IEP Service Delivery in Vermont
How are IEP services delivered in Vermont?
Vermont has specific regulations governing service delivery settings through Rule 2364 (Educational Placement/LRE). The full continuum of alternative placements must be available under Rule 2364.2, including instruction in regular classes, resource rooms, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and hospitals/institutions (34 CFR 300.115). Vermont has a strong commitment to inclusive education; under Rule 2364.1, supervisory unions must ensure that students with disabilities are educated alongside nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with supplementary aids and services used before considering more restrictive placements. Extended school year (ESY) services must be provided when the IEP team determines the student requires them to receive FAPE (Rule 2363.7; 34 CFR 300.106); ESY decisions cannot be based solely on category of disability or administrative convenience. Vermont's Act 173 (2018) reformed special education funding to a census-based model, with supervisory unions — not individual school districts — serving as the responsible LEAs for special education (16 V.S.A. § 2942). Vermont's early childhood special education services (ECSES) provide services for eligible children ages 3-6, with Part C early intervention (Children's Integrated Services/Early Intervention or CIS/EI) transitioning to Part B at age 3 (Rule 2361). Supervisory unions may contract for services they cannot directly provide, subject to quality and licensure requirements.
What Vermont Requires
The full continuum of alternative placements must be available, including regular classes, resource rooms, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and hospital settings (Rule 2364.2; 34 CFR 300.115).
Vermont has a strong inclusive education commitment — students must be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with supplementary aids and services used before more restrictive placements (Rule 2364.1; 34 CFR 300.114).
Extended school year services must be provided when necessary for the student to receive FAPE; the decision cannot be based solely on category of disability or administrative convenience (Rule 2363.7; 34 CFR 300.106).
Vermont supervisory unions — not individual school districts — are the responsible LEAs for special education under Act 173 and 16 V.S.A. § 2942.
Vermont's ECSES provides services for eligible children ages 3-6, transitioning from Part C (CIS/EI) to Part B at age 3 (Rule 2361; 34 CFR 300.124).
Supervisory unions may contract for services they cannot directly provide, subject to quality and licensure requirements (16 V.S.A. § 2942; Rule 2363.2).
Vermont ensures equitable access and participation in nonacademic and extracurricular activities for students with disabilities (Rule 2364.4; 34 CFR 300.117).
Key Timelines
Services must begin on the projected start date documented in the IEP (Rule 2363.1; 34 CFR 300.323(a)).
Service delivery models must be reviewed at least annually at the IEP meeting (Rule 2363.6; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
ESY eligibility must be considered by the IEP team before the end of each regular school year (Rule 2363.7; 34 CFR 300.106).
Part C to Part B transition: an IEP must be in effect by the child's third birthday; the transition conference must be held at least 90 days before the child's third birthday (Rule 2361; 34 CFR 300.124).
Sources
Related IEP Guides
IEP Services Explained: What Your Child Should Be Getting
Understand IEP related services — speech, OT, PT, counseling, and more. Learn direct vs. consultative models and what to do if services aren't delivered.
The IEP Says 30 Minutes of Speech. My Child Gets 15.
What to do when your child's IEP services aren't delivered as written — how to discover the gap, document it, and hold the school accountable.
Compensatory Services: What Your Child Is Owed When the School Falls Short
What compensatory services are, when your child is entitled to them, how to request them, and what to do when IEP services are missed.