Updates to the ACHIEVE IEP are underway, with enhancements focused on improving clarity, alignment and decision-making across the IEP. Changes include improvements to meeting processes, Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) special factors, and alignment across goals, services and supports.

Please note these updates will not be released until mid-August. Watch for additional information and guidance on the ACHIEVE webpage as the release approaches.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Katherine Hall at katherine.hall@iowa.gov or Education Program Consultant Shannon Grundmeier at shannon.grundmeier@iowa.gov with questions.

A new coaching log tool will be available in ACHIEVE to support professional learning of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) at the start of the 2026-2027 school year. The practice coaches will have the ability to create coaching logs when supporting educators’ implementation of the SDI Framework. The Coaching Log captures coaching methods and key components and critical features used during coaching sessions to enhance the implementation of SDI. A user guide will be posted to the ACHIEVE webpage to help users learn more about this tool.

As a reminder, bi-monthly practice coaching logs are required for IDEA-DA Extended Level 3 Districts. The requirement for coaching logs for Extended Level 2 Districts is determined by the Regional Special Education Director.

Please contact Administrative Consultant Dee Waddell at dee.waddell@iowa.gov with questions.

Changes to the reevaluation process in ACHIEVE will go into effect the evening of July 1. To support the field in navigating these changes, the Department will provide recorded webinars and hold open office hours via Zoom. In addition, training packages will be provided to the Area Education Agencies (AEAs).

The following are important dates to keep in mind as the field prepares for these changes:

• Early June: Training materials will be provided to AEAs.
• July 1: All in-progress reevaluations must be finalized by 5 p.m. All remaining draft reevaluation data will be removed on the evening of July 1.
• July 2: New reevaluations can be started.
• Early July: A recorded webinar and a slidedeck of changes will be posted to theACHIEVE webpage.
• July: Updates will be made to the i3 webpage for reevaluations.
• August: Office Hours will be offered. The schedule will be posted on the ACHIEVE webpage once it is finalized.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Jessica Hernandez at jessica.hernandez@iowa.gov or Education Program Consultant Shannon Grundmeier at shannon.grundmeier@iowa.gov with questions.

The Early Math Alternate Screener will be available in the fall for students in grades K-6 that participate in the alternate assessments. This will be an instructionally embedded screener aligned to the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Essential Elements, similar to the Early Literacy Alternate Screener, and data will be collected within ACHIEVE. The Early Math Alternate Screener will focus on areas of number sense, geometry, measurement, data, and analysis and algebraic and functional reasoning. Training will be available this fall.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Jennifer Denne at jennifer.denne@iowa.gov with questions.

The Department hosted the Special Education Policy and Practice Webinar on FAPE: Special Requests on April 8. The webinar provided information on how IEP teams should respond to and consider a variety of parent requests, including topics such as transportation, health and related services.

The next webinar in the series, Dispute Resolution, will be held on May 13 at 8:30 a.m. This webinar will provide an overview of dispute resolution options. It will highlight state complaints, due process and mediation along with corresponding timelines. We will also review current trends in Iowa and nationally. Additionally, the team will explore prevention strategies districts can use to reduce conflicts and improve collaboration with families.

The last webinar for the 2025-26 year, End-of-Year Program Evaluation (ACHIEVE) and Year-to-Year Data Comparison, will be held on June 10.

Participants can join the Policy and Practice webinars using Zoom and the passcode 431127. No registration is required, and the same link will be used for all sessions. Recordings, materials and resources from the 2025–26 and 2024–25 webinar series are available on the Department’s Policy and Practice Webinar webpage.

Please contact the SDI Literacy Consultant Mary Beilke at mary.beilke@iowa.gov with questions.
Policy & Practice Webinar Series

Each year, secondary school teams across the state partner with vocational rehabilitation, Area Education Agencies (AEAs), and other transition service agencies to review and update their Local School Plan (LSP). The LSP is a required service delivery agreement, collaboratively developed, facilitated and implemented by these local partners. Its purpose is to help teams build an effective and meaningful transition service system tailored to their local needs to support the postsecondary goals and outcomes of students with disabilities. The LSP should support and align with the District Career and Academic Plan (DCAP).

Effective interagency collaboration is both a proven practice and a key predictor of improved postsecondary outcomes for students. The importance of this coordinated service planning and delivery is also reinforced and required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

The updated LSP template and related training materials for the 2026-2027 school year can be found on the Department's Secondary Transition website and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) website. These resources include:

• LSP template for the 2026-2027 school year
• Two training modules to support teams with this process:
  • Local School Plan: Intent and Collaboration
  • Local School Plan: Template Training

The submission window is now open. Plans are due no later than October 15. Local teams should:

• Review the necessary team members.
• Schedule meeting(s) and coordinate the roles and responsibilities of each team member in the LSP process.
• Develop a plan for the collection and review of data to be used in the next LSP process.
• Ensure a plan is in place to submit the updated plan by October 15th.

Teams should plan ahead to ensure the updated plan is submitted on time. Join the email list to receive updates and materials regarding the LSP.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Kelsey Teeter at kelsey.teeter.iowa.gov with questions.

The Department recently released an updated technical assistance document to support districts navigating WBL opportunities for students with disabilities. This document is available on the Department’s Secondary Transition and Career-Connected Learning websites. The Department will also be offering a webinar to cover this information and details for this will be shared in the near future.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Jodie Smith at jodie.smith@iowa.gov or Education Program Consultant Kelsey Teeter at kelsey.teeter@iowa.gov with questions. 

Research consistently shows that when families and schools work as true partners, students benefit. Collaboration reduces conflict, builds trust and leads to stronger educational outcomes. The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) is offering a free 90 minute webinar on CADRE’s Collaborative Advocacy principles on May 12 at 12:30 p.m. This session translates CADRE’s principles into practical, actionable strategies for the IEP process. Designed for advocates, educators, district leaders and others who support families, the webinar explores how everyone at the table—from parent advocates to district administrators—can foster relationship-based, student-centered collaboration.

CADRE is the National Center on Dispute Resolution and works to increase capacity to prevent and resolve special education and early intervention disputes to improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. CADRE supports State Education Agencies, Lead Agencies and federally funded Parent Centers to develop more effective dispute resolution systems.

Please contact Dispute Resolution Coordinator Jen Cira at jen.cira@iowa.gov with questions.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR), effective April 20, that extends the compliance dates for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) requirements for one year. Public entities serving populations of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027 to comply. Public entities serving populations of fewer than 50,000 have until April 26, 2028 to comply.

The DOJ’s April 24, 2024 rule revised title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to include technical requirements for the accessibility of state and local government websites and mobile applications for persons with disabilities. The WCAG guidelines are intended to make content accessible to a wider range of disabilities and more usable in general.

The new rule mandates proactive digital accessibility in education. Examples of digital materials required to conform include:

• Websites and digital textbooks,
• Online learning platforms (including learning management systems), apps and tools,
• Videos and slide presentations, and
• Teacher-created and curated materials.

It is important that districts not only embed accessibility into procurement processes, but also provide robust professional development for staff to effectively create, curate and test for accessibility of materials/technology used in the classroom.

Districts and AEAs should continue efforts to comply with WCAG 2.1 as the legal obligation has not changed and the extended deadline merely gives organizations more time to be in compliance. Written comments can be submitted to the Federal eRulemaking website on or before June 22, 2026.

Please contact Education Program Consultant MeLissa Lawson at melissa.lawson@iowa.gov with questions.

The site updates page on i3 is an easy way to find the information that has been recently updated or changed. Currently, the most recent post is for winter 2025/2026. Be on the lookout for additional updates at the end of the year. Site updates are always accessible from the main menu at the top of every page.

The i3 guidance system is a user-friendly platform that allows educators and families to access special education procedures and guidance. i3 was developed in partnership between the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) and local districts with input from parents and partner agencies across Iowa. The i3 system is available at https://iowaideainformation.org.

Please contact Education Program Consultant Jessica Hernandez at jessica.hernandez@iowa.gov with questions.