Services & Placement

Sec. 300.320(a)(7)

(7)The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications.

This section details the agreed upon specifics to the delivery of services and consists of the listed parts below: 

It is critical that the student receive the service indicated on the IEP.  If a student has a goal for physical education/adapted physical education; he/she must have an APE service line. 

Sample Narrative of Delivery of Service

Between April 15, 2019 and April 14, 2020,  Samuel will receives adapted physical education services provided by a physical educator and/or adapted physical educator inside the general education setting. The service will be provided two times per week for 45 minutes each session over a period of 36 weeks. 

Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)

A continuum of adapted physical education services provides students the opportunity to receive instruction in the least restrictive environment (LRE).  LRE is defined as providing instruction to students with disabilities in the general education setting to the maximum extent appropriate. Students with disabilities should only be removed from the general education setting when they are unable to achieve a satisfactory education in that environment with supplemental aids and services based on the nature and severity of their disability (20 U.S.C. 1412 (a)(5)(A) Special Education).

Section 300.116(a)
The placement decision is made by a group of persons, including the parents, and other persons knowledgeable about the child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and the placement options; and is made in conformity with the LRE provisions of the subpart, including §§300.114 through 300.118.

Essential Factors for Making Data-Based Placement Decisions 

Section 300.116(b)

The child’s placement—

(1) Is determined at least annually;

(2) Is based on the child’s IEP; and

(3) Is as close as possible to the child’s home;

Section 300.327
Consistent with §300.501(c), each public agency must ensure that the parents of each child with a disability are members of any group that makes decisions on the educational placement of their child. 

Section 300.503
Parents must be given written notice of a meeting and reasonable time before a public agency implements a proposal or refusal to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child or the provision of FAPE to the child.  

The Office of Special Education Programs provided a written response to Estavan, 25 IDELR 1211 in 1997 that indicated there is no requirement in IDEA that a student first fails in the regular classroom before a more supportive placement outside the general education setting can be considered. However, before a more restrictive placement can be considered, the IEP team must consider placement of the student in the regular classroom with appropriate supplementary aids and services. An individualized inquiry into the full range of supplementary aids and services must occur for each student, regardless of the nature or severity of the student’s disability. 

The Office of Special Education Programs provided a written response to Trigg, 50 IDELR 48 in 2007 that indicated a school district cannot allow the lack of available special education services to dictate the student's placement on the least restrictive environment continuum.
The school district may not make placements based on factors such as the following:

Federal Register

Continuum of Placement (Delivery of Service)

Section 300.115 

Requires each public agency to ensure that a continuum of alternative placements (including instruction in regular classes, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions) is available to meet the needs of children with disabilities for special education and related services. This continuum of alternative placements is intended to ensure that a child with a disability is served in a setting where the child can be educated successfully in the LRE.

A strong preference within Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004, is that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment. The lowest level of restriction to an environment is the neighborhood school in the general education setting. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) means to the maximum extent possible, each student with a disability must be educated with students without disabilities. This is unless the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in the general environment with the use of supplementary aids, program modifications, supports, and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Therefore, general physical education should always be considered as the first placement option. The flow chart below illustrates methods of delivery of service. 

*Note: Some areas throughout the country provide unique learning settings that may not be listed on this sheet. It is important to explore the learning opportunities and settings provided in your specific local education agency (district, county, township, school). 



Delivery of Service.pdf