Student Support Plans
Understanding Student Support Plans
Student support plans at school are structured approaches designed to help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally by addressing their individual needs. These plans often involve collaboration among teachers, counselors, administrators, and families. By creating a supportive and inclusive environment, student support plans aim to remove barriers to learning, promote student well-being, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. A medical diagnosis does not always indicated that a student needs a plan at school.
The first step to determine if your student is in need of a plan is to request a meeting with the school team. The school team will meet with you to review concerns and consider student specific data. Outcomes could include a MTSS plan to implement interventions or an evaluation to determine eligibility for a 504 Plan and/or IEP.
MTSS
MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports.
- It is the school's framework for organizing all the instruction and support—both academic and behavioral—to help all students succeed.
504
To be eligible for a 504 Service Agreement, a student must meet three criteria:
- Have a physical or mental disability.
- The disability must substantially limit one or more major life activities.
- The student must need accommodations in order to have equal access to the regular education program.
- The disability must make it much harder for the student to do the major life activity compared to most people.
- To be eligible for a 504 the student needs accommodations in the regular education classroom to access instruction based on needs related to their disability.
- US Department of Education – 504
- PA Department of Education – 504
- DASD Procedural Safeguards – 504
- DASD Procedural Safeguards - 504 (Spanish Version)
IHP
IHP stands for Individualized Health Plan and is developed by the school nurse.
- Identifies and documents a student's health needs and how to manage them at school.
IEP
To be eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a student must meet two criteria:
- The student meets eligibility criteria for 1 of 13 educational disability categories as defined by PA law.
- The student needs specific instruction, not provided for every student, from a special education teacher in order to make adequate educational progress.
- The disability must be severe enough that it adversely affects the student’s educational performance & requires changes to how instruction is delivered.
- To be eligible for an IEP the student needs more than just regular classroom supports or minor adjustments to make progress.