IEP Made Clear

For parents and guardians

Your child's IEP, in plain English.

IEP Made Clear explains evaluations, meetings, written notices, and the rights that come with them, without the jargon. One clear step at a time, from the first request to the yearly review.

Start with the basicsBrowse all 14 guides

Start with where you are

Pick the sentence that sounds most like your week.

The school said no to an evaluationYour next steps, in order, with the paperwork to keep.My first IEP meeting is coming upQuestions worth asking, grouped by what the team will cover.I do not agree with what the team decidedThe options you have, from a conversation to formal steps.We are changing schoolsWhat carries over, what does not, and who to call first.IEP or 504 plan?A side-by-side look at what each one is and does.The goals feel vagueHow to tell, and what to ask the team to change.

Browse by topic

Every guide sits in one of seven topics. Each topic page lists its guides in a sensible reading order.

1 guide

Getting started

The first questions parents ask, and the order to take the steps in.

4 guides

Evaluations

Asking for an evaluation, what happens next, and how to read the report.

3 guides

IEP meetings

How to prepare, who sits at the table, and what to bring.

2 guides

Rights and notices

Written notices, procedural safeguards, and records you can ask for.

2 guides

Goals and services

Reading goals, services, accommodations, and progress reports.

1 guide

Moving and changes

New school, new state, new school year, and transition planning.

1 guide

When you disagree

Your options at a high level, from a quick conversation to formal steps.

Recently updated

We re-read each guide against its sources on a schedule, and the date on every guide shows the last time we did.

Moving and changes

Changing Schools With an IEP: What Carries Over

Moving a child with an IEP to a new school, in your state or another? What the new school must provide at first, what happens to the IEP, and what to do.

8 min read, updated October 23, 2026Evaluations

How Long Does an IEP Evaluation Take?

The federal clock is 60 days from your written consent, then 30 days to the IEP meeting. A worked timeline, what pauses the clock, and how states differ.

7 min read, updated October 23, 2026Evaluations

How to Read Your Child's IEP Evaluation Report

A section-by-section guide to a school evaluation report: what each part means, how scores and percentiles work, and what to check before the meeting.

9 min read, updated October 23, 2026Rights and notices

How to Read Your Procedural Safeguards Notice

The procedural safeguards notice runs many pages. Here is what each section means, which deadlines to circle, and the moments you are handed a new copy.

7 min read, updated October 23, 2026Evaluations

How to Request a Special Education Evaluation in Writing

Ask for an IEP evaluation in writing: who to send it to, what to put in the letter, what the school must do next, and when the 60-day clock starts.

7 min read, updated October 23, 2026Goals and services

IEP Goals Too Vague? How to Tell and What to Ask

Is an IEP goal clear enough? Use a four-part test, compare vague and measurable versions side by side, and learn what to ask the team to change.

8 min read, updated October 23, 2026

How we work

Written from the rules, not from rumor

Every guide cites the federal rule or the state education agency page behind its claims, and tells you when the answer depends on where you live. We do not give legal advice, and we say so on every page.

How we review See our sources

  • Plain words first, with the official term in brackets so you can recognize it in your paperwork.
  • Tables and checklists you can bring to a meeting.
  • Examples are labeled as illustrations, never presented as real cases.
  • When the rule differs by state or district, we point you to where to look it up.

IEP words you will hear

A few of the terms that come up most. The full glossary has the rest.

FAPE
Free appropriate public education: the promise that eligible children get special education at no cost to families.
IEP
Individualized Education Program: the written plan for a child's special education and related services.
Related services
Supports a child needs to benefit from special education, such as speech therapy or transportation.