The cornerstone of special education is the Individualized Education Program, or IEP.  It is this document that will guide a student's special education instruction, and will ultimately be the key in determining whether a school district has provided a special education student with a free and appropriate public education as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  This presentation discusses the specific procedural and substantive legal requirements of the IEP, and provides helpful tips on how to draft legally sound present educational levels, goals and objectives, specially designed instruction, and other components of the IEP.