Required IEP Sections in Colorado
What sections are required in an IEP in Colorado?
Colorado IEPs must contain all components required by federal law (34 CFR 300.320) plus additional elements mandated by 1 CCR 301-8 (ECEA Rules), Section 4.03. The ECEA Rules require that every IEP include: (1) present levels of academic achievement and functional performance; (2) measurable annual goals; (3) special education, related services, supplementary aids and services; (4) an explanation of the extent to which the child will not participate with nondisabled peers; (5) assessment accommodations or alternate assessment participation; (6) projected start dates, frequency, location, and duration of services; and (7) how progress toward annual goals will be measured and reported to parents. Colorado adds several unique mandatory sections: a Communication Plan for students with hearing disabilities (ECEA Rules §4.03(6)(a)), a Learning Media Plan for students with vision disabilities (ECEA Rules §4.03(6)(b)), and a statement specifying whether the student achieves district or CSI content standards or individualized standards (§4.03(6)(c)). Transition planning components must be included beginning at age 15 or no later than the end of 9th grade (§4.03(6)(d)). Short-term objectives or benchmarks are required only for students who take alternate assessments, not for all students (§4.03(6)(f)). Beginning one year before age 21, the IEP must include a statement that rights transfer at age 21 — Colorado's age of majority for educational purposes (§4.03(6)(e); §6.02(9)).
What Colorado Requires
The IEP must include present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, describing how the disability affects involvement in the general education curriculum (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
Measurable annual goals must be included, but short-term objectives or benchmarks are required only for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards — NOT required for all students in Colorado (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03(6)(f)).
The IEP must specify all special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and support for school personnel, including projected start date, frequency, location, and duration (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)).
For students with hearing disabilities, the IEP must include a Communication Plan addressing primary communication mode, educational options, access to deaf/hard-of-hearing role models, and communication-accessible instruction (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03(6)(a)).
For students with vision disabilities, the IEP must include a Learning Media Plan; Braille is the default reading and writing medium unless the IEP team determines another medium is appropriate (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03(6)(b)).
The IEP must specify whether the child achieves district or Colorado State Charter School Institute (CSI) content standards or individualized standards (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03(6)(c)).
Beginning one year before the student turns 21, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of IDEA rights that transfer at age 21 — Colorado's educational age of majority (1 CCR 301-8, §§4.03(6)(e), 6.02(9); 34 CFR 300.520).
Key Timelines
An initial IEP must be developed within 90 calendar days of parental consent for initial evaluation (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03(1)(d)(i)).
The IEP must be reviewed and revised at least once every 365 calendar days (1 CCR 301-8, §4.03(3)).
The IEP must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
For transfer students within Colorado, the receiving administrative unit must provide comparable services and develop a new IEP within a reasonable time (34 CFR 300.323(e)-(f)).