How to Read an IEP: North Carolina

Understanding Parent Concerns & Disability Statements

North Carolina IEP Guide: Parent Input and Concerns

What Is It?
What Does It Look Like?
What Does The IEP Say?
How Do I Know If It Is Good?

What is the parents concerns section of an IEP?

While IEPs are supposed to be created by an IEP team that includes the parent, in reality almost all IEPs are written before the meeting. This box is the one section exclusively reserved for parents, where they can express their concerns, hopes, and goals for the student. Some districts also have additional boxes for parent input, but most just have the one box for parents.

Where is the parent concerns section found?

Variable but towards the beginning of the IEP. Often it is before the present levels section.

How does the section for parent concerns and input vary across states and districts?

Zero variation. Really. This is always titled parent concerns and it is always a stand alone section in an IEP. If you know of an exception to that, let me know but I have never seen one.

What does the IDEA law say about parent concerns and input?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that IEP teams have to consider the parents’ concerns about their child’s education.

What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.324(a)(1):

(1) General. In developing each child’s IEP, the IEP Team must consider—

(i) The strengths of the child;

(ii) The concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child;

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

(iv) The academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child.

This IEP comes from the North Carolina department of public instruction. See the full IEP here.

Because the images are hard to read, a transcript is below.

Student Profile

Student’s overall strengths that contribute to success in the educational environment:
Positive attitude and relationships with others: Henry is a friendly and cooperative student who wants to do well in school. He gets along well with his peers and teachers. Typically, Henry puts forth his best efforts on assignments.

Ability to self-monitor: Agendas and/or task lists help Henry stay on track and not only complete but turn in his assignments.

High interest in Science and Math: He is curious, enjoys science, particularly learning about the environment, animals and conducting experiments. In addition to science, Henry enjoys math and he demonstrates academic strengths in rote counting and skip counting.

Grade level comprehension of high interest texts: Henry enjoys listening to books read aloud, and is able to comprehend at grade level, when it is a high interest topic such as when books are related to science.

Decoding skills: Henry is making progress with his phonics skills and now is able to decode CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words.

Parental concerns, if any, about their child’s academic and functional performance in school:
Mr. and Mrs. Test want to see Henry continue not only to work hard but also to continue to increase his basic reading and math skills. They are concerned that if his reading does not significantly improve that he will get so far behind that he can’t catch up. They want to see him performing at grade level.

Parent/student’s vision for the future: (Include, specifically, vision for after high school, if appropriate.)
Mr. and Mrs. Test want Henry to do well in school, graduate with his friends, and pursue post-secondary education. Since Henry regularly checks out science books from the local library and also loves to conduct science experiments at home, they think he might look into a course of study in the sciences.

What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?

This should NEVER be filled in prior to the IEP unless there was a long talk between the special education teacher and the parent. If it is, and you a parent, that is a red flag that the IEP is likely to be very sloppy and you should have someone with you at the meeting. It is a bad sign. For folks reading the IEP after a meeting, ideally you should get a sense of what the parents are thinking about. TBH, 99% of these state that the parent wants the student to be successful in school. If you see more than that, just know that you have a great IEP team at your school.

When and how should I get help?

It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.

If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.

Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:

‘‘(vi) 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

What are the disclaimers?

This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only.

If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.

Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.

North Carolina IEP Guide: Disability Statement

What Is It?
What Does It Look Like?
What Does The IEP Say?
How Do I Know If It Is Good?

What is the disability statement?

In most states, the student’s disability is identified in two places. First, on the cover page, it states what the primary (and secondary if relevant) is, like Autism or a learning disability. Then, later in the IEP, there is a statement on how the disability affects the student’s progress in the general education curriculum. In a few places, these are combined, but that is pretty rare. Generally, you look to the front page to get a sense of why the student qualifies for special education and later to understand how it impacts them.

Here are some examples. In Tennessee, the front page of the IEP states the disability which, for their sample, is an intellectual disability. Then on page 2, right after parent concerns, you get the disability statement which says, “Describe how the student’s disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum: Rocio’s ability to master regular classroom academic objectives is markedly delayed. She benefits from small group instruction and repetition to learn skills. She tries to complete various assignments, but struggles doing basic tasks. She is significantly below grade level in her academics. This impacts her mastery of standards and participation in the general education classroom “

In Oregon, the front page of the sample IEP says a learning disability and then after present levels they have the disability statement, which reads; “Describe how student’s disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum has deficits noted above with his writing skills that will need to be addressed through direct instruction and through accommodations and/or modifications in the general classroom to respond to instruction or assessments. difficulties with writing may affect his ability to effectively complete class room assignments, note taking and homework. These difficulties will also impact his ability to convey his thoughts through written words.”

Arizona is a bit odd. It says on the front page of the sample IEP that the child qualifies under OHI, but then there is no separate box for the disability statement. Instead, it is embedded in the present levels and says, “Kyra qualifies as a student with Attention Deficit Disorder-Hyperactive Type (ADHD). She also has co-morbidity of Reactive Attachment Disorder. Due to her inability to self-regulate within the academic setting, This impedes progress without the support and services of special education. Due to this her ability to generalize on her academic performance and one on one testing in the classroom, her environment is greatly impaired. Her ability to self-soothe and regulate, as well as relate to others around her is a weak area for her.” That is the statement of disability– they just don’t have a separate box for it.

The statement of disability should refer to and explain the primary disability and how it impacts the student’s learning.

Where is the disability statement found in the IEP?

Split between the front page and the present levels or parent concerns.

How do disability statements vary across districts and states?

Varies in placement, phrasing, and whether or not it can be edited between three year reviews.

What does the IDEA law say about disability statements?

The Individuals with Disabilities Act requires that IEPs contain a statement on how the student’s disability affects the their progress in the curriculum and their participation in general education.

What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(1)

(1) A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including—

(i) How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education 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;

This IEP comes from the North Carolina department of public instruction. See the full IEP here.

Because the images can be hard to read, a transcript is below.

Describe how the disability impacts involvement and progress in the general curriculum:
Henry’s disability affects his comprehension of materials he reads independently because he must stop frequently when encountering unfamiliar words. He is unable to accurately respond to comprehension questions after reading grade level passages. He struggles to complete tasks consistently and independently. Because of this, he is performing significantly below grade level and does not progress at a rate sufficient to keep up with his peers or grade level expectations.

What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?

You should be able to read this and understand how the disability affects the student’s progress in the curriculum. Note that in NH it can be hard to read these and know how the child is qualifying for special education. That is true in a few other states, but in most it is really clear what the disability is and why it was considered to be academically significant enough to get the student an IEP.

When and how should I get help?

Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:

‘‘(vi) 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

What are the disclaimers?

This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only.

If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.