How to Read an IEP: Mississippi State IEP Guide

Special education rules for Mississippi’s 70,000+ students with IEPs (15.7%) are outlined in Mississippi Code § 37-23-1 et seq., Mississippi Admin. Code Title 7 Part 34 , and a multi-volume policy and procedures manual. Code 37, with its outdated language of supports for retarded children, was written in the 1970s, with some limited revisions since then. The Admin code is challenging to read, easier to access through third party platforms than the state website. Most guidance come from the policy and procedures manual. Each of the five volumes in the manual is over 100 pages. The 101 page manual on FAPE, LRE, ESY, and IEPs has 0.5 pages on the components of an IEP and what should be in one– more space is devoted to correctional facilities. That can make finding state guidance on writing high-quality documents and running high-quality meetings challenging, which is reflected in a SPLC report on special education in Mississippi. 

The state office of special education offers additional resources on its website, including a 95 page guide on learning and school access challenges, with possible adaptations for each. There is also a section on the site for teachers, which has a succinct, well-organized 35 page Educator Guide to Special Education with actionable information on IEPs, meetings, and instruction.  The state also provides a blank IEP, an older completed IEP,  and other teaching resources, as well as resources for families. 

Parent resources include the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center and the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities. Disability Rights Mississippi provides legal advocacy, the ARC of Mississippi has great resources, and Families as Allies provides additional supports. The state has additional family support resources on its site.

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