How to Read an IEP: Kentucky State IEP Guide

707 KAR Chapter 1 outlines states IEP regulations for the 114,000+ Kentucky students with IEPs—17% of students in the state. Most students with IEPs in the state are boys– 64% of students in the state with IEPs are boys. And, uniquely, most students with IEPs are identified as speech and language impaired– 27% of all students with IEPs are identified as SLI, almost double the number and percent of students identified with learning disabilities, which is the next biggest disability category in the state. 

IEP meetings, called ARCs (Admissions and Release Committees) in the state are not supposed to be called to make “minor, nonprogrammatic, changes to an IEP,” unless someone disagrees with a minor change. Some of the more unique aspects of the 707 KAR Chapter 1 include: specific provisions about the Kentucky School for the Deaf and Kentucky School for the Blind, as well as additional provisions for students who are Deaf/heard of hearing or visually impaired; exceptions for when the 60 day timeline for assessments does not need to be followed (this includes the child not being present for evaluations); a statement that general education teachers only need to be present at the meeting if the student “is or may be participating in the regular education environment;” that transition services begin at 14; that implied consent requires documentation of “records of visits to the parent’s home or place of employment;” procedures for school district placed children in private schools; and an interesting requirement that the school district “make a good faith effort to assist the child in achieving the goals, objectives, or benchmarks listed in the IEP” (707 KAR Chapter 1). Other than those areas, Kentucky IEP regulations are generally brief and follow IDEA. 

The Kentucky Department of Education Office of Special Education and Early Learning (OSEEL) provides IEP guidance, with access to an IEP lesson plan handbook that includes specific guidance on specially designed instruction and supplementary supports and a 105 page IEP guidance document. 

For parent resources, contact the Special Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) of Kentucky— which operates statewide family support centers and serves as both PTI and family resource center. The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute provides professional development and family support resources, and the Kentucky CHFS Family Support has resources and information for children with special health care needs. 

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