Appoint committee members, as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates, to prepare each eligible child's individualized educational program. Each committee must include the child's parents, teachers and other relevant people with professional training. Write the IEP to meet all federal regulations and state guidelines. This includes items such as the child's current levels of functioning and academic performance, special education services needed, support required by school personnel, data identifying time spent in the least restrictive environment and necessary modifications to standardized tests.
Work with the committee members to prepare annual goals for the IEP. These are goals that the child may be able to accomplish in a year, including short-term objectives that address specific academic, social, behavioral and physical problems and needs. The objectives must be measurable to determine whether the student has achieved them. The goals and their accomplishment depend on a variety of factors, including the committee's decisions about the extent the child will be in special education classes and regular classes. The goals should be based on objective measures of the child's academic abilities, performance and testing. A child who lacks an ability to communicate differs in academic needs from a blind child. Both may do quite well in regular classrooms with proper assistance and score well on standardized tests that have been adjusted to their disabilities. Some disabilities are so limiting physically or cognitively that adequate compensatory measures can only be had in special classes.
Write goals, with the aid of the committee, that address a child's social, behavioral and physical abilities and limitations. Unrealistic goals can be damaging to a child's motivation and confidence. A goal that's unreachable weakens confidence, while one that is too easily reached weakens motivation. A reasonable goal needs thoughtful, consistent support from school personnel and family for the child to successfully reach it.
Establish long-term goals. Since a school's obligation to disabled children ends at the conclusion of 12th grade, one long-term goal for most disabled students is certification of meeting the criteria for graduation.