Special Services Rewrite

ProgressBook is Ohio’s leading K12 Education solution provider with the state’s #1 most used Student Information System. I led a UX team who completely redesigned one of the core apps, Special Services. 

Special Services Defined

Special Services (Sps) manages all special education and gifted student processes while complying with federal and state regulatory requirements. School districts are provided major funding for every student who qualifies for Special Education.

Specifically, Sps manages the student documentation that is reported back to the state. These documents include;

IEP = Individualized Education Program – Parents work with educators to develop a IEP to help kids succeed in school. The IEP describes the goals the team sets for a child during the school year, as well as any special support needed to help achieve them.

504 = A 504 plan is a written document. It describes the changes (modifications and/or accommodations) a disabled student needs in order to have equal access to the same education as non-disabled students in the school.

IEP vs 504 Plan. IEP plans under IDEA cover students who qualify for Special Education. Section 504 covers students who don’t meet the criteria for special education but who still require some accommodations.