How we research and review our guides
You are making decisions about a child. You should be able to see exactly where our information comes from and how often we re-check it.
Where the information comes from
Guides lean on primary sources: the federal special education rules in 34 CFR Part 300, guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, and the web pages of state education agencies. Every guide ends with the list of sources we opened for it, and the sources page collects them all. We cite a page only after reading it.
How a guide is written
- We start from a question parents actually ask, not from a keyword list.
- We read the top search results for that question to see what is already well explained and what is missing or confusing.
- We read the rule or agency page itself and write from it, in plain words, with the official term next to the everyday one.
- We mark anything that depends on the state or district, and tell you where to look it up instead of guessing.
- Examples are labeled as illustrations. They are made up to show how a rule works and are never presented as real cases or real data.
How often guides are re-checked
Each guide is re-read against its sources at least every six months, and sooner when we learn that a rule or a linked page has changed. The date near the top of each guide is the date of the last review, and the date of first publication stays in the page's structured data.
What we will not do
- We do not give legal advice, and we do not predict how a particular school or hearing officer will decide.
- We do not list state-by-state rules we have not verified. Where a number or deadline varies, we say it varies.
- We do not run ads, take payment for placement, or sell anything on this site.
- We do not collect your child's information. Please do not email us documents that name your child.
Who writes the guides
Guides are written by our editorial desk. You can read more about the writer on the author page. The writer is not an attorney, educator, or clinician, which is why every guide points back to official sources and to qualified professionals.
Corrections
If something is wrong, out of date, or unclear, write to contact@iepmadeclear.com and name the guide and the sentence. We correct errors on the page, update the review date, and keep a short note of what changed at the end of the guide when the change affects what you would do.
IEP Made Clear is an independent site. It is not affiliated with any school district, state agency, law firm, or advocacy organization.