Required IEP Sections in Georgia
What sections are required in an IEP in Georgia?
In Georgia, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) must comply with both federal IDEA requirements under 34 CFR §300.320 and Georgia State Board of Education Rule 160-4-7-.06. Georgia uses the standard federal IEP Team terminology (not a state-specific name like Texas's IEP Team), and IEPs are developed and maintained through the Georgia Online IEP (GO-IEP) system. Required IEP components include: (1) a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP), including how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (34 CFR §300.320(a)(1)); (2) measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, with benchmarks or short-term objectives required for students assessed on alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)); (3) a description of how progress toward annual goals will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided (34 CFR §300.320(a)(3)); (4) a statement of special education and related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications or supports for school personnel, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable (34 CFR §300.320(a)(4)); (5) an explanation of the extent to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in nonacademic and extracurricular activities (34 CFR §300.320(a)(5)); (6) individual accommodations necessary for state and districtwide assessments, including the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, or a statement of why the child cannot participate and why the Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0 (GAA 2.0) is appropriate (34 CFR §300.320(a)(6)); and (7) the projected dates for beginning services and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of services and modifications (34 CFR §300.320(a)(7)). The IEP Team must include the parents, at least one regular education teacher (if the child participates or may participate in regular education), at least one special education teacher or provider, a representative of the LEA who is qualified to provide or supervise specially designed instruction and is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum and available resources, an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, and the child when appropriate (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06). Georgia also requires consideration of special factors including behavioral interventions for children whose behavior impedes learning, language needs for limited English proficient children, Braille instruction for children with visual impairments, communication needs including opportunities for direct communication with peers and professionals, and assistive technology devices and services (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR §300.324(a)(2)).
What Georgia Requires
The IEP must include all components required by 34 CFR §300.320 and Georgia State Board of Education Rule 160-4-7-.06, developed through the Georgia Online IEP (GO-IEP) system.
Required components include PLAAFP, measurable annual goals, progress measurement methods, special education and related services, LRE explanation, assessment accommodations for Georgia Milestones or GAA 2.0 justification, and service dates/frequency/location/duration (34 CFR §300.320(a)(1)-(7)).
IEP Team membership must include parents, regular education teacher, special education teacher, LEA representative, evaluation interpreter, and the child when appropriate (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR §300.321).
The IEP Team must consider special factors: behavior interventions, language needs, Braille instruction, communication needs, and assistive technology for every child with a disability (34 CFR §300.324(a)(2)).
Extended School Year (ESY) services must be considered and made available on an individual basis when necessary to provide FAPE (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR §300.106).
For students transferring within Georgia, the new LEA must provide FAPE with comparable services until it adopts the previous IEP or develops a new one; for out-of-state transfers, the new LEA must provide comparable services until it conducts an evaluation if needed and develops a new IEP (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR §300.323(e)-(f)).
A Facilitated IEP Team Meeting may be requested through GaDOE when team members agree that a neutral third-party facilitator would improve communication and problem-solving during the IEP meeting (GaDOE Dispute Resolution).
Key Timelines
The IEP must be developed within 30 calendar days of the initial eligibility determination (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR §300.323(c)).
The IEP must be reviewed and revised at least annually (34 CFR §300.324(b)(1)).
Special education and related services must be made available as soon as possible following development of the IEP (34 CFR §300.323(c)(2)).
Parents must be notified of IEP meetings early enough to ensure an opportunity to attend, and meetings must be scheduled at a mutually agreed-upon time and place (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR §300.322).
For transfer students within Georgia, comparable services must begin immediately; the new LEA must adopt the existing IEP or develop a new one in a reasonable timeframe (34 CFR §300.323(e)).