Required IEP Sections in Kansas
What sections are required in an IEP in Kansas?
Kansas IEPs must contain all federally required components under 34 CFR 300.320 as implemented through Kansas Administrative Regulations (K.A.R. 91-40-1 et seq.) and K.S.A. 72-3404. Required sections include: present levels of academic achievement and functional performance; measurable annual goals; special education and related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications; explanation of non-participation with nondisabled peers; individual modifications for state and districtwide assessments; projected start date, frequency, location, and duration of services; and how progress will be measured and reported. Kansas does not require benchmarks or short-term objectives for all students — they are required only for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take alternate assessments (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)). Transition services requirements must be addressed beginning at age 16 consistent with federal law, though Kansas encourages teams to begin planning earlier (K.S.A. 72-3404(d)). At age 18, Kansas students gain educational decision-making rights unless guardianship is established; the IEP must document the transfer of rights (K.A.R. 91-40-47).
What Kansas Requires
Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance must describe how the disability affects involvement in the general curriculum (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(1); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
Measurable annual goals must address disability-related needs and enable progress in the general curriculum (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(2); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
Benchmarks or short-term objectives are required only for students taking alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(2); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(ii)).
The IEP must specify all special education and related services with projected start date, frequency, location, and duration (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(7); 34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)).
The IEP must include individual appropriate accommodations or modifications for state assessments (Kansas Assessment Program), or justify the use of an alternate assessment (K.A.R. 91-40-17(a)(6)).
At age 18, the IEP must document that the student has been informed of the transfer of procedural safeguard rights from parents to the student (K.A.R. 91-40-47; 34 CFR 300.520).
Beginning no later than the IEP in effect when the student turns 16, the IEP must include a transition plan with measurable postsecondary goals (K.S.A. 72-3404(d); 34 CFR 300.320(b)).
Key Timelines
The IEP must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
Initial IEP must be developed within 30 days of the eligibility determination (K.A.R. 91-40-17(b); 34 CFR 300.323(c)(1)).
The IEP must be reviewed and revised at least annually (K.A.R. 91-40-18(a); 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
Transfer students: comparable services must begin within 10 school days of enrollment in a new Kansas district (K.A.R. 91-40-17(c)).