How to Read an IEP: North Carolina
Understanding Hours, Services, Placement, and Least Restrictive Environment
North Carolina IEP Guide: Hours, Services, and Related Services
What is the hours and services section of an IEP?
This is the part of the IEP that tells you how many hours of special education and related services a student will receive– and where they will be receiving them. Typically, special education services, also known as specially designed instruction, is kept separate from related services. In special education services, you should see the total number of push in hours (aka hours of support in general education) separate from total number of pull out hours (aka hours in a separate classroom). You should also see who is providing those supports. Some districts put paraprofessional support under related services. Some under special education services. In either case, under special education hours you should see where and how much services are being provided and who will be providing them. For funsies, some districts also specify what the services are for, like reading, writing, or math– although that is pretty rare.
Then there is normally a separate box that has related services. Related services include nursing, transportation, occupational therapy, psychological services, counseling, speech and language pathology…. And more. If a student qualifies for any of these, the provider has to enter the hours of support they will offer and where they will offer it. Transportation is pretty straight forward. It’s daily and just means bussing. The others can get complicated. For example, a speech pathologist can see a student for direct services or for consult. Direct services means that the SLP has scheduled hours they meet with the student (once a week for 30 minutes; once a month for 30; whatever). Consult means that the SLP is playing problem solver. They might meet directly with a student, but only as needed. Mostly they are serving as a knowledge base when the student’s teachers are hitting issues. They monitor and provide consultation as needed.
Where are the hours and services found in an IEP?
Weirdly, hours are normally at the very beginning or very end of an IEP. Districts seem split on that– but they rarely appear in the middle.
How do services and hours vary across states and districts?
The big question here is why do some students get occupational therapy and some don’t– and why do some get services in general education and others are pulled out. There are a lot of differences in how special education is structured between schools, districts, and states. We are working on putting up some case studies of different ways that special education can be structured. This section, however, focuses on how the section is set up in the IEP and how that might look different in different places.
I cannot fathom why one district will do minutes per day, another hours per year, and another minutes per month. It is so confusing and I always wind up needing a calculator when I look at a different district’s IEP! So the first thing to check for is how the service frequency is written. Also, some districts write services in two lines– one pre summer break and one for after summer break. That just means that the district is worried that if they write services for the year, someone will think they are supposed to provide services over the summer. Note that this is false– unless a student has Extended School Year (ESY) no one reasonably thinks you are providing services over the summer…. But still some districts split hours. So expect the service units (minutes, hours), time frame (weeks, day, month, year) to vary a lot, along with how the hours are broken up. Also, hours can be at the beginning or end of an IEP so good luck! I often have to hunt for hours, which should be the most basic part of an IEP. Every IEP, however, will have a student’s hours and the settings where they will be delivered, with hours in general education and in special education settings listed separately.
What does the IDEA law say about services and hours?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says that the IEP needs to include what special education and related service a student will receive as well as where they will receive those services– in general education or in a special education setting.
What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(4):
(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child—
(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;
(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and
(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section;
(5) An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in the activities described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section;
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.
Specially Designed Instruction:
| Service | Amount of Time in Minutes | Frequency | Location | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 30 minute(s) | 5 per week | Special Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 |
| Math | 30 minute(s) | 3 per week | Special Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 |
| Writing | 20 minute(s) | 3 per week | General Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 |
| Behavior | 20 minute(s) | 1 per day | General Education | 10/15/2019 to 12/30/2019 |
Related Services:
| Service | Amount of Time in Minutes | Frequency | Location | Duration | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speech/Language | 30 minute(s) | 1 per week | Special Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 | ☒ Goal ☐ Supplemental Aids / Services / Accommodations / Modifications |
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?
If you are a parent, look for whether the hours seem appropriate for your child’s need. For example, if the child is functioning three grade levels below and the special education services are 20 minutes a week, it seems like that is not likely to be enough to provide what your child needs. You should also be looking at where services are provided– is your child getting pulled out all? Are they mostly in their general education classroom? As an IEP team member, you have the right to push back and say you want more services or want your child in general education more. Also, who is providing services? Is it a paraprofessional? If so, who are they? Are they trained? Ask questions! You have a right to know who is working with your child and how they will know what to do.
If you are a teacher, look at the hours closely. Pull means time a student will miss from your class. When will that be? You want to negotiate that! If you are an elementary teacher, you don’t want a student missing core math instruction for example. Push in means time you will get support. Do you want time during art? Probably not. You need to speak up and say when you need that time. Let’s be real. Scheduling is a beast and you might get ignored– but the squeaky wheel gets the grease so speak up! Also, hours are written at the annual IEP due date. That might be March– and the student in your class in September. Are those hours right? Are they what the student is getting now? Are they what the student needs? If not, speak up. IEPs can always be amended and the hours should reflect what a student needs and is getting now– not what they came up with last year.
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
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: Placement and Least Restrictive Environment
What is the placement and least restrictive environment section of an IEP?
This is a weird section that appears on some IEPs. Basically, every student is required to be educated in the least restrictive environment possible. That means that every district is legally required to report to federal government what amount of students’ time is spent with general education peers and what part is spent in special education only settings. Many districts will calculate this number for you based on service hours. The program will automatically add up the number of minutes a student is getting services in a separate setting (special education class) based on the hours of service and spit out a placement percentage (82% included, 35 hours in general education, or something like that). Other districts use ooooooold software programs that can’t calculate that and so they make the general education teacher manually add up the number of hours in special education and general education settings. Note that special education teachers seem to be really bad at mathematics and so these often don’t match the hours of service. That’s why districts have switched to more sophisticated programs– eventually this as a separate, manually entered section will vanish from all IEPs.
Where is placement and LRE found in an IEP?
Anywhere. Often at the end of service hours, on the front page, or at the end of the IEP.
How does placement and LRE vary across districts and states?
This varies so much! You might not see this on an IEP at all, it might be a small box, or it might be a big section that the parent has to sign separately from the IEP. TBH it depends on how antiquated the software the district uses is. Yay for upgrades.
What does the IDEA law say about placement and LRE?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says that the IEP needs to include a statement on where students with disabilities will be educated and the extent to which they will be removed from general education settings.
What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(5):
(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child—
(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;
(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and
(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section;
(5) An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in the activities described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section;
This IEP comes from the North Carolina department of public instruction. See the full IEP here.
Because the images are hard to read, transcripts from them are below.
Least Restrictive Environment
Description of Specially Designed Instruction and Related Services
Indicate the least restrictive environment in which the student can achieve the goal(s).
Specially Designed Instruction:
| Service | Amount of Time in Minutes | Frequency | Location | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 30 minute(s) | 5 per week | Special Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 |
| Math | 30 minute(s) | 3 per week | Special Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 |
| Writing | 20 minute(s) | 3 per week | General Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 |
| Behavior | 20 minute(s) | 1 per day | General Education | 10/15/2019 to 12/30/2019 |
Related Services:
| Service | Amount of Time in Minutes | Frequency | Location | Duration | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speech/Language | 30 minute(s) | 1 per week | Special Education | 10/15/2019 to 10/07/2020 | ☒ Goal ☐ Supplemental Aids / Services / Accommodations / Modifications |
Transportation is not required as a related service.
Supplemental Aids/Services/Accommodations/Modifications:
In the space provided, list the subject/activity area in which the student will participate and the supplemental aids, supports, modification, and/or accommodations required (if applicable) to access the general curriculum and make progress toward meeting annual goals. If supplemental aids/services, modifications/accommodations and/or assistive technology will be provided in special education classes, include in the table below.
(→ Table section is blank)
Least Restrictive Environment Justification
If the student will be removed from nondisabled peers for any part of the day, explain why the services cannot be delivered with nondisabled peers with the use of supplemental aids and services.
Henry will be removed from his nondisabled peers for specially designed instruction in reading and speech. He needs instruction that is several grade levels below what is taught in his current grade level. He can be easily distracted at times. In order for Henry to receive meaningful benefit and make educational progress instruction must be provided in a quiet setting with minimal distractions.
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?
If you are a parent, look for whether the hours seem appropriate for your child’s need. For example, if the child is functioning three grade levels below and the special education services are 20 minutes a week, it seems like that is not likely to be enough to provide what your child needs. You should also be looking at where services are provided– is your child getting pulled out all? Are they mostly in their general education classroom? As an IEP team member, you have the right to push back and say you want more services or want your child in general education more. Also, who is providing services? Is it a paraprofessional? If so, who are they? Are they trained? Ask questions! You have a right to know who is working with your child and how they will know what to do.
If you are a teacher, look at the hours closely. Pull means time a student will miss from your class. When will that be? You want to negotiate that! If you are an elementary teacher, you don’t want a student missing core math instruction for example. Push in means time you will get support. Do you want time during art? Probably not. You need to speak up and say when you need that time. Let’s be real. Scheduling is a beast and you might get ignored– but the squeaky wheel gets the grease so speak up! Also, hours are written at the annual IEP due date. That might be March– and the student in your class in September. Are those hours right? Are they what the student is getting now? Are they what the student needs? If not, speak up. IEPs can always be amended and the hours should reflect what a student needs and is getting now– not what they came up with last year.
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
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.
