.

By law, certain individuals must be involved in writing a child's Individualized Education Program. These are identified in the figure at the left. Note that an IEP team member may fill more than one of the team positions if properly qualified and designated. For example, the school system representative may also be the person who can interpret the child's evaluation results.
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These people must work together as a team to write the child's IEP. A meeting to write the IEP must be held within 30 calendar days of deciding that the child is eligible for special education and related services.

Each team member brings important information to the IEP meeting. Members share their information and work together to write the child's Individualized Education Program. Each person's information adds to the team's understanding of the child and what services the child needs.

Parents are key members of the IEP team. They know their child very well and can talk about their child's strengths and needs as well as their ideas for enhancing their child's education. They can offer insight into how their child learns, what his or her interests are, and other aspects of the child that only a parent can know. They can listen to what the other team members think their child needs to work on at school and share their suggestions. They can also report on whether the skills the child is learning at school are being used at home. (See box on page 12 regarding parents' possible need for an interpreter.)

Teachers are vital participants in the IEP meeting as well. At least one of the child's regular education teachers must be on the IEP team if the child is (or may be) participating in the regular education environment. The regular education teacher has a great deal to share with the team. For example, he or she might talk about:

the general curriculum in the regular classroom;

the aids, services or changes to the educational program that would help the child learn and achieve; and

strategies to help the child with behavior, if behavior is an issue.

The regular education teacher may also discuss with the IEP team the supports for school staff that are needed so that the child can:

To help decide what special education and related services the student needs, generally the IEP team will begin by looking at the child's evaluation results, such as classroom tests, individual tests given to establish the student's eligibility, and observations by teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, related service providers, administrators, and others. This information will help the team describe the student's "present levels of educational performance" -in other words, how the student is currently doing in school. Knowing how the student is currently performing in school will help the team develop annual goals to address those areas where the student has an identified educational need.
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The IEP team must also discuss specific information about the child. This includes:

In addition, the IEP team must consider the "special factors" described in the box below.

It is important that the discussion of what the child needs be framed around how to help the child:

Based on the above discussion, the IEP team will then write the child's IEP. This includes the services and supports the school will provide for the child. If the IEP team decides that a child needs a particular device or service (including an intervention, accommodation, or other program modification), the IEP team must write this information in the IEP. As an example, consider a child whose behavior interferes with learning. The IEP team would need to consider positive and effective ways to address that behavior. The team would discuss the positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports that the child needs in order to learn how to control or manage his or her behavior. If the team decides that the child needs a particular service (including an intervention, accommodation, or other program modification), they must include a statement to that effect in the child's IEP.

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Special Factors To Consider
In addition, the child's placement (where the IEP will be carried out) must be decided. The placement decision is made by a group of people, including the parents and others who know about the child, what the evaluation results mean, and what types of placements are appropriate. In some states, the IEP team serves as the group making the placement decision. In other states, this decision may be made by another group of people. In all cases, the parents have the right to be members of the group that decides the educational placement of the child.
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Placement decisions must be made according to IDEA's least restrictive environment requirements-commonly known as LRE. These requirements state that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities must be educated with children who do not have disabilities.

The law also clearly states that special classes, separate schools, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment may occur only if the nature or severity of the child's disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

What type of placements are there? Depending on the needs of the child, his or her IEP may be carried out in the regular class (with supplementary aids and services, as needed), in a special class (where every student in the class is receiving special education services for some or all of the day), in a special school, at home, in a hospital and institution, or in another setting. A school system may meet its obligation to ensure that the child has an appropriate placement available by:

providing an appropriate program for the child on its own;

contracting with another agency to provide an appropriate program; or

utilizing some other mechanism or arrangement that is consistent with IDEA for providing or paying for an appropriate program for the child.

The placement group will base its decision on the IEP and which placement option is appropriate for the child. Can the child be educated in the regular classroom, with proper aids and supports? If the child cannot be educated in the regular classroom, even with appropriate aids and supports, then the placement group will talk about other placements for the child.

Depending on the needs of the child, the IEP team needs to consider what the law calls special factors. These include:
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When the IEP has been written, parents must receive a copy at no cost to themselves. The IDEA also stresses that everyone who will be involved in implementing the IEP must have access to the document. This includes the child's:

Each of these individuals needs to know what his or her specific responsibilities are for carrying out the child's IEP. This includes the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that the child must receive, according to the IEP.

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Parents' Permission
Before the school can provide a child with special education and related services for the first time, the child's parents must give their written permission.

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Once the IEP is written, it is time to carry it out-in other words, to provide the student with the special education and related services as listed in the IEP. This includes all supplementary aids and services and program modifications that the IEP team has identified as necessary for the student to advance appropriately toward his or her IEP goals, to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and participate in other school activities. While it is beyond the scope of this guide to discuss in detail the many issues involved in implementing a student's IEP, certain suggestions can be offered.
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Every individual involved in providing services to the student should know and understand his or her responsibilities for carrying out the IEP. This will help ensure that the student receives the services that have been planned, including the specific modifications and accommodations the IEP team has identified as necessary.

Teamwork plays an important part in carrying out the IEP. Many professionals are likely to be involved in providing services and supports to the student. Sharing expertise and insights can help make everyone's job a lot easier and can certainly improve results for students with disabilities. Schools can encourage teamwork by giving teachers, support staff and/or paraprofessionals time to plan or work together on such matters as adapting the general curriculum to address the student's unique needs. Teachers, support staff, and others providing services for children with disabilities may request training and staff development.

Communication between home and school is also important. Parents can share information about what is happening at home and build upon what the child is learning at school. If the child is having difficulty at school, parents may be able to offer insight or help the school explore possible reasons as well as possible solutions.

It is helpful to have someone in charge of coordinating and monitoring the services the student receives. In addition to special education, the student may be receiving any number of related services. Many people may be involved in delivering those services. Having a person in charge of overseeing that services are being delivered as planned can help ensure that the IEP is being carried out appropriately.

The regular progress reports that the law requires will help parents and schools monitor the child's progress toward his or her annual goals. It is important to know if the child is not making the progress expected-or if he or she has progressed much faster than expected. Together, parents and school personnel can then address the child's needs as those needs become evident.

If the child's behavior interferes with his or her learning or the learning of others, the IEP team will consider strategies and supports to address the child's behavior.

The IEP team must review the child's IEP at least once a year. One purpose of this review is to see whether the child is achieving his or her annual goals. The team must revise the child's individualized education program, if necessary, to address:
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the child's progress or lack of expected progress toward the annual goals and in the general curriculum;

information gathered through any reevaluation of the child;

information about the child that the parents share;

information about the child that the school shares (for example, insights from the teacher based on his or her observation of the child or the child's classwork);

the child's anticipated needs; or

other matters.

Although the IDEA requires this IEP review at least once a year, in fact the team may review and revise the IEP more often. Either the parents or the school can ask to hold an IEP meeting to revise the child's IEP. For example, the child may not be making progress toward his or her IEP goals, and his or her teacher or parents may become concerned. On the other hand, the child may have met most or all of the goals in the IEP, and new ones need to be written. In either case, the IEP team would meet to revise the IEP.

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Look at Those Factors Again!
When the IEP team is meeting to conduct a review of the child's IEP and, as necessary, to revise it, members must again consider all of the factors discussed on page 11. This includes:

The IEP team must also consider the "special factors," as listed earlier.

There are times when parents may not agree with the school's recommendations about their child's education. Under the law, parents have the right to challenge decisions about their child's eligibility, evaluation, placement, and the services that the school provides to the child. If parents disagree with the school's actions-or refusal to take action-in these matters, they have the right to pursue a number of options. They may do the following:
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OSEP Monitoring
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) regularly monitors states to see that they are complying with IDEA. Every two years OSEP requires that states report progress toward meeting established performance goals that, at a minimum, address the performance of children on assessments, drop-out rates, and graduation rates. As part of its monitoring, the Department reviews IEPs and interviews parents, students, and school staff to find out:

whether, and how, the IEP team made the decisions reflected in the IEP;

whether those decisions and the IEP content are based on the child's unique needs, as determined through evaluation and the IEP process;

whether any state or local policies or practices have interfered with decisions of the IEP team about the child's educational needs and the services that the school would provide to meet those needs; and

The IEP is the cornerstone of special education. Writing and implementing an effective IEP involves many people, many different steps, and collaborative decision making.
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The information provided in this guide about the IEP has been fairly general. To help you get better acquainted with the various parts of the IEP, a sample IEP form is presented on the next pages. The sample IEP form includes space for all of the information that an IEP must contain under federal law. (Remember that IEP forms in your area may require more information that may be of value to the student and those implementing the IEP.) The different parts of the sample are paired with direct quotes from the law, so that you can easily see:

how the law defines what type of information goes into the various parts of a child's IEP, and

how this information goes together to create an educational program for a particular child.

Attachment A presents the IDEA's regulations for "Individualized Education Programs" (§§300.340-300.350). Under §300.347, where "IEP content" is described, we have included additional information primarily from Appendix A and Attachment 1 of the regulations. This information can be very useful in developing a fuller understanding of what type of information is important to capture about a child in the IEP.

whether the school has provided the services listed in the IEP.

This guide is intended to help states and school districts write IEPs that comply with IDEA. Writing effective IEPs is a very important first step in improving educational results for children with disabilities.

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Use of this IEP form, or any other form, will not, in and of itself, ensure compliance with IDEA's Part B requirements. Whether or not a state or local education agency chooses to require or recommend that teams use this form for IEPs, all IEP team participants including parents need to receive clear guidance and training regarding Part B requirements and to understand the importance of the IEP in focusing instruction to meet the unique needs of each child with a disability. TOP Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Student Name [ Space to write ]

Date of Meeting to Develop or Review IEP [ Space to write ]

Note: For each student with a disability beginning at age 14 (or younger, if appropriate), a statement of the student's transition service needs must be included under the applicable parts of the IEP. The statement must focus on the courses the student needs to take to reach his or her post-school goals.

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From the Regulations:
If you would like more information about special education, children with disabilities, the IEP process, or the IDEA, contact your state education agency or your local education agency. Additional sources of information include the following:
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Office of Special Education Programs
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-7100
(202) 245-7531 (Voice/TTY)
Web: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013
(800) 695-0285 (Voice/TTY); (202) 884-8200 (V/TTY)
E-mail: nichcy@aed.org
Web: www.nichcy.org

Technical Assistance for Parent Centers--the Alliance
PACER Center
4826 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55417-1098
(888) 248-0822; (612) 827-2966
(612) 827-7770 (TTY)
E-mail: alliance@taalliance.org
Web: www.taalliance.org

The IDEA Partnership Projects

Associations of Service Providers Implementing IDEA Reforms in Education (ASPIIRE)
The Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-1589
(888) 232-7733; (703) 264-9456
(703) 264-9446 (TTY)
E-mail: ideapractices@cec.sped.org

Families and Advocates Partnerships for Education (FAPE)
PACER Center
4826 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55417-1098
(888) 248-0822; (612) 827-2966; (612) 827-7770 (TTY)
E-mail: fape@pacer.org
Web: www.fape.org
Final Regulations for IEPs:
§§ 300.340--300.350 TOP
Attachment A presents the Federal regulations for Individualized Education Programs (IEP). These regulations cover areas such as IEP meetings; the IEP team; parent participation; and the development, review, and revision of the IEP.

Under §300.347--"Content of IEP"--we have included additional guidance on the various parts of the IEP. Generally, this guidance comes from Appendix A and Attachment 1 of the federal regulations for IDEA, which were published March 12, 1999, in the Federal Register.

This extra information is intended to highlight and clarify what information needs to be included in a child's IEP.

Individualized Education Programs

§ 300.340 Definitions related to IEPs.

(a) Individualized education program. As used in this part, the term individualized education program or IEP means a written statement for a child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in a meeting in accordance with §§ 300.341-300.350.

(b) Participating agency. As used in § 300.348, participating agency means a State or local agency, other than the public agency responsible for a student's education, that is financially and legally responsible for providing transition services to the student.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(11), 1312(a)(10)(B))

§ 300.341 Responsibility of SEA and other public agencies for IEPs.

(a) The SEA shall ensure that each public agency-

(1) Except as provided in §§ 300.450-300.462, develops and implements an IEP for each child with a disability served by that agency; and

(2) Ensures that an IEP is developed and implemented for each eligible child placed in or referred to a private school or facility by the public agency.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section applies to-

(1) The SEA, if it is involved in providing direct services to children with disabilities, in accordance with 300.370(a) and (b)(1); and

(2) Except as provided in § 300.600(d), the other public agencies described in § 300.2, including LEAs and other State agencies that provide special education and related services either directly, by contract, or through other arrangements.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(4), (a)(10)(B))

§ 300.342 When IEPs must be in effect.

(a) General. At the beginning of each school year, each public agency shall have an IEP in effect for each child with a disability within its jurisdiction.

(b) Implementation of IEPs. Each public agency shall ensure that-

(1) An IEP-

(i) Is in effect before special education and related services are provided to an eligible child under this part; and

(ii) Is implemented as soon as possible following the meetings described under § 300.343;

(2) The child's IEP is accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related service provider, and other service provider who is responsible for its implementation; and

(3) Each teacher and provider described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section is informed of-

(i) His or her specific responsibilities related to implementing the child's IEP; and

(ii) The specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child in accordance with the IEP.

(c) IEP or IFSP for children aged 3 through 5.

(1) In the case of a child with a disability aged 3 through 5 (or, at the discretion of the SEA a 2-year-old child with a disability who will turn age 3 during the school year), an IFSP that contains the material described in section 636 of the Act, and that is developed in accordance with 300.341- 300.346 and 300.349-300.350, may serve as the IEP of the child if using that plan as the IEP is-

(i) Consistent with State policy; and

(ii) Agreed to by the agency and the child's parents.

(2) In implementing the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the public agency shall-

(i) Provide to the child's parents a detailed explanation of the differences between an IFSP and an IEP; and

(ii) If the parents choose an IFSP, obtain written informed consent from the parents.

(d) Effective date for new requirements. All IEPs developed, reviewed, or revised on or after July 1, 1998 must meet the requirements of §§ 300.340- 300.350.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(A) and (B), Pub. L. 105-17, sec. 201(a)(2)(A), (C)

§ 300.343 IEP meetings.

(a) General. Each public agency is responsible for initiating and conducting meetings for the purpose of developing, reviewing, and revising the IEP of a child with a disability (or, if consistent with § 300.342(c), an IFSP).

(b) Initial IEPs; provision of services. (1) Each public agency shall ensure that within a reasonable period of time following the agency's receipt of parent consent to an initial evaluation of a child-

(i) The child is evaluated; and

(ii) If determined eligible under this part, special education and related services are made available to the child in accordance with an IEP.

(2) In meeting the requirement in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a meeting to develop an IEP for the child must be conducted within 30 days of a determination that the child needs special education and related services.

(c) Review and revision of IEPs. Each public agency shall ensure that the IEP team-

(1) Reviews the child's IEP periodically, but not less than annually, to determine whether the annual goals for the child are being achieved; and

(2) Revises the IEP as appropriate to address-

(i) Any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals described in § 300.347(a), and in the general curriculum, if appropriate;

(ii) The results of any reevaluation conducted under § 300.536;

(iii) Information about the child provided to, or by, the parents, as described in 300.533(a)(1);

(iv) The child's anticipated needs; or

(v) Other matters.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1413(a)(1), 1414(d)(4)(A))

§ 300.344 IEP team.

(a) General. The public agency shall ensure that the IEP team for each child with a disability includes-

(1) The parents of the child;

(2) At least one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment);

(3) At least one special education teacher of the child, or if appropriate, at least one special education provider of the child;

(4) A representative of the public agency who-

(i) Is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities;

(ii) Is knowledgeable about the general curriculum; and

(iii) Is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency;

(5) An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, who may be a member of the team described in paragraphs (a)(2) through (6) of this section;

(6) At the discretion of the parent or the agency, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and

(7) If appropriate, the child.

(b) Transition services participants. (1) Under paragraph (a)(7) of this section, the public agency shall invite a student with a disability of any age to attend his or her IEP meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of-

(i) The student's transition services needs under § 300.347(b)(1);

(ii) The needed transition services for the student under § 300.347(b)(2); or

(iii) Both.

(2) If the student does not attend the IEP meeting, the public agency shall take other steps to ensure that the student's preferences and interests are considered.

(3)(i) In implementing the requirements of 300.347(b)(2), the public agency also shall invite a representative of any other agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services.

(ii) If an agency invited to send a representative to a meeting does not do so, the public agency shall take other steps to obtain participation of the other agency in the planning of any transition services.

(c) Determination of knowledge and special expertise. The determination of the knowledge or special expertise of any individual described in paragraph (a)(6) of this section shall be made by the party (parents or public agency) who invited the individual to be a member of the IEP.

(d) Designating a public agency representative. A public agency may designate another public agency member of the IEP team to also serve as the agency representative, if the criteria in paragraph (a)(4) of this section are satisfied.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(30), 1414(d)(1)(A)(7), (B))

§ 300.345 Parent participation.

(a) Public agency responsibility-general. Each public agency shall take steps to ensure that one or both of the parents of a child with a disability are present at each IEP meeting or are afforded the opportunity to participate, including-

(1) Notifying parents of the meeting early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to attend; and

(2) Scheduling the meeting at a mutually agreed on time and place.

(b) Information provided to parents. (1) The notice required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section must-

(i) Indicate the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and who will be in attendance; and

(ii) Inform the parents of the provisions in 300.344(a)(6) and (c) (relating to the participation of other individuals on the IEP team who have knowledge or special expertise about the child).

(2) For a student with a disability beginning at age 14, or younger, if appropriate, the notice must also-

(i) Indicate that a purpose of the meeting will be the development of a statement of the transition services needs of the student required in 300.347(b)(1); and

(ii) Indicate that the agency will invite the student.

(3) For a student with a disability beginning at age 16, or younger, if appropriate, the notice must-

(i) Indicate that a purpose of the meeting is the consideration of needed transition services for the student required in § 300.347(b)(2);

(ii) Indicate that the agency will invite the student; and

(iii) Identify any other agency that will be invited to send a representative.

(c) Other methods to ensure parent participation. If neither parent can attend, the public agency shall use other methods to ensure parent participation, including individual or conference telephone calls.

(d) Conducting an IEP meeting without a parent in attendance. A meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if the public agency is unable to convince the parents that they should attend. In this case the public agency must have a record of its attempts to arrange a mutually agreed on time and place, such as-

(1) Detailed records of telephone calls made or attempted and the results of those calls;

(2) Copies of correspondence sent to the parents and any responses received; and

(3) Detailed records of visits made to the parent's home or place of employment and the results of those visits.

(e) Use of interpreters or other action, as appropriate. The public agency shall take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the parent understands the proceedings at the IEP meeting, including arranging for an interpreter for parents with deafness or whose native language is other than English.

(f) Parent copy of child's IEP. The public agency shall give the parent a copy of the child's IEP at no cost to the parent.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(B)(i))

§ 300.346 Development, review, and revision of IEP.

(a) Development of IEP. (1) General. In developing each child's IEP, the IEP team, shall consider-

(i) The strengths of the child and the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child;

(ii) The results of the initial or most recent evaluation of the child; and

(iii) As appropriate, the results of the child's performance on any general State or district-wide assessment programs.

(2) Consideration of special factors. The IEP team also shall-

(i) In the case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others, consider, if appropriate, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address that behavior;

(ii) In the case of a child with limited English proficiency, consider the language needs of the child as those needs relate to the child's IEP;

(iii) In the case of a child who is blind or visually impaired, provide for instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP team determines, after an evaluation of the child's reading and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing media (including an evaluation of the child's future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille), that instruction in Braille or the use of Braille is not appropriate for the child;

(iv) Consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the child's language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child's language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child's language and communication mode; and

(v) Consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services.

(b) Review and Revision of IEP. In conducting a meeting to review, and, if appropriate, revise a child's IEP, the IEP team shall consider the factors described in paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) Statement in IEP. If, in considering the special factors described in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section, the IEP team determines that a child needs a particular device or service (including an intervention, accommodation, or other program modification) in order for the child to receive FAPE, the IEP team must include a statement to that effect in the child's IEP.

(d) Requirement with respect to regular education teacher. The regular education teacher of a child with a disability, as a member of the IEP team, must, to the extent appropriate, participate in the development, review, and revision of the child's IEP, including assisting in the determination of-

(1) Appropriate positive behavioral interventions and strategies for the child; and

(2) Supplementary aids and services, program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child, consistent with

300.347(a)(3).

(e) Construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the IEP team to include information under one component of a child's IEP that is already contained under another component of the child's IEP.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(3) and (4)(B) and (e))

§ 300.347 Content of IEP.

"(a) General. The IEP for each child with a disability must include-

"(1) A statement of the child's present levels of educational performance, including-

"(i) How the child's disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children); or

"(ii) For preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities;

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Additional Guidance
An IEP must include measurable annual goals that relate to meeting the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and to meeting each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability [34 CFR §300.347(a)(2)]. Thus, if a child's unique needs require goals that address the child's present levels of educational performance in nonacademic areas of instructional need, such as behavioral skills, communication and language skills, self-determination skills, job-related skills, independent living skills, or social skills, the statement of present levels of educational performance in the child's IEP should provide information regarding the child's present levels of educational performance in those areas.

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"(2) A statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to-

"(i) Meeting the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children), or for preschool children, as appropriate, to participate in appropriate activities; and

"(ii) Meeting each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability;

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Additional Guidance
Each annual goal must include either short-term objectives or benchmarks. The purpose of both is to enable a child's teacher(s), parents, and others involved in developing and implementing the child's IEP, to gauge, at intermediate times during the year, how well the child is progressing toward achievement of the annual goal. [Appendix A to 34 CFR Part 300-Notice of Interpretation (Appendix A), Response to Question 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12471 (March 12, 1999).]

An IEP team may use either short-term objectives (that generally break the skills described in the annual goal down into discrete components) or benchmarks (which can be thought of as describing the amount of progress the child is expected to make within specified segments of the year), or a combination of the two, depending on the nature of the annual goals and the needs of the child. [Appendix A to 34 CFR Part 300-Notice of Interpretation (Appendix A), Response to Question 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12471 (March 12, 1999).]

A child's IEP must include measurable annual goals that relate to meeting the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and to meeting each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability [34 CFR §300.347(a)(2)]. This may, depending on the child's needs, include annual goals that relate to the child's needs in such areas as behavioral skills, communication, self-determination skills, job-related skills, independent living skills, or social skills.

A public agency is not required to include in an IEP annual goals that relate to areas of the general curriculum in which the child's disability does not affect the child's ability to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum. If a child needs only modifications or accommodations in order to progress in an area of the general curriculum, the IEP does not need to include a goal for that area; however the IEP would need to specify those modifications or accommodations. [Appendix A, Response to Question 4, 64 Federal Register, page 12472 (March 12, 1999).]

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"(3) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child-

"(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;

"(ii) To be involved and progress in the general curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and

"(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section;

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Additional Guidance
The type and amount of services to be provided must be stated in the IEP, so that the level of the agency's commitment of resources will be clear to parents and other IEP team embers. [Appendix A, Response to Question 35, 64 Federal Register, page 12479 (March 12, 1999).]

The amount of time to be committed to each of the various services to be provided must be appropriate to the specific service and stated in the IEP in a manner that is clear to all who are involved in both the development and implementation of the IEP. [Appendix A, Response to Question 35, 64 Federal Register, page 12479 (March 12, 1999).]

The amount of a special education or related service to be provided to a child may be stated in the IEP as a range (e.g., speech therapy to be provided three times a week for 30-45 minutes per session) only if the IEP team determines that stating the amount of the services as a range is necessary to meet the unique needs of the child. For example, it would be appropriate for the IEP to specify, based upon the IEP team's determination of the student's unique needs, that particular services are needed only under specific circumstances, such as the occurrence of a seizure or of a particular behavior. A range may not be used because of personnel shortages or uncertainty regarding the availability of staff. [Appendix A, Response to Question 35, 64 Federal Register, page 12479 (March 12, 1999).]

The term "on behalf of the child" includes, among other things, services that are provided to the parents or teacher of the child with a disability to help them to more effectively work with the child. . . Supports for school personnel could also include special training for a child's teacher. However, in order for the training to meet the requirements of §300.347(a)(3), it would normally be targeted directly to on assisting the teacher to meet a unique and specific need of the child, and not simply to participate in an inservice training program that is generally available in a public agency. [Attachment 1-Analysis of Comments and Changes (Attachment 1), 64 Federal Register, page 12593 (March 12, 1999).]

If the IEP team determines that a child with a disability needs extended school year services to receive a free appropriate public education , the public agency must ensure that the child receives those services. A public agency may not-(i) Limit extended school year services to particular categories of disability; or (ii) Unilaterally limit the type, amount, or duration of those services. 34 CFR §300.309(a).

Section 300.346(a)(1) requires that, in developing each child's IEP, the IEP team, shall consider-(i) The strengths of the child and the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child; (ii) The results of the initial or most recent evaluation of the child; and (iii) As appropriate, the results of the child's performance on any general State or district-wide assessment programs.

Section 300.346(a)(2) requires that the IEP team also:

i. In the case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others, consider, if appropriate, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address that behavior;

ii. In the case of a child with limited English proficiency, consider the language needs of the child as those needs relate to the child's IEP;

iii. In the case of a child who is blind or visually impaired, provide for instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP team determines, after an evaluation of the child's reading and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing media (including an evaluation of the child's future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille), that instruction in Braille or the use of Braille is not appropriate for the child;

iv. Consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the child's language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child's language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child's language and communication mode; and

v. Consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services.

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"(4) An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in the activities described in paragraph (a)(3) of this section;

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Additional Guidance
The IEP team must consider the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class; the general curriculum; and in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities. If the IEP team determines that the child cannot participate full time with nondisaled children in the regular classroom, the general curriculum, and in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities, the IEP must include a statement that explains why full participation is not possible. [Attachment 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12593 (March 12, 1999).]

The IEP team must consider whether or not the child's education can be achieved satisfactorily in the regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services. The IEP team must consider the full range of supplementary aids and services that if provided, would facilitate the student's placement in the regular classroom. [Appendix A, Response to Question 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12471 (March 12, 1999).]

In determining the extent, if any, to which a child with a disability will be removed from the regular educational environment, a public agency must ensure that:

(1) such removal occurs only if the nature or severity of the child's disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily [34 CFR §300.550(b)(2)];

(2) a child with a disability is not removed from education in age-appropriate regular classrooms solely because of needed modifications in the general curriculum [34 CFR §300.552(e)]; and

(3) each child with a disability participates with nondisabled children in nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities to the maximum extent appropriate (34 CFR §300.553).

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"(5)(i) A statement of any individual modifications in the administration of State or district-wide assessments of student achievement that are needed in order for the child to participate in the assessment; and

"(ii) If the IEP team determines that the child will not participate in a particular State or district-wide assessment of student achievement (or part of an assessment), a statement of-

"(A) Why that assessment is not appropriate for the child; and

"(B) How the child will be assessed;

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Additional Guidance
The IEP for a child with a disability must include a statement of any needed modifications in the administration of State or district-wide assessments, and must, if the IEP team determines that it is not appropriate for the child to participate in a particular assessment, provide a statement of why the particular assessment is not appropriate for the child and how the child will be assessed [34 CFR §300.347(a)(5)]. If the IEP does not indicate any needed modifications or that the particular assessment is not appropriate for the child, this is an indication that the IEP team has determined that the child will participate without modifications in the assessment.

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"(6) The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications described in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications; and

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Additional Guidance
An IEP that clearly states how often, how long and in what location the public agency will provide the specified services and modifications, and when services and/or modifications will begin meets the requirements of 34 CFR §300.347(a)(6).

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"(7) A statement of-

"(i) How the child's progress toward the annual goals described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section will be measured; and

"(ii) How the child's parents will be regularly informed (through such means as periodic report cards), at least as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled children's progress, of-

"(A) Their child's progress toward the annual goals; and

"(B) The extent to which that progress is sufficient to enable the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year.

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Additional Guidance
Each public agency may determine the appropriate method for informing parents of their child's progress. However, the agency "must ensure that whatever methods, or combination of methods, is adopted provides sufficient information to enable parents to be informed of (1) their child's progress toward the annual goals, and (2) the extent to which that progress is sufficient to enable the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year." [Attachment 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12594 (March 12, 1999).]

Generally, reports to parents are not expected to be lengthy or burdensome. The statement of the annual goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks in the child's current IEP could serve as the base document for briefly describing the child's progress. [Attachment 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12594 (March 12, 1999).]

The IEP team must revise the IEP to address any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals and in the general curriculum [34 CFR §300.343(c)(2)(i)].

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"(b) Transition services. The IEP must include-

"(1) For each student with a disability beginning at age 14 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP team), and updated annually, a statement of the transition service needs of the student under the applicable components of the student's IEP that focuses on the student's courses of study (such as participation in advanced-placement courses or a vocational education program); and

"(2) For each student beginning at age 16 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP team), a statement of needed transition services for the student, including, if appropriate, a statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages.

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Additional Guidance
The IEP team, in determining appropriate measurable annual goals (including benchmarks or short term objectives) and services for a student, must determine what instruction and educational experiences will assist the student to prepare for transition for secondary education to post-secondary life. [Appendix A, Response to Question 11, 64 Federal Register, page 12474 (March 12, 1999).]

Although the focus of the transition planning process may shift as the student approaches graduation, the IEP team must discuss specific areas beginning at least at age of 14 years, and review these areas annually. [Appendix A, Response to Question 11, 64 Federal Register, page 12474 (March 12, 1999). ]

If a participating agency, other than the public agency, fails to provide the transition services described in the IEP in accordance with 34 CFR §300.347(b)(1), the public agency shall reconvene the IEP team to identify alternative strategies to meet the transition objective for the student set out in the IEP [34 CFR §300.348(a)].

Nothing in Part B relieves any participating agency, including a State vocational rehabilitation agency, of the responsibility to provide or pay for any transition service that the agency would otherwise provide to students with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria of that agency [34 CFR §300.348(b)].

If during the course of the IEP meeting, the team identifies additional agencies that are likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services for the student, the public agency must determine how it will meet the requirements of §300.344. [Appendix A, Response to Question 13, 64 Federal Register, page 12475 (March 12, 1999).]

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"(c) Transfer of rights. In a State that transfers rights at the age majority, beginning at least one year before a student reaches the age of majority under State law, the student's IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of his or her rights under Part B of the Act, if any, that will transfer to the student on reaching the age of majority, consistent with § 300.517.

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Additional Guidance
If the public agency receives notice of the student's legal incompetence, so that no rights transfer to the student at the age of majority, the IEP need not include this statement. Attachment 1, 64 Federal Register, page 12594 (March 12, 1999).

The IEP could include a description of the rights that have been transferred, but it need not.

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"(d) Students with disabilities convicted as adults and incarcerated in adult prisons. Special rules concerning the content of IEPs for students with disabilities convicted as adults and incarcerated in adult prisons are contained in § 300.311(b) and (c).

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A) and (d)(6)(A)(ii))

§ 300.348 Agency responsibilities for transition services.

(a) If a participating agency, other than the public agency, fails to provide the transition services described in the IEP in accordance with § 300.347(b)(1), the public agency shall reconvene the IEP team to identify alternative strategies to meet the transition objectives for the student set out in the IEP.

(b) Nothing in this part relieves any participating agency, including a State vocational rehabilitation agency, of the responsibility to provide or pay for any transition service that the agency would otherwise provide to students with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria of that agency.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(5); 1414(d)(1)(A)(vii))

§ 300.349 Private school placements by public agencies.

(a) Developing IEPs. (1) Before a public agency places a child with a disability in, or refers a child to, a private school or facility, the agency shall initiate and conduct a meeting to develop an IEP for the child in accordance with §§ 300.346 and 300.347.

(2) The agency shall ensure that a representative of the private school or facility attends the meeting. If the representative cannot attend, the agency shall use other methods to ensure participation by the private school or facility, including individual or conference telephone calls.

(b) Reviewing and revising IEPs. (1) After a child with a disability enters a private school or facility, any meetings to review and revise the child's IEP may be initiated and conducted by the private school or facility at the discretion of the public agency.

(2) If the private school or facility initiates and conducts these meetings, the public agency shall ensure that the parents and an agency representative-

(i) Are involved in any decision about the child's IEP; and

(ii) Agree to any proposed changes in the IEP before those changes are implemented.

(c) Responsibility. Even if a private school or facility implements a child's IEP, responsibility for compliance with this part remains with the public agency and the SEA.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(10)(B))

§ 300.350 IEP-accountability.

(a) Provision of services. Subject to paragraph (b) of this section, each public agency must-

(1) Provide special education and related services to a child with a disability in accordance with the child's IEP; and

(2) Make a good faith effort to assist the child to achieve the goals and objectives or benchmarks listed in the IEP.

(b) Accountability. Part B of the Act does not require that any agency, teacher, or other person be held accountable if a child does not achieve the growth projected in the annual goals and benchmarks or objectives. However, the Act does not prohibit a State or public agency from establishing its own accountability systems regarding teacher, school, or agency performance.

(c) Construction-parent rights. Nothing in this section limits a parent's right to ask for revisions of the child's IEP or to invoke due process procedures if the parent feels that the efforts required in paragraph (a) of this section are not being made.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)); Cong. Rec. at H7152 (daily ed., July 21, 1975))

IDEA Local Implementations by Local Administrators (ILIAD)
The Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-1589
(877) CEC-IDEA; (703) 264-9418; (703) 264-9480 (TTY)
E-mail: ideapractices@cec.sped.org

The Policy Maker Partnership (PMP) for Implementing IDEA 97
National Association of state Directors of Special Education
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 519-3800; (703) 519-7008 (TTY)
E-mail: nasdse@nasdse.org
Web: www.nasdse.org

Regional Resource Centers

Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC)
Learning Innovations
20 Winter Sport Lane
Williston, VT 05495
(802) 951-8226; (802) 951-8213 (TTY)
E-mail: nerrc@aol.com
Web: www.wested.org/nerrc/

Serving: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Mid-South Regional Resource Center (MSRRC)
Human Development Institute
University of Kentucky
126 Mineral Industries Building
Lexington, KY 40506-0051
(859) 257-4921; (859) 257-2903 (TTY)
E-mail: msrrc@ihdi.uky.edu
Web: www.ihdi.uky.edu/msrrc

Serving: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia.

Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC)
School of Education
Auburn University Montgomery
P.O. Box 244023
Montgomery, AL 36124
(334) 244-3100; (334) 244-3800 (TTY)
E-mail: ebeale@mail.aum.edu
Web: edla.aum.edu/serrc/serrc.html

Serving: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Great Lakes Area Regional Resource Center (GLARRC)
OSU Center for Special Needs
700 Ackerman Road, Suite 440
Columbus, OH 43202
(614) 447-0844; (614) 447-8776 (TTY)
E-mail: daniels.121@osu.edu
Web: www.csnp.ohio-state.edu/glarrc.htm

Serving: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center (MPRRC)
Utah state University
1780 North Research Parkway, Suite 112
Logan, UT 84341
(435) 752-0238; (435) 753-9750 (TTY)
E-mail: cope@cc.usu.edu
Web: www.usu.edu/mprrc

Serving: Arizona, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

Western Regional Resource Center (WRRC)
1268 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1268
(541) 346-5641; (541) 346-0367 (TTY)
E-mail: wrrc@oregon.uoregon.edu
Web: interact.uoregon.edu/wrrc/wrrc.html

Serving: Alaska, American Samoa, California, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated states of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and Washington.

Statement of Transition Service Needs--34 CFR §300.347(b)(1)

"The IEP must include...[f]or each student with a disability beginning at age 14 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP team), and updated annually, a statement of the transition service needs of the student under the applicable components of the student's IEP that focuses on the student's courses of study (such as participation in advanced- placement courses or a vocational education program);"

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Present Levels of Educational Performance

[ Space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

Statement of Present Levels of Educational Performance--34 CFR §300.347(a)(1)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . a statement of the child's present levels of educational performance, including

"(i) How the child's disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children); or

"(ii) For preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities;"

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[ Page 1 of 5 ]

Measurable Annual Goals (Including Benchmarks or Short-Term Objectives)

[ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

Statement of Measurable Annual Goals, Including Benchmarks or Short-Term Objectives--34 CFR §300.347(a)(2)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . a statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to

"(i) Meeting the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children), or for preschool children, as appropriate, to participate in appropriate activities; and

"(ii) Meeting each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability;"

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Special Education and Related Services [ space to write ]

Supplementary Aids and Services [ space to write ]

Program Modifications or Supports for School Personnel [ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

Statement of the Special Education and Related Services, Supplementary Aids and Services, Program Modifications, and Supports For School Personnel--34 CFR §300.347(a)(3)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include... a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child

"(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;

"(ii) To be involved and progress in the general curriculum in accordance with 34 CFR §300.347(a)(1) and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and

" (iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section;"

--ALSO--

Beginning Date, Frequency, Location, and Duration of Services and Modifications--34 CFR §300.347(a)(6)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . the projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications described in 34 CFR §300.347(a)(3), and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications;"

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[ Page 2 of 5 ]

Explanation of Extent, if Any, to Which Child Will Not Participate with Nondisabled Children

[ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

Explanation of Extent, if Any, to Which Child Will Not Participate with Nondisabled Children 34 CFR §300.347(a)(4)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . an explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in the activities described in 34 CFR §300.347(a)(3);"

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Administration of State and District-wide Assessments of Student Achievement

Any Individual Modifications In Administration Needed For Child To Participate In State Or District-wide Assessment(s)

[ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

Statement Of Any Individual Modifications in Administration of State or District-wide Assessments 34--CFR §300.347(a)(5)(i)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . a statement of any individual modifications in the administration of State or district-wide assessments of student achievement that are needed in order for the child to participate in the assessment;"

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If IEP Team Determines That Child Will Not Participate In A Particular State Or District-Wide Assessment

Why isn't the assessment appropriate for the child?[ space to write ]

How will the child be assessed?[ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

If Child Will Not Participate in State or District-wide Assessment--34 CFR §300.347(a)(5)(ii)

"If the IEP team determines that a child with a disability will not participate in a particular State or district-wide assessment of student achievement (or part of an assessment), the IEP must include a statement of

"(A) Why that assessment is not appropriate for the child; and

"(B) How the child will be assessed;"

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[ Page 3 of 5 ]

How Child's Progress Toward Annual Goals Will Be Measured

[space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

How Child's Progress Will Be Measured--34 CFR §300.347(a)(7)(i)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . .

a statement of how the child's progress toward the annual goals described in 34 CFR §300.347(a)(2) will be measured;"

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How Child's Parents Will Be Regularly Informed Of Child's Progress Toward Annual Goals And Extent To Which Child's Progress Is Sufficient To Meet Goals By End of Year

[ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

How Parents Will Be Informed of Their Child's Progress--34 CFR §300.347(a)(7)(ii)

"The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . a statement of how the child's parents will be regularly informed (through such means as periodic report cards), at least as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled children's progress, of

"(A) Their child's progress toward the annual goals; and

"(B) The extent to which that progress is sufficient to enable the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year."

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[ Page 4 of 5 ]

(Beginning at age 16 or younger if determined appropriate by IEP team)

Statement of Needed Transition Services, Including, If Appropriate, Statement Of Interagency Responsibilities Or Any Needed Linkages

[ space to write ]

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From the Regulations:

Statement of Needed Transition Services--34 CFR §300.347(b)(2)

"The IEP must include . . . for each student with a disability beginning at age 16 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP team), a statement of needed transition services for the student, including, if appropriate, a statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages."

Definition of "Transition Services"--34 CFR §300.29

"(a) As used in [Part B], "transition services" means a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that:

"(1) Is designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;

"(2) Is based on the individual student's needs, taking into account the student's preferences and interests; and

"(3) Includes: (i) Instruction; (ii) Related services; (iii) Community experiences; (iv) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and (v) If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.

"(b) Transition services for students with disabilities may be special education, if provided as specially designed instruction or related services, if required to assist a student with a disability to benefit from special education."

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(In a state that transfers rights to the student at the age of majority, the following information must be included beginning at least one year before the student reaches the age of majority)

The student has been informed of the rights under Part B of IDEA, if any, that will transfer to the student on reaching the age of majority. Yes [box to check]

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From the Regulations:

Age of Majority--34 CFR §300.347(c)

"In a State that transfers rights at the age majority, beginning at least one year before a student reaches the age of majority under State law, the student's IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of his or her rights under Part B of the Act, if any, that will transfer to the student on reaching the age of majority, consistent with 34 CFR §300.517."

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[ Page 5 of 5 ]

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If the child has limited proficiency in English, the IEP team will consider the child's language needs as these needs relate to his or her IEP.

If the child is blind or visually impaired, the IEP team must provide for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille, unless it determines after an appropriate evaluation that the child does not need this instruction.

If the child has communication needs, the IEP team must consider those needs.

If the child is deaf or hard of hearing, the IEP team will consider his or her language and communication needs. This includes the child's opportunities to communicate directly with classmates and school staff in his or her usual method of communication (for example, sign language).

The IEP team must always consider the child's need for assistive technology devices or services.

For more information about these special factors, see §300.346.

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Will Parents Need an Interpreter in Order to Participate Fully?
If the parents have a limited proficiency in English or are deaf, they may need an interpreter in order to understand and be understood. In this case, the school must make reasonable efforts to arrange for an interpreter during meetings pertaining to the child's educational placement. For meetings regarding the development or review of the IEP, the school must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that parents understand the meetings--including arranging for an interpreter. This provision should help to ensure that parents are not limited in their ability to participate in their child's education because of language or communication barriers.

Therefore, if parents need an interpreter for a meeting to discuss their child's evaluation, eligibility for special education or IEP, they should let the school know ahead of time. Telling the school in advance allows the school to make arrangements for an interpreter so that parents can participate fully in the meeting.

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Supports for school staff may include professional development or more training. Professional development and training are important for teachers, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and others who provide services for children with disabilities.

The child's special education teacher contributes important information and experience about how to educate children with disabilities. Because of his or her training in special education, this teacher can talk about such issues as:

Beyond helping to write the IEP, the special educator has responsibility for working with the student to carry out the IEP. He or she may:

work with the student in a resource room or special class devoted to students receiving special education services;

team teach with the regular education teacher; and

work with other school staff, particularly the regular education teacher, to provide expertise about addressing the child's unique needs.

Another important member of the IEP team is the individual who can interpret what the child's evaluation results mean in terms of designing appropriate instruction. The evaluation results are very useful in determining how the child is currently doing in school and what areas of need the child has. This IEP team member must be able to talk about the instructional implications of the child's evaluation results, which will help the team plan appropriate instruction to address the child's needs.

The individual representing the school system is also a valuable team member. This person knows a great deal about special education services and educating children with disabilities. He or she can talk about the necessary school resources. It is important that this individual have the authority to commit resources and be able to ensure that whatever services are set out in the IEP will actually be provided.

The IEP team may also include additional individuals with knowledge or special expertise about the child. The parent or the school system can invite these individuals to participate on the team. Parents, for example, may invite an advocate who knows the child, a professional with special expertise about the child and his or her disability, or others (such as a vocational educator who has been working with the child) who can talk about the child's strengths and/or needs. The school system may invite one or more individuals who can offer special expertise or knowledge about the child, such as a paraprofessional or related services professional. Because an important part of developing an IEP is considering a child's need for related services (see the list of related services in the box on the previous page), related service professionals are often involved as IEP team members or participants. They share their special expertise about the child's needs and how their own professional services can address those needs. Depending on the child's individual needs, some related service professionals attending the IEP meeting or otherwise helping to develop the IEP might include occupational or physical therapists, adaptive physical education providers, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.

When an IEP is being developed for a student of transition age, representatives from transition service agencies can be important participants. (See the box below for more information about transition.) Whenever a purpose of meeting is to consider needed transition services, the school must invite a representative of any other agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services. This individual can help the team plan any transition services the student needs. He or she can also commit the resources of the agency to pay for or provide needed transition services. If he or she does not attend the meeting, then the school must take alternative steps to obtain the agency's participation in the planning of the student's transition services.

And, last but not least, the student may also be a member of the IEP team. If transition service needs or transition services are going to be discussed at the meeting, the student must be invited to attend. More and more students are participating in and even leading their own IEP meetings. This allows them to have a strong voice in their own education and can teach them a great deal about self-advocacy and self-determination.

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The Regular Education Teacher as Part of the IEP Team
Appendix A of the federal regulations for Part B of IDEA answers many questions about the IEP. Question 24 addresses the role of the regular education teacher on the IEP team. Here's an excerpt from the answer:

"...while a regular education teacher must be a member of the IEP team if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment, the teacher need not (depending upon the child's needs and the purpose of the specific IEP team meeting) be required to participate in all decisions made as part of the meeting or to be present throughout the entire meeting or attend every meeting. For example, the regular education teacher who is a member of the IEP team must participate in discussions and decisions about how to modify the general curriculum in the regular classroom to ensure the child's involvement and progress in the general curriculum and participation in the regular education environment.

"Depending upon the specific circumstances, however, it may not be necessary for the regular education teacher to participate in discussions and decisions regarding, for example, the physical therapy needs of the child, if the teacher is not responsible for implementing that portion of the child's IEP.

"In determining the extent of the regular education teacher's participation at IEP meetings, public agencies and parents should discuss and try to reach agreement on whether the child's regular education teacher that is a member of the IEP team should be present at a particular IEP meeting and, if so, for what period of time. The extent to which it would be appropriate for the regular education teacher member of the IEP team to participate in IEP meetings must be decided on a case-by-case basis."

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Related Services
A child may require any of the following related services in order to benefit from special education. Related services, as listed under IDEA, include (but are not limited to):

Audiology services

Counseling services

Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children

Medical services

Occupational therapy

Orientation and mobility services

Parent counseling and training

Physical therapy

Psychological services

Recreation

Rehabilitation counseling services

School health services

Social work services in schools

Speech-language pathology services

Transportation

If a child needs a particular related service in order to benefit from special education, the related service professional should be involved in developing the IEP. He or she may be invited by the school or parent to join the IEP team as a person "with knowledge or special expertise about the child."

**********

**********
Transition Services
Transition refers to activities meant to prepare students with disabilities for adult life. This can include developing postsecondary education and career goals, getting work experience while still in school, setting up linkages with adult service providers such as the vocational rehabilitation agency--whatever is appropriate for the student, given his or her interests, preferences, skills, and needs. Statements about the student's transition needs must be included in the IEP after the student reaches a certain age:

**********

Needed transition services. Beginning when the child is age 16 (or younger, if appropriate), the IEP must state what transition services are needed to help the child prepare for leaving school.

Age of majority. Beginning at least one year before the child reaches the age of majority, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been told of any rights that will transfer to him or her at the age of majority. (This statement would be needed only in states that transfer rights at the age of majority.)

Measuring progress.
The IEP must state how the child's progress will be measured and how parents will be informed of that progress.

More information will be given about these IEP parts later in this guide. A sample IEP form will be presented, along with the federal regulations describing the "Content of the IEP," to help you gain a fuller understanding of what type of information is important to capture about a child in an IEP. It is useful to understand that each child's IEP is different. The document is prepared for that child only. It describes the individualized education program designed to meet that child's needs.

The school system schedules and conducts the IEP meeting. School staff must:

contact the participants, including the parents;

notify parents early enough to make sure they have an opportunity to attend;

schedule the meeting at a time and place agreeable to parents and the school;

tell the parents the purpose, time, and location of the meeting;

tell the parents who will be attending; and

tell the parents that they may invite people to the meeting who have knowledge or special expertise about the child.

Step 6. IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.

The IEP team gathers to talk about the child's needs and write the student's IEP. Parents and the student (when appropriate) are part of the team. If the child's placement is decided by a different group, the parents must be part of that group as well.

Before the school system may provide special education and related services to the child for the first time, the parents must give consent. The child begins to receive services as soon as possible after the meeting.

If the parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. If they still disagree, parents can ask for mediation, or the school may offer mediation. Parents may file a complaint with the state education agency and may request a due process hearing, at which time mediation must be available.

Step 7. Services are provided.
Step 8. Progress is measured and reported to parents.
The school makes sure that the child's IEP is being carried out as it was written. Parents are given a copy of the IEP. Each of the child's teachers and service providers has access to the IEP and knows his or her specific responsibilities for carrying out the IEP. This includes the accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided to the child, in keeping with the IEP.

The child's progress toward the annual goals is measured, as stated in the IEP. His or her parents are regularly informed of their child's progress and whether that progress is enough for the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year. These progress reports must be given to parents at least as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled children's progress.

Step 9. IEP is reviewed.

The child's IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year, or more often if the parents or school ask for a review. If necessary, the IEP is revised. Parents, as team members, must be invited to attend these meetings. Parents can make suggestions for changes, can agree or disagree with the IEP goals, and agree or disagree with the placement.

If parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. There are several options, including additional testing, an independent evaluation, or asking for mediation (if available) or a due process hearing. They may also file a complaint with the state education agency.

Step 10. Child is reevaluated.

At least every three years the child must be reevaluated. This evaluation is often called a "triennial." Its purpose is to find out if the child continues to be a "child with a disability," as defined by IDEA, and what the child's educational needs are. However, the child must be reevaluated more often if conditions warrant or if the child's parent or teacher asks for a new evaluation.
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
To obtain this publication in an alternate format (braille, large print, audio cassette, or disk), please contact Katie Mincey, Director of the Alternate Format Center, at (202) 260-9895, or via e-mail at Katie_Mincey@ed.gov.

This document is also available online at:

PDF (549K) MS Word (145K)

2. Introduction

3. The Basic Special Education Process Under IDEA

4. A Closer Look at the IEP

5. Contents of the IEP

6. Additional State and School-System Content

7. The IEP Team Members

8. Writing the IEP

9. Deciding Placement

10. After the IEP is Written

11. Implementing the IEP

12. Reviewing and Revising the IEP

13. What If Parents Don't Agree With the IEP?

14. Summary

15. Sample Form

16. Information Resources

17. Attachment A

Last Modified: 08/30/2019

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individualized education programs; special education; disabilities; special needs students;

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Archived: Guide to the Individualized Education Program

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The purpose of this archived guide is to assist educators, parents, and State and local educational agencies in implementing the requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for children with disabilities, including preschool-aged children.

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This resource is a one-stop-shop for all your IEP related questions. Although designed for parents, this website can be helpful for general education teachers who are gaining familiarity with the IEP program. Teachers can also refer parents to this resource when they have more specific questions. This resource includes answers and explanations about the contents of an IEP, who creates the IEP, IEP meetings, and the IEP team. It is very user-friendly and easy to navigate based on your interest/question.

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Current as of April 2022
In Spanish | En español

When a child receives special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document listing, among other things, the special educational services that the child will receive. The IEP is developed by a team that includes the child's parents and school staff.

The IEP is an extremely important document in the educational lives of students with disabilities receiving special education under IDEA. The resources we've listed below will help you learn more about IEPs-what the law requires, what information a typical IEP contains, how IEPs are developed, and so on.

_______________________________

The Short-and-Sweet IEP Overview
Find out fast what an IEP is, who writes it, and what it contains.

The IEP Team
A child's IEP is developed by a team of individuals that includes key school staff and the child's parents. Find out who's required by law to serve on the team and what they might contribute to developing the IEP.

Contents of the IEP
A child's IEP, by law, must contain specific information, including the special education and related services that he or she will receive. But there's so much more in an IEP! Find out in detail.

When the IEP Team Meets
What goes on at an IEP team meeting? What does IDEA require? What types of considerations, discussions, and decisions must be made by the IEP team? Find out here.

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Current as of April 2022 In Spanish | En español When a child receives special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document listing, among other things, the special educational services that the child will receive.

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This resource is a culmination of information where teachers and administrators can keep learning about individualized education. This tool has continuously current information--all of which is constantly developing and gaining specificity. Teachers can use this tool to navigate IEP related concerns and questions that are more current and specific. This can also be used for professional development purposes.

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IEP Resource Center | Frontline Education

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The IEP Resource Center is a place where teachers and administrators can keep learning about individualized education.

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Online review game that allows students to review classroom material. It gives students the opportunity to participate in real time and compete for a spot on the leaderboard. Teachers have the opportunity to create various types of questions: multiple choice, true/false, etc. Further, teachers can incorporate various audio and visual components to enhance the activity and meet student needs.

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an online tool that allows teachers to create virtual learning experiences for students. These activities can be used for both assessing and engaging student learning. Further, there are so many ways to structure the experiences to meet student needs and interest. This is a free resource that can be used with all content areas!

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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A seemingly familiar tool for

many; however, Google Earth is

a great classroom resource. It

allows students to take a virtual

tour of any place in the world—

giving students the ability to

enhance their understanding of

classroom material with

purposeful visuals. This tool is free and can be implemented easily within the classroom.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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This online resource that provides lots of free materials for students and teachers. These materials range from lesson plans, videos/photos, and primary sources. This resource can be used when looking for other ways to enhance lessons. It is very user friendly and searchable.

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An online resource that provides students, parents, and teachers with a variety of tools. For students, they can use this resource to get extra help in certain subject areas they are struggling with. Parents and teachers can use this resource to help supplement learning for students.

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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A great tool for teachers and students. Teachers can use it to communicate with parents and students. For students, this is a great resource to help remind students of due dates, updates, and important classroom information. This is great for cultivating a strong communication system between teachers, students, and parents.

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Adoption and usage

Simple, effective, and surprisingly easy to use

With nearly 30 million users in 80% of US schools, the numbers speak for themselves: students, families, and educators love using Remind.

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Remind | Communication Platform for Education

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Remind is a communication platform that reaches students and families where they are and supports learning wherever it happens. Millions of educators, students, and parents use Remind to connect with the people and resources that help them teach and learn.

# data[].attributes.body
A online resource that provides good (general) information and summarizations about legal policies in education. It is broken down into specific sections and allows the user to search and refine

these laws based on their location of interest. This is a great resource for educators who are looking for some quick general information on the laws in their state/ district of teaching.

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Welcome to FindLaw's Education Law Center, providing helpful information, resources and answers to frequently asked questions by parents, students,

# data[].attributes.headline
The Educational Guide to Copyright and Fair Use

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The Educational Guide to Copyright and Fair Use

# data[].attributes.body
A guide to using materials that aren’t created by the teacher in the classroom. Gives a clear breakdown of how teachers can, can’t, and should use certain materials in the classroom. Notes areas of “fine print”, or important points. This is important for making sure you aren't infringing on copyright laws in you classroom. It also makes sure that the original creators get their due credit.

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U.S. Department of Education: Laws and Guidance

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U.S. Department of Education: Laws and Guidance

# data[].attributes.body
An overview of important legal documents and resources. Compiles a place where educators can quickly locate the legal information they need and reference it. This resources provides answers and clarification for educator-specific legal inquiries.

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Overview

Legislation, regulations, guidance, and other policy documents can be found here for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and other topics.

Please note that in the U.S., the federal role in education is limited. Because of the Tenth Amendment, most education policy is decided at the state and local levels. So, if you have a question about a policy or issue, you may want to check with the relevant organization in your state or school district.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act)

Regulations and Rulemaking

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Legislation, regulations, guidance, and other policy documents can be found here for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) , and other topics. Please note that in the U.S., the federal role in education is limited. Because of the Tenth Amendment, most education policy is decided at the state and local levels.

# data[].attributes.body
Online resource that provides a general overview of UDL. It highlights the important aspects while touching on the various areas that UDL includes. Although very general in definition, this is a good quick-reference guide for educators.

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LINCS | Adult Education and Literacy | U.S. Department of Education

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TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 2: Fact Sheet: Universal Design for Learning

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UDL is an approach to curriculum design that can help teachers customize curriculum to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age, gender, or cultural and linguistic background. UDL provides a blueprint for designing strategies, materials, assessments, and tools to reach and teach st…

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This is the nonprofit organization that created the UDL framework for the UDL guidelines. Their website offers lots of information and resources on UDL. The website allows educators to explore various aspects of UDL—utilizing great visuals to help communicate the importance and implementation of UDL.

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Our History

Since its founding in 1984, CAST has seeded and grown the field of Universal Design for Learning through creative research and development, strategic partnerships, teacher preparation and support, and international outreach.

Explore our Timeline of Innovation

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Since its founding in 1984, CAST has seeded and grown the field of Universal Design for Learning through creative research and development, strategic partnerships, teacher preparation and support, and international outreach. Explore our Timeline of Innovation

# data[].attributes.body
This website focuses on ensuring UDL, specifically with SWD. This resource provides information about UDL for teachers; further, it provides students with resources to engage with UDL and be successful with activities and programs related to UDL.

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DO-IT | Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology

# data[].attributes.body
This is an online resource with

downloadable and printable resources for educators. These resources help promote and ensure UDL in the classroom. It also has great information on UDL, with supporting visuals and graphic organizers.

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The UDL Implementation Rubric was authored by Melissa Toland, and you can read more about it here. This is an adapted version of The UDL Progression Rubric by Dr. Katie Novak and Dr. Kristian Rodriguez. In the original version, teachers can self-evaluate their performance on each individual checkpoint of the UDL guidelines, whereas the adapted version is less specific in scope and focuses on performance in more general terms in the following areas: multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. You can view this rubric to see where you may be in your UDL journey across a spectrum ranging from UDL explorer to UDL idol. Click the link below to download the pdf version of this document.

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CAST UDL Guidelines The two files below outline the UDL guidelines by multiple means of representation, multiple means of action & expression, and multiple means of engagement. Knowing the UDL...

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Montgomery County Schools: UDL Tool Finder 

# data[].attributes.subject
Montgomery County Schools: UDL Tool Finder 

# data[].attributes.body
This website offers prompting links to help educators locate UDL resources based on individual student needs. These are organized by subject area and are free—making them accessible to all learners.

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UDL Tool Finder : High Incidence Accessible Technology (HIAT) - Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

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UDL Toolkit: By Fred Cochran (LiveBinder)

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UDL Toolkit: By Fred Cochran (LiveBinder)

# data[].attributes.body
This is a resource for educators

created in LiveBinder. It allows educators to learn more about UDL, assess themselves, and continue to grow in their understanding and implementation of UDL. This is a current resource that even offers implementation of UDL in distance learning.

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Here you will find a collection of UDL resources for teachers, coaches and instructional leaders.

# data[].attributes.body
Online resource that allows students to create their own flashcard set for studying. Additionally, students can search for sets that have been made by their teacher or other peers to aid in their studying. Students can practice matching, spelling, and even take a quiz on the terms in addition to just reviewing them.

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Online resource with a compilation of videos, articles, and activities

that supplement ELA instruction

(including vocabulary). Teachers can browse and search this site for supplemental, core, and differentiation instruction needs.

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Vocabulary refers to the words children must know to communicate effectively. In school terms, it can be described as oral vocabulary or reading vocabulary. Find out more about effective vocabulary instruction, the relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, and practical ways that parents ca…

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A website with dozens of free activities to support student’s vocabulary and spelling. The activity structure is fun and engaging for students—taking on a game-like appearance. This can be used for both practice and assessment purposes.

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Online manipulative tool to help students express their mathematical thinking and work through problems. Students can use ones, tens, and hundreds blocks in an online manipulative. This is a great free resource for teachers who may not have these physical blocks in their classroom.

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Base Ten Blocks (also known as "Base 10 Blocks" and "Place Value Blocks") is an online mathematical manipulative that helps students learn addition, subtraction, number sense, place value and counting. It lets them investigate how to regroup and solve problems with whole numbers and eventually fractions and decimals.

Overall, Base Ten Blocks provides a visual foundation for the abstract algorithms we want students to use as they grow.

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Base Ten Blocks | Manipulatives | Coolmath4Kids

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Base Ten Blocks virtual manipulative - a free online tool for classrooms and homes

# data[].attributes.body
Provided by the public broadcasting service, this website offers fun games and resources for younger students and their parents (educators, too!). This is a great resource for at-home supplementation of student learning; further, teachers can use the resources from the site to enhance/supplement their lessons.

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Educational games and videos from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows!

# data[].attributes.body
This app (and online resource) is a great way to supplements and learn a new language. This would be a great resource for students who:

-Don’t speak English as

their first language

-English-speaking

students who want to

learn new languages

Also, it’s free!

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Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free, fun and science-based. Practice online on duolingo.com or on the apps!

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This online resource is free and allows students to practice core math skills. Students can practice using fun games and engaging activities. Further, the website’s content is organized by grade level needs. This means students will be practicing standards that directly relate to their learning, rather than other math game sites that are less individualized.

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Math Games, Math Worksheets and Practice Quizzes

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Math games online that practice math skills using fun interactive content. Over 1000 free skill testing apps and games - tablet and chromebook friendly.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an online tool that provides math resources for students. Specifically, it offers free online graphing and scientific calculators, so students don’t have to purchase one. Further, it is a place where teachers can create interactive online learning activities where students can engage in learning at their own pace. This resource is very versatile and can be used in many ways to support classroom instruction.

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Desmos offers best-in-class calculators, digital math activities, and curriculum to help every student love math and love learning math.