IEP vs 504 Plan

IEP

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement of the educational program designed to meet a child’s individual needs. Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2013). This is the result of special education law, specifically the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Hancock, 2009a).

The IEP has two general purposes: (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2013)

1) Set reasonable learning goals for a child, and

2) State the services that the school district will provide for the child.

Steps to an IEP: (Hancock, 2009b)

Step 1: Referral for a special education evaluation

·      Request for referral can originate from a parent, teacher, or other school personnel

·      Initial request is for eligibility evaluation only, parents must consent for any type of services

Step 2: The evaluation eligibility meeting

·      To be eligible for special education services, students must fall under the category of one of the 13 types of eligible disabilities

·      This meeting is used to gather information to determine this

Step 3: Determining eligibility for the 13 categories:

Step 4: Write the IEP

·      The IEP is a written legal document that must include certain information.

Step 5: IEP Meeting

·      Meeting of the IEP team: Student, parents, special education teacher, classroom teachers, psychologist, school administrators, etc.

·      Contents of the IEP will be shared by the person who performed the evaluation

·      IEP team then agrees or disagrees with the plan.

·      Implementing the plan requires the consent of parents

Funding is provided by the federal government for eligible students (Lee, 2014)

504 Plan

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that protects individuals with disabilities. It is enforced by the Office of Civil Rights to ensure that any institution that received federal funds do not exclude individuals based on their disability. Section 504 requires that school districts provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to each student (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).

Under section 504, modifications and accommodations to provide students building access, classroom accommodations, and curriculum modifications, are what most commonly occur. Section 504 usually applies to students who have “normal” ability to learn, but have some other major limiting factor such as a mobility impairment like being wheelchair bound. Students may also have medical conditions such as epilepsy, allergies, and cerebral palsy that qualifies them for section 504. Students who fail to qualify for special education services may qualify for accommodations and modifications under section 504 (Hancock, 2009a).

A section 504 evaluation can be asked for by any party involved with the student (parent, teacher, & school employee). It includes classroom observations, academic assessment, teacher reports, and assessments from other medical and learning professionals. The 504 plan that is generated should specifically outline the student’s disability and the modifications and accommodations that will be provided to address it. It must also contain who is providing the modifications and accommodations, and who is responsible to ensure that the plan is implemented (Hancock, 2009a).

Funding is provided by the local schools, no federal funds are available. The federal government can take away funding from schools that do not comply (Lee, 2014).

Similarities

Both 504 & IEP are federally mandated entities designed to protect student’s rights to educational services. This is done through accommodations and modifications to school activities.

Differences

IEP: is the result of educational law (IDEA). To qualify, students must fall under one of the 13 disabilities. A required process is followed with the result being a legal document with mandated contents. Federal funding is available

504 Plan: is the result of civil rights law (Rehabilitation Act of 1973). There is no formal process or legal document that results from this process. There is no federal funding for the accommodations or modifications, but schools can lose federal funds if they do not comply.

Venn Diagram

 

References:

Center for Parent Information and Resources. (2013). The Short-and-sweet IEP overview.   Retrieved from http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/iep-overview/

Hancock, M. (2009a). Understanding section 504: The American with Disabilities Act.   Retrieved from http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/section-504.html

Hancock, M. (2009b). Understanding the IEP process.   Retrieved from http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/IEP-process.html

Lee, A. M. I. (2014). The difference between IEps and 504 plans.   Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504-plan/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans

U.S. Department of Education. (2015). Protecting students with disabilities.   Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html