Which law mandates that students receiving special education services have an IEP?

The law that mandates an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students receiving special education services is PL 94-142, also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), enacted in 1975. This legislation was a groundbreaking step in ensuring that children with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) tailored to their individual needs.

It laid the foundation for the development of IEPs, which provide specific educational goals and services tailored to each student with disabilities. The law aimed to ensure that all children, regardless of their disabilities, would have equal access to education. This focus on individualized planning and execution underscores the importance of addressing each student’s unique strengths and challenges through a structured IEP process.

Subsequent legislation, such as PL 99-457 and others, expanded the scope of services and included preschool children, but it was PL 94-142 that originally required schools to create an IEP for eligible students.