Technical Assistance Team (TAT)

Educational Benefit Review Toolkit

An Educational Benefit Review (EBR) is a structured process to examine the supports and services that result in a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with exceptionalities. The process can lead to improvement at both the individual and system levels within an LEA. At the individual level, the EBR is a rigorous approach that examines a student's current IEP to determine if the design is reasonably calculated to provide educational benefit. At the system level, the EBR is a  process to systematically assist an LEA in evaluating the special education services offered and to use that information to improve practice and outcomes for all students with exceptionalities.

An EBR is useful for a variety of purposes, including

• assisting a building/district/LEA in reviewing the impact and quality of IEP programming being offered and implemented,
• identifying areas of need in policy, practice, and/or procedures,
• analyzing programming when progress has been limited for a particular student,
• assisting an individual IEP team to prepare for/conduct an annual IEP review or planning for a transition, and
• building the capacity of staff as a professional development tool to improve the quality of IEP development.

EBR Toolkit 

The EBR Toolkit is designed to support training and technical assistance in completing an EBR. Below are training resources for the LEA/District Administrator, EBR group facilitators, and EBR group participants. 

A.  LEA/District Administrator EBR Resources

• Administrator's Guide to the Educational Benefit Review (EBR) - This manual is for administrators interested in understanding and/or desiring to implement EBR in a district/LEA. 
• Administrator's Planning Checklist - designed to support administrators who are planning an EBR.
• Initial Leadership Meeting PowerPoint - useful for sharing with School Leaders the purpose, benefits and process for an EBR. 
• Agenda for Initial Administrator Meeting - can be used with the Initial Leadership Meeting PowerPoint Presentation. 
• EBR Forms
  • Form 1: EBR Charting
  • Form 2: IEP Data Chart
  • Form 3: IEP Summary Worksheet
  • Form 4: EBR Student Summary Worksheet
  • Form 5: EBR Benefit Participant Reflection Form
• Alternative Forms 
  1. Editable IEP Summary Worksheet
  2. IEP Data Chart electronic
  3. Form 3b IEP Student Summary Step 3  
  4. Google Drive Version of Forms 1 - 5 
  5. Ideas for Using the EBR as Professional Development

B.  Team Facilitator EBR Resources 

• EBR Facilitator Meeting PowerPoint- can be used to train group facilitators on the EBR process. 
• EBR Facilitator Guide - to be shared with EBR group facilitators. 

C.  Group EBR Meeting Resources 

• EBR Meeting Agenda Samples - suggested meeting agendas. 
• EBR Group Meeting PowerPoint - can be used prior to EBR reviews to provide an overview to participants. 
• Group Forms/Handouts
  • Form 1: EBR Charting
  • Form 2: IEP Data Chart
  • Form 3: IEP Summary Worksheet
  • Form 4: EBR Student Summary Worksheet
  • Form 5: EBR Benefit Participant Reflection Form​​​​
• Alternative Forms 
  1. Editable IEP Summary Worksheet
  2. IEP Data Chart electronic
  3. Form 3b IEP Student Summary Step 3  
  4. Google Drive Version of Forms 1 - 5 

D. EBR Resources

1. Questions and Answers (Q&A) on U.S. Supreme Court Case Decision Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1
2. IRIS Center Module: IEPs: How Administrators Can Support the Development and Implementation of High-Quality IEPs
3. IRIS Center Module: IEPs: Developing High-Quality Individualized Education Program