Required IEP Sections in Arkansas
What sections are required in an IEP in Arkansas?
Arkansas IEPs must contain all components required by federal IDEA (34 CFR 300.320) as adopted through the Arkansas Rules Governing Special Education and Related Services (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.08.1). Every IEP must include: (1) present levels of academic achievement and functional performance; (2) measurable annual goals and, for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, benchmarks or short-term objectives; (3) special education and related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications; (4) an explanation of nonparticipation with nondisabled peers; (5) individual appropriate accommodations for state and district-wide assessments; (6) projected start date, frequency, location, and duration of services; and (7) how progress toward annual goals will be measured and reported. A distinctive Arkansas procedural feature is the Evaluation/Programming Conference (EPC): within 30 calendar days of completing an evaluation, an EPC must be held to determine eligibility and, if appropriate, develop the IEP (§8.04.2.1.B). IEP services must begin no later than 30 calendar days following the IEP meeting, unless otherwise specified in the IEP (§8.03.2.1). Transition components must be included beginning at age 16 (or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team) under §8.08.2.1.
What Arkansas Requires
The IEP must include present levels of academic achievement and functional performance describing how the disability affects involvement in the general education curriculum (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.08.1; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
Measurable annual goals must be included; short-term objectives or benchmarks are required ONLY for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards — not for all students (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.08.1.3; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).
The IEP must specify all special education, related services, supplementary aids, program modifications, and support for school personnel, including projected start date, frequency, location, and duration (34 CFR 300.320(a)(4), (a)(7)).
An Evaluation/Programming Conference (EPC) must be held within 30 calendar days of completing evaluation to determine eligibility and develop the IEP (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.04.2.1.B).
IEP services must begin no later than 30 calendar days following the IEP meeting, unless the IEP specifies otherwise (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.03.2.1).
The IEP must describe how the child's progress toward annual goals will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided to parents, at least as frequently as nondisabled peers receive report cards (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
For students age 16 and older (or younger if appropriate), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals and transition services (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.08.2.1).
Key Timelines
Referral conference must be held within 21 calendar days of receipt of written referral (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §4.03).
Initial evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days of written parental consent to evaluate (§6.03.1.1).
Evaluation/Programming Conference (EPC) must be held within 30 calendar days of completing the evaluation (§8.04.2.1.B).
IEP services must begin no later than 30 calendar days following the IEP meeting (§8.03.2.1).
The IEP must be reviewed and revised at least annually (34 CFR 300.324(b)).
The IEP must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).