Individual Education Plans (IEP)
Individual Education Plans are created under the Special Education. The IEP is covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). An IEP is a legal written document or plan that maps out the services being provided by the special education department of the school that the student attends.
The process of receiving and IEP is determined by a full evaluation that shows the students strengths and challenges. The school counselor may serve on the IEP team and join in meetings, but these are typically address by the Special Education department.
504 Plans
A 504 plan is created by the school to provide students with a disability the right accommodations needed for them to succeed at school. These plans fall under the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These accommodations can include:
Changes to Environment
Changes to Instruction
Changes to how instruction is presented
504 differ from IEP's. They are not covered under Special Education. To qualify for a 5023 plan the school must determine that there is a need. Typically, the school counselor is the 504 coordinator for the school. The counselor along with a team work to create the 504 plan for the student and then continue to monitor that the plan is being implemented. The student's status for 504 is re-evaluated every school year.
Want to know more about 504's and IEP's? Click Below!