How to Read an IEP: Florida State IEP Guide

Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.03028 covers special education services for the approximately  380,000 Florida students with IEPs (~14% of enrollment; OSEP Annual Report to Congress). The state rules detail particular supports for students in prison and stringent parent participation requirements, including documentation of visits to the parent’s home or work to get them to participate in IEP meetings. In addition, the state rules include guidelines on supporting students in learning to self-advocate and participate in their IEP meetings once they hit high school. Further state rules are found in statues like §§ 1003.57 and 1003.5715, covering details of parental consent and instruction. 

Florida’s most distinctive feature is the “Matrix of Services,” a rating scale that must be completed for every student and directly determines state funding weights. This matrix must be documented in the IEP and reviewed at every annual meeting. Florida also has intense regulations about reading instruction, requiring that elementary students get 90 minutes a day of reading instruction in the same environment (not split between general and special education settings). The state also has specific regulations about special education for students in juvenile or adult detention facilities, reflecting the fact that Florida is one of the top states for incarcerating juveniles, and one of the states most likely to incarcerate youth in adult facilities. 

Relative to other states, Florida does not provide significant centralized guidance on writing IEPs and special education procedures, beyond the state laws. Forms vary by district, although the state has a brief example blank IEP at the end of a parent guidance document. The Guardian Ad Litem organization has one as well. Real guidance comes at the school district level. For example, Dade schools have a policy and procedures guide as do Sarasota schools. The decentralization and lack of clear state guidance can make special education challenging in Florida.For parent resources, families can access the Family Network on Disabilities (FND), Disability Rights Florida, and Family Voices Florida. Procedural safeguards are available through the state.

For parent resources, contact the Family Network on Disabilities—Florida’s federally funded PTI—and Disability Rights Florida. The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council and Family Care Council Florida provide community-based family support and IEP navigation assistance.

To see what IEPs look like in Florida– and guidance on how to read IEPs (and how to know if they are well written!), check out the IEP section guide below.