IEP (Individualized Education Plan) compliance issues directly impact the rights, education, and overall well-being of students with disabilities. Therefore, it is imperative to address them even before they arise.

IEP compliance issues hold significant importance in the realm of special education due to -

1. Legal Mandate: Adhering to IEP compliance is a legal requirement under Federal and state laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Non-compliance can result in legal actions by the parents against the school district.
2. Student's Rights: IEPs are designed to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education (FAPE) without any discrimination and bias. Non-compliance jeopardizes these students' rights to access tailored education programs and services.
3. Equity and Inclusion: Properly implemented IEPs promote equity and inclusion by providing necessary support to students with disabilities. Non-compliance hinders efforts to create an inclusive learning environment.
4. Student Progress: Compliant IEPs allow systematic tracking of student progress. Issues in compliance may lead to inadequate monitoring of progress, impeding the student's educational development.
5. Accountability and Transparency: Adhering to IEP compliance demonstrates accountability and transparency. It showcases the commitment of educational institutions to fulfilling their responsibilities toward students with disabilities.
6. Answerability to the Parents: Compliance instills trust between parents, students, and special ed professionals. Parents need comprehensive reports that document the student’s performance over time.

We have discussed the potential outcomes of IEP non-compliance in our article on the historic Perez vs. Sturgis Decision by the US Supreme Court.

What are the Examples of IEP Compliance Issues?

IEP non-compliance occurs when the school and/or district doesn’t follow the IEP entirely or in parts.

Some examples of IEP non-compliance include -

• The Special education teacher’s inability to set measurable IEP goals.
• School-based special ed professionals not measuring the IEP goal progress.
• Not creating IDEA-compliant reports for each student in a classroom.
• The failure to provide the parents and specialists with copies of the progress report.
• Special education teachers not setting up timely IEP meetings involving the classroom teachers, district reps and student’s parents/guardians.
• Not being able to keep up or meet the goal deadlines.
• The failure on the part of a school to inform parents about any IEP changes.

How to Avoid IEP Compliance Issues?

Keeping track of individual IEPs, monitoring progress, setting up new goals, tracking them and generating compliant reports is no easy feat.

The good news - AbleSpace, a featured-packed IEP data collection and goal-tracking software has made all the tasks special ed teachers need to perform a lot less time-consuming and a lot more streamlined.

Special ed teachers, SLPs, OTs and school districts currently using the IEP data collection platform  report significant improvement in compliance.

AbleSpace takes manual IEP goal tracking, report generation scheduling, reports, Medicaid billing and so much more out of the equation. Special ed teachers can collect & track IEP data on the go, generate insightful reports with a click, and save several hours each week they otherwise spent with paper binders, worksheets, and templates. This means teachers can now focus more on the individual needs of each child.

Here’s how AbleSpace, an IEP tracking software, can help you avoid common IEP Compliance Issues:

1. Adhering to Regulations: Special education laws are evolving. AbleSpace can keep you up to date with the current federal and state rules, such as the Section 504 regulations update. It aligns your IEPs with the latest legal standards.
2. Thorough Evaluations: Accurate assessments are critical. Cover all concerns using a special education tool such as AbleSpace that monitor the progress of each of your students with different IEPs.
3. Focusing on SMART Goals: IEP goals must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Enjoy automated goal-tracking, report generation and timely updates through IEP goal-tracking applications.
4. Involving Parents and Students: Collaboration is crucial. Their input tailors plan for the unique needs of students with disabilities. Comprehensive reports, generated in seconds and shared across multiple devices are exactly what you need to ensure you are staying compliant.
5. Meeting IEP Deadlines: Convene annual IEP meetings on time; call extras if necessary. Timeliness maintains compliance. Use goal-tracking software for special education students to schedule meetings and send out reminders well in advance for all parties.
6. Providing Appropriate Support: Specify all the services, accommodations, and supports provided by the district in the IEP. Ensure they align with what the student needs and what they are receiving. And automate this entire process using an IEP progress monitoring and tracking software for regular reviews.
7. Diligent Documentation: Detailed and accurate records are evidence of compliance. Track all your meetings, assessments, progress, and changes to IEPs using a single platform. Gather all the records necessary to demonstrate the child’s needs are being met.
8. Consistent Progress Monitoring: Regular checks assess goal progress. The lack of evidence of progress monitoring can lead to a lawsuit against the district even if the student is actually making progress in education and other spheres of life.
9. Reviewing and Updating, Regularly: Makes changes to the IEPs as the student needs change. You may choose to set more advanced goals or decrease the difficulty of their daily targets depending upon the progress reflected on the IEP goal-tracking tool.
10. Upholding Clear Communication: Finally, the most advanced and special ed-friendly software programs allow evidence-based progress reports, and timely documentation to prove the implementation of the IEP and necessary IEP meetings. Those are everything you need to communicate clearly with all parties involved.

The use of HIPAA-compliant special education goal-tracker tools can save you time and a lot of headaches.

AbleSpace, an IEP goal-tracking and data-collection tool, can help you save time and headaches by changing the way you interact with your daily work.

Are you a special ed teacher? Do you represent a special ed department? Are you overseeing IEP compliance in a school district?

Try the AbleSpace free trial today and see for yourself how it can help you!