IEP Transition Services in Indiana
When does IEP transition planning start in Indiana?
Indiana requires a Transition IEP (TIEP) — Indiana's distinct statutory term for an IEP that addresses transition — effective when a student enters 9th grade or the school year in which the student turns 14, whichever comes first (511 IAC 7-43-4). This is two years earlier than the federal IDEA minimum of age 16. The TIEP must include: measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments in education/training, employment, and if appropriate, independent living; a Statement of Transition Service Needs (Indiana's specific IEP component); a course of study aligned to those postsecondary goals; transition services and activities to help the student achieve the postsecondary goals; and annual goals supporting transition. The student must be invited to their own Case Conference Committee (CCC) meeting when transition is discussed; if the student does not attend, the CCC must take other steps to ensure the student's preferences and interests are considered (511 IAC 7-43-4). Beginning not later than one year before the student turns 18, the TIEP must include a statement that parental rights will transfer to the student at age 18 under 511 IAC 7-43-5. Age of majority notification must appear in the TIEP beginning when the student is 17. Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services may be invited to participate as a potentially responsible agency for transition services. FAPE continues through the school year in which the student turns 22 (IC 20-35-1-7; 511 IAC 7-42-10).
What Indiana Requires
A Transition IEP (TIEP) must be in effect when the student enters 9th grade or the school year in which the student turns 14, whichever comes first — two years earlier than the federal minimum of age 16 (511 IAC 7-43-4).
The TIEP must include measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments in education/training, employment, and if appropriate, independent living (511 IAC 7-43-4).
Indiana's TIEP includes a Statement of Transition Service Needs — documenting the course of study and transition services needed to achieve postsecondary goals (511 IAC 7-43-4).
The student must be invited to the CCC meeting when transition is discussed; if absent, the CCC must ensure the student's preferences and interests are incorporated by other means (511 IAC 7-43-4).
Representatives from agencies likely responsible for transition services (such as Indiana VR) must be invited with parental consent to participate in the CCC meeting (511 IAC 7-43-4).
Beginning one year before the student turns 18, the TIEP must state that parental educational rights will transfer to the student at age 18 under Indiana law (511 IAC 7-43-5).
Key Timelines
Transition IEP (TIEP) must be in effect when the student enters 9th grade or turns 14, whichever comes first (511 IAC 7-43-4).
Age-of-majority notification must be included in the TIEP beginning not later than one year before the student turns 18 (i.e., beginning at age 17) (511 IAC 7-43-5).
Parental rights transfer to the student at age 18 unless a guardian or educational representative is appointed (511 IAC 7-43-5).
FAPE eligibility continues through the school year in which the student turns 22 (IC 20-35-1-7; 511 IAC 7-42-10).
Sources
Related IEP Guides
IEP Transition Goals: Preparing Your Child for Life After High School
What IEP transition planning is, when it starts, what transition goals should include, and how to prepare your child for life after school.
Intellectual Disability and the IEP: What Real Support Looks Like
How students with intellectual disabilities qualify for IEPs, what services to expect, transition planning, and how to advocate for high expectations.