The Difference Between IEPs and 504s

Overall, both IEPs and 504s exist to offer help for primary and secondary learners with learning and attention issues. Let's look at comparisons.

IEP: a specified legal plan for a student's special education involvement

Each IEP is supposed to be individualized for the student by including unique services and educational circumstances to best support them in any way. It will be at no cost to families. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) structures the requirements for IEPs which in turn says that the child should have one or more of the 13 outlined legal disabilities and dually affects their academic performance/ability within the general curriculum. A review of the plan must happen annually, with the evaluation consent of a parent/guardian. Accommodations, modifications, present and past academic scores, educational goals, assessment participation, inclusion in school classes and activities, unique services, and timing should all be written out in the plan itself. Lastly, keep in mind that the IEP team needs to include a parent/guardian, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a school psychologist, and a district representative.

504: a specified plan for how a student will have access to learning at school

A 504's goal is to provide changes and services to a learning environment to support the needs of a student as adequately as other students. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 makes it possible for students to receive extra support with no cost to parents/guardians. Students on 504s may have any disability, many in the learning and attention sector, that interferes with their abilities in general education classrooms. Overall, there is a broader window for students to obtain a 504 compared to an IEP. A 504 team includes: parent/guardian, general education teacher, special education teacher, and school principal. The specified plan will describe accommodations, services, names of educational supporters who carry the 504 out, and the name of person responsible for ensuring the implementation.

Questions:

Will new teachers receive extra training about 504s and IEPs?

Do students usually stay on 504s all throughout their primary and secondary years?