Home Education for Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP)

The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction does not provide a service plan form or template. School districts may provide such a template or parents may develop their own.

The following definitions from NDCC, 15.1-32- SPECIAL EDUCATION, provide guidance as to the North Dakota defined special education and related services required to be written into the service plan:

• Special Education - instruction designed to meet the needs of a student with disabilities, transportation, and corrective and supporting services required to assist a student with disabilities in taking advantage of, or responding to, educational programs and opportunities.
• Related Services - transportation and developmental and corrective or supportive services required to assist a student with disabilities to benefit from special education.

NDCC, 15.1-23-13 1.a. (2), requires the service plan demonstrate that qualified persons are used to address the child’s special education needs. Documenting the name of the individual or agency that the parent is using to deliver or supervise services is thus required. NDCC also requires the resident district superintendent to annually determine reasonable academic progress and base that determination on the child’s service plan.

NDCC, 15.1-23-15, requires a parent supervising home education for a child with a developmental disability (as defined in NDCC) to file progress reports on or before November 1, February 1, and May 1 of each school year. Those reports must be prepared by the school district services plan team or the team selected and compensated by the parent. Using present levels of functioning to summarize the child’s special education and related service needs, and goals/objectives to outline the expected level of progress may be helpful, but not required.

NOTE - West Fargo Public Schools REQUIRES the Service Plan to be on file along with the Statement of Intent 14 days before home education begins.