What is the Difference Between IEP and 504 plans?

          Prior to this week, I was fairly uncertain of what a 504 plan was and what kind of accommodations would be readily available to students who qualify for receiving services under this Special Education plan. When it comes to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), I felt knowledgeable in the functioning of this plan due to my own experiences while being on an IEP. Below is my Venn Diagram to illustrate the differences between a section 504 plan and an IEP.

Figure 1. Venn Diagram of 504 vs. an IEP

What is an IEP and What Accommodations are Available for Students and Their Families?

          Students whom are placed on and Individual Education Plan (IEP), have to go through a strenuous process in the form of an evaluation to determine the services that will best serve them in the classroom (University of Washington, 2019). Due to this long drawn out process, once a student is placed on an IEP, the services the child with a disability receives will be reflective of the student needs that must be met in order to assure that the When I was just seven years old, I was placed on an IEP at the end of Kindergarten that would take affect in the first grade of elementary school. For my IEP, I specifically had a hard time with reading comprehension and anxiety when test day arrived. My issues with these two things resulted in my plan to consist of being placed in a separate room for testing where extended time was given if needed and also had an inclusion helper that would read test questions to me while I would take my tests and quizzes. These practices worked for me but no two students are alike even children with disabilities. Due to this principle, each child that is on an IEP will have annual meetings with their support team which includes the parents, teachers, and coordinator of the program to set goals for the upcoming school year. As the school year would come to a close, my mom would attend a meeting to determine if I either met the goals set before me for the academic school year or if my academic performance is reflective of me falling short of the goals my support team had set behind me. In addition to the annual meetings to discuss the goals my support team would hope I would accomplish, there are also additional meetings held every three years to determine if any modification needed to be made to the IEP to better support the student. For me, the meetings were held at the end of the school year in grades four and seven. At the end of fourth grade, my team determined that despite my efforts, I still needed to remain on my IEP due to my reading comprehension not matching the abilities of my peers. Three years later, my support team determined that my hard work and dedication allowed for me to be taken off of an IEP and placed back into the classroom with peers for testing.

What is a 504 Plan and What Accommodations are Available for Students and Their Families?

          When it comes to Education, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act focuses on the ideal of making sure that each student with a disability is enrolled in a school that will promote their academic growth and achievement in the classroom. This type of plan acts as the umbrella that covers students of all disabilities. To get a student to be included on this, a plan must be set in place to assure both the parents and student that proper aide will be given for the child with a disability (New Hampshire Department of Education, 2012). While this plan does focus on the ideal of providing equal and quality education in the classroom, there is no obligation for the section 504 plan to make changes to the curriculum in order for students to reach their fullest potential academically. Instead of the curriculum being modified to fit the needs of the students with disabilities, individuals placed on a section 504 plan are given auxiliary aids and services such as the presence of a note-taker, and interpreter for one whom may experience deafness and speaks American Sign Language (ASL), closed captions, and audio books that will allow for students how are hearing and visually impaired to be able to have their disabilities met while not having to change the classroom curriculum for students with disabilities to be successful (National Network for Americans with Disabilities Act, 2019).

Where is there Common Ground amongst the Two Different Plans as it pertains to Special Education?

          While there are differences between the two Special Education plans, there are also some commonalities between the two. For instance, both 504 plans and IEPs both provide academic support for students with disabilities through the use of support and services provided for them through the school system. The opportunities provided in these plans will allow for students to work with their support teams within the school system to provide as much academic growth as possible.

References:

National Network for Americans with Disabilities Act (2019). “What kinds of auxiliary aids and services are required by the ADA to ensure effective communication with individuals with hearing and visual impairments?”. Retrieved from: https://adata.org/faq/what-kinds-auxiliary-aids-and-services-are-required-ada-ensure-effective-communication

New Hampshire Department of Education: Serving New Hampshire’s Education Community. “Difference Between A Section 504 Plan and an IEP” (2012). Retrieved from: https://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/school_health/faq_504.htm

University of Washington. (2019). “What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan?”. Retrieved from: https://www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/what-difference-between-iep-and-504-plan