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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) (Evaluación educacional independiente) – An evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the LEA responsible for the education of the child being evaluated. A parent has a right to request an IEE at public expense when the parent disagrees with an evaluation conducted or obtained by the LEA. When the parent asks for an IEE, the LEA must give the parent its evaluation criteria and where to get an IEE. The criteria must include the qualifications of the examiner and the location of the evaluation.
The IEE must meet the same criteria the LEA uses for its own evaluations. The LEA does not have to pay for the IEE if it can show at a due process hearing that the LEA's evaluation is appropriate or if it can show that the IEE does not meet the LEA's criteria. The parent always has the right to get an IEE at the parent's expense. Regardless of who pays for it, the ARD committee must consider any IEE that meets its criteria.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) (Programa educativo individualizado) – A written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed and revised by the ARD committee, of which parents are active members. The IEP includes the student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, participation in State and district-wide assessments, transition services, annual goals, special factors, special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, extended school year services, and least restrictive environment. For more information, see Commissioner’s Rules Guidance on Content of IEP. See also Standards Based IEPs.
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) (Plan individualizado de servicios para la familia) – A written plan for infants and toddlers with disabilities, aged birth to three, and their families. The IFSP is developed by the child’s parents, the child’s early childhood services coordinator, and others involved with the child. It addresses the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family and identifies supports and services needed to enable the family to effectively support the child’s development. Under IDEA, Part C, States must provide an IFSP for every infant or toddler with a disability and their families.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidades) – The federal law that grants children with disabilities the right to receive “a free appropriate public education” (FAPE). IDEA is important because it provides the minimum requirements each state must meet in order to receive federal special education funds. The IDEA is divided into 4 parts:
- Part A – General Provisions, Definitions and Other Issues
- Part B - Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities
- Part C – Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
- Part D – National Activities to Improve Education of Children with Disabilities
The law was reauthorized in 2004 and is referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. IDEA and IDEIA are used interchangeably when referring to the same law.
Informed Consent (Dar consentimiento, estando bien informado) – The school cannot do an initial evaluation, place a child in a special education program, or reevaluate a child without receiving the parent’s permission in writing.
Intellectual Disability (Discapacidad de intelectual) – In Oct. 2010, President Barack Obama has signed into law, Rosa’s Law, which will change references in federal law from mental retardation to intellectual disability, and references to a mentally retarded individual to an individual with an intellectual disability. A determination of Intellectual Disability must comply with criteria set forth in federal and state law as described in the Intellectual Disability framework of the Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Process.
Interest Lists (Listas de interés) - A term used interchangeably with “waiting lists” for individuals interested in accessing community services and supports, as opposed to institutional care, through the Medicaid waiver programs. There are thousands of people on interest lists in Texas, and it may take eight or more years between the date a person is placed on the interest list and the time services become available. Most of the interest lists move on a first come-first serve basis. Therefore, parents of children with disabilities are encouraged to place their child’s name on interest lists as early as possible, regardless of the child’s age or the parent’s income.
Interim Alternative Educational Setting (IAES) (Ambiente educacional alternativo e interino) – A child with a disability may be moved to another setting for not more than 45 school days, regardless of his or her disability, when the student commits certain offenses at school, on school premises, or at a school function. These include:
- Carrying or possessing a weapon;
- Knowingly possessing or using illegal drugs, or selling or soliciting the sale of a controlled substance;
- Inflicting serious bodily injury upon another person.
The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee decides where the setting will be. Students in an IAES should continue to have access to the general curriculum and receive educational supports and related services necessary to meet the goals of their IEP. (See the Discipline Flowchart for Students with Disabilities.)
Intervention (Intervención) – Additional instruction and teaching strategies that enable a struggling student to improve his or her academic performance in the area that he or she is having learning difficulties.