How to make an Amazing General Education Teacher Questionnaire for IEP

Have you ever wondered how to make an amazing general education teacher questionnaire or what to include in one? Well, I want to help you get detailed and useful present levels back from your students’ general education teachers, so that you can write an out-of-the-park IEP for ALL of your students. Let’s find out what your students CAN do and use that as a baseline for your students’ next set of IEP goals!

Before we get into real talk about IEP input form for teachers, if you are a new case manager or SPED teacher, I want to help you! It’s important get those IEP input forms back with enough time to turn those test scores, can-do statements, and percentages into stellar present levels. Use my IEP Checklists to help you stay organized throughout all of the steps in the IEP process. I want to help you be the best you can! Click here to get started and be a boss!

The First General Education IEP Input Form I Used

Oh my goodness, the first General Education IEP Input Form I used was horrible! I started my first contracted teaching job in 2012 as a Mild/Mod Resource teacher at an elementary school. I got hired three months into the school year, and basically inherited half of a classroom filled from floor to ceiling with STUFF. It was overwhelming to say the least. I walked in with my work bag, new work laptop, and tried to continue students’ SAI services, write IEPs, purge items, all while finishing my Master’s degree.

On my first day, I dug through the teacher desk. Amongst random files and extra photocopies of worksheets, I found photocopies of a clunky Word doc style teacher input form. The questions on it didn’t make sense and weren’t specific enough. The input form had questions on there that weren’t helpful and fonts that didn’t make me happy. The info I got back from teachers was subpar, not because they didn’t try, but because the questions on the IEP teacher questionnaire didn’t elicit great info from them. A couple years later, after honing in on my craft, creating routines that worked for my small groups, learning about curriculum and programs at my school and district, writing almost 50 IEPs each school year, and creating workflows for myself, I made a teacher input form that worked for my position and school. It changed everything!

Why Do You Need an IEP Input Form for Teachers

As all of us SPED teachers know, “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.” In IDEA, it states that for evaluations and IEP reviews, it is required to get input about the student’s functional, developmental, and academic abilities. Since it is a requirement to use multiple measures, a teacher input form is a great way to gather that information. In addition, the student’s general (or regular) education teacher is a member of the IEP team and one of the requirements for IEPs is that the general education teacher is to participate in the development of your student’s IEP. Having a section in your IEP general education teacher input form about positive behavioral interventions, supports, strategies, and possible supplementary aids and modifications, is a great way to get their participation prior to the IEP meeting.

What to Include in IEP Input Form

When talking about IEP input forms, I think putting ALL the things in it is the best way to go! What do I mean by this? I mean, include all the areas in the IEP that need to be updated, that you think the general education teacher can help provide input for. For all grade levels, K-12, it is a must to include strengths, learning preferences, interests, academic levels, communication skills, behavior, vocational skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, supports that are working in the classroom, recommendations moving forward, modifications that might be needed, and of course areas of concern, so you can help address that in the future IEP.

Elementary school case mangers can usually get away with using only one form sent to their student’s classroom teacher with all the things on it. Speaking to only middle school and high school case managers now–you will need more than one IEP teacher input form. I was an 8th grade Resource teacher for one year, and let me tell you, it might be more work on the front end, but take the time to make or find an input form specifically for Math, English/Language Arts, and a Vocational/Behavior/Communication form to send to all teachers. On each IEP input form for teachers, provide SPECIFIC content curriculum questions, a spot for tests scores (ask for name of unit/chapter and score), along with their input on the student’ strengths, learning preferences, interests, supports that are working in the classroom, recommendations moving forward, modifications that might be needed, and areas of concern. Let’s be real, is having too much info about a student a bad thing when writing an IEP?!

Do I make a PDF or Google Form?

Make both!! As a case manager it is so important to have a toolbox filled with a variety of tools. We all know teachers don’t have extra time lying around to fill out forms, so keep it easy for them, and give them the format they can be efficient with. Ask each teacher you work with what type of form they prefer to fill out—-a printed form (PDF) with a pen or a google form at the convenience of their own laptop. Know your GE teachers! Plus, taking the extra effort to ask your teachers about their preference, shows you care and builds a stronger team. If you put in the effort to make a form with detailed questions and a variety of answer types (Yes/No, short answer, long answer), it will then make your job easier in writing a detailed IEP for each of your students.

How to Make a General Education Teacher Input Form for IEP PDF

This step is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Seriously.

1. Create a mental or physical list of all categories needed in your specific input form.
2. Type it all up a Word Doc/Google Doc.
3. Save as a PDF.
4. Make copies and distribute as needed. Don’t forget to attach a note to it to remind teachers when the IEP meeting is and when you need the form back. Here’s a short blurb you could type, print, and attach to the IEP teacher questionnaire.

Example → Your student ____________ has an IEP meeting scheduled for ________________. Your input is valuable in writing an updated IEP. Please fill out the attached IEP Input Form and return back to me by _________________. Thank you so much!

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How to Make a General Education Teacher Input Form for IEP Google Form

This step is kind of like rinse and repeat.

1. Take all of the same categories and questions you made in the PDF version and input them into the Google Form. Simple as that!
2. Here’s a helpful hint– make sure to click that all sections need to be answered, that way no questions will get skipped!
3. Before you send it to your teachers, make sure you make a copy and rename the copy with your students’ initials or last name. Then you can compare all of teachers’ answers.
4. Email the Google Form link to your teachers as needed. In your email, don’t forget to remind teachers when the IEP meeting is and when you need the form back. Here’s a short blurb you could send with it!

Example → Your student ____________ has an IEP meeting scheduled for ________________. Your input is valuable in writing an updated IEP. Please fill out the Google Form(s) linked in this email and complete it by _________________. Thank you so much!

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I have loved sharing my thoughts and ideas with you about the topic of what is a general education teacher questionnaire for IEP. There are a lot of components to what makes a good teacher questionnaire for IEP, and I hope this has helped. If you don’t have the time to make one, visit my TPT store where you can find a PDF or Google Form version that works for you and your grade level.

Input forms for Elementary School

Input forms for Middle School and High School