Introduction This web page is an example of a sample Individual Education Plan (IEP).  If you have had your child identified as a student with an educational exceptionality, then it is very likely that your child will be provided with an IEP.  In some situations a child may be provided with an IEP if they have not been formally identified through the IPRC process.  The development of the IEP can be as involved as you are able to allow it to be, but it often falls short of outlining specific goals and objectives.  I cannot understate the importance of having specific goals which can be assessed in some concrete manner.  Without this, the IEP has a significanly less chance of being implimented in any significant degree.  Some schools print out generic IEPs through a computer program which take little account of your child's unique learning needs.  Work through the creation of your child's IEP before your meeting with the school officials and you will be best prepared to participate actively in the development process. The IEP can be reviewed every three months.  This may seem excesive at first until you take into account how fast gifted children progress through their learning.  Remember that the goal of the IEP is to provide your children's teachers with an outline of procedures and goals that they can implement so that your child recieves the optimum learning experience that they are entitled to.  The following sample IEP was provided by Michele and Teresa.  Many thanks. Sample IEP Please change “x” to whatever subject/ability applies to your child. Strengths - rapid assimilation of knowledge -curiosity -creativity -problem-solving ability -mathematical ability at grade x level -reading ability at grade x level -artistic ability (describe in what field of the arts) -intensive interest in (describe latest fascination) -strong academic motivation (unless, of course the child is underachieving) -leadership skills Weaknesses -difficulty with handwriting -distractibility  -relative weakness in subject x -not motivated/ underachieving  Needs -intellectual stimulation and challenge in all subject areas  -interaction with gifted peers for academics  -opportunity to display strengths -opportunity to explore areas of interest -social interaction with intellectual peers -to be understood and appreciated for who he/she is, despite differences   General Learning Accommodations  Student will have alterations of depth, breadth and pace of instruction in all subject areas. Pretesting and compacting of curriculum will be performed to ensure no repetition of previously mastered content. Whole-to-part teaching of concepts will be utilized. Student will be permitted to display learning in a variety of ways including written output, oral output, displays, and multi-media presentations (to name a few)   Specific Accommodations Here it is necessary to describe each subject or topic and be quite specific about what will be done and by whom. Comments such as “enrichment will be provided” are worse than useless because they give carte-blanche to do anything or nothing. Better would be “student will be permitted to work on the next level in workbook with a goal of completing the Grade x work by ________(date)” or “student will work on computer software (name) during the time the other students are doing ________” or “student will have the option of doing x or y, if pre-testing shows mastery” I believe that it is also important to note here that special projects should NOT be graded, and that extra work should not be mandatory. If the child feels that he/she MUST perform, then that has the paradoxical effect of discouraging the effort. No gifted child wants to risk getting a “B” or “C” or having to do twice the work just because he/she is more intelligent. It feels like a punishment and these kids are very sensitive to injustices and can spot one a mile off. If the child has special outings etc. he/she should be excused from the regular assignments if at all possible (or have then shortened at the very least) again, so that they don’t feel like they have to do their modified work on top of the regular work.