Required IEP Sections in Utah
What sections are required in an IEP in Utah?
Utah IEPs must contain all components required by federal law (34 CFR 300.320) as implemented through Utah Admin. Code R277-750. Under R277-750-201, each IEP must include: a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance; measurable annual goals; a description of how the child's progress toward annual goals will be measured and when periodic progress reports will be provided; the special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications; an explanation of the extent the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class; the projected start date, frequency, location, and duration of services; and individual appropriate accommodations for state and districtwide assessments. For students taking alternate assessments, the IEP must explain why the student cannot participate in the regular assessment and which alternate assessment is appropriate. Utah-specific additions include documentation of extended school year (ESY) eligibility decisions and, beginning at age 14 (or earlier when appropriate), a coordinated set of transition activities. Utah uses the RISE assessments (Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment) for statewide testing, and the DLM Dynamic Learning Maps alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
What Utah Requires
The IEP must include a statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance describing how the disability affects involvement in the general education curriculum (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)).
Measurable annual goals must be included that address the child's needs resulting from the disability and enable progress in the general curriculum (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)).
The IEP must specify all special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications with projected start date, frequency, location, and duration (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4), (a)(7)).
Individual appropriate accommodations for the RISE statewide assessments must be listed, or if the student will take the DLM alternate assessment, the IEP must explain why and which alternate assessment applies (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).
Beginning at age 14 (or younger when appropriate), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals and a coordinated set of transition activities — Utah requires transition planning beginning at age 14, which is more protective than the federal IDEA minimum of age 16 (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.320(b)).
The IEP must document how and when parents will be informed of the child's progress toward annual goals, at least as frequently as nondisabled students receive report cards (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)).
Key Timelines
The IEP must be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a)).
An initial IEP must be developed within 30 calendar days of the eligibility determination (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201(1)).
The IEP must be reviewed at least annually and revised as needed (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
For students transferring within Utah, the receiving LEA must provide comparable services within 30 days of enrollment while developing a new IEP (Utah Admin. Code R277-750-201; 34 CFR 300.323(e)).