What is the difference between an IEP and 504? And how do students qualify for each plan?
Most every industry has its own jargon. Some of our favorite business related ones are “open the kimono” (use your own imagination as to what the heck that even is supposed to mean); “boil the ocean” (why would you want to do that?); and “blue sky thinking” (that actually sounds rather pleasing.)
Education is no different. And as the school year begins to wind down, two important terms for parents to know – especially parents of students with learning differences – are IEP and 504. Each is a formal document that provides instructions for educators to help a student achieve success. But the two documents have different agendas.
IEP
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) under IDEA (Individuals with Disability Education Act) covers students who qualify for Special Education. According to Ed Week, about 14% or 7.1 million public school students have an IEP. Special education might include speech and language, occupational therapy, or physical therapy.
The steps to determine eligibility for and drafting of an IEP include:
- Child being identified – usually by the classroom teacher – as possibly needing special education services.
- Child is evaluated by the public school or the parents may opt for private testing at their own expense.
- Eligibility is determined based off of testing results. Parents may challenge the results of the decision.
- If the child is determined to have a disability based on IDEA, the IEP team must meet within 30 calendar days to write the IEP.
- IEP meeting is held and a plan is crafted, listing services and accommodations student will receive.
- Services are implemented.
What is typically included in an IEP? The website Understood states an IEP will have the following items:
- Learning environment – must be least restrictive
- Child’s present level of performance derived from testing
- Related services child will receive
- A list of accommodations
- Annual goals
The ultimate goal of an IEP is to create a document that allows teachers, parents, administrators, and related service personnel to work together to improve education for students with learning differences.
504
Section 504 is part of a federal civil rights law known as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This law specifically prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities and guarantees them a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). According to the Advocacy Institute, about 1.5% of the K-12 student population has a 504 plan.
Section 504 covers students who don’t meet the criteria for Special Education but who still require some accommodations. A student must have a diagnosis for a physical or emotional disability or an impairment (i.e. ADHD) that restricts one or more life activities such as learning. At the heart of a 504 plan is a list of accommodations a student needs to be successful in the classroom.
Typical accommodations include:
- preferential seating
- extended time on tests and or assignments
- teacher prepared notes
- behavior management plan
A 504 plan alters a student’s regular education class and is monitored by the regular classroom teacher. Some examples in action might be a child with ADHD is given a seat in the front of the classroom or a student with a language-based disability is allowed to use audio books to supplement reading instruction.
IEP vs 504
Both an IEP and a 504 plan ensure that students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education. One aspect to pay attention to is accommodations versus modifications.
According to Vanderbilt University, accommodations are a “change to instructional or testing procedures or materials that allows a student to fully access the information and to accurately demonstrate knowledge.” Examples include text-to-speech software, teacher-prepared organizers, or taking a test in a separate room. They do not change the content of the instruction or the expectations for learning.
On the other hand, modifications are “a change to instruction or curriculum that alters either the content of that instruction or student performance expectations.” Examples include reduced assignments, reading material at a different reading level, or reduced amount of content on a test. These do change the expectations for learning and reduce the requirements of a task.
Everything in a 504 plan could be included in an IEP, however, not everything in an IEP could be in a 504.
Final Thoughts
Wading through industry jargon can be challenging, especially when the phrasings seem nebulous at best or down right weird at worst. Parents of a child with a learning difference should be intricately familiar with both an IEP and a 504 plan. Both are blueprints for teachers and related staff to follow to allow a child to succeed in the classroom. An IEP entitles a child to Special Education services while a 504 plan typically provides a student with a list of accommodations to help him or her succeed in the regular education classroom.
If you have questions about your child’s current IEP or 504 plan, or your child’s teacher has suggested he or she be evaluated, please reach out Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discuss this critical and sometimes confusing path to support.