GlanceSheetHow to make an IEP at a glance in 5 steps
- Add your students. Press Add student for each child on your caseload, or load the three-student example to see how it works. Leave Initials only switched on, so the printed sheets show initials. A full name is optional.
- Fill in the basics. Enter grade, school year, case manager and contact, and the plan type (IEP or 504 plan). Add the meeting, annual review and re-evaluation dates if you want to track them. The editor shows how many days are left; the printout only shows dates if you ask it to.
- Write what a teacher needs. List strengths and interests, what helps and what to watch for in short plain bullets. Tick accommodations from the list of about 60, search it, or add your own. Add goal summaries, services, a behavior plan note and key contacts. Hide any section you do not want on the printout.
- Check that it fits one page. A line above the form tells you if the sheet fits on one page. If it does not, the line names the sections to trim, and the PDF shortens them and says so instead of running onto a second page.
- Download and share. Download one student's sheet, the whole caseload as one page per student, a class accommodations matrix for a teacher, a 504 version, or the sub and para version. Share them the way your district says to.
A summary, not the plan. A GlanceSheet is a summary, not the IEP or the 504 plan. The full plan is the document your school follows, so use the sheet to find your way in and the plan for the details. Student records are protected information, so use the tools your district approves and follow its rules on where records are stored and who may see them. GlanceSheet keeps what you type on your own device and uploads nothing, but it cannot know your district's policy.
What goes on an IEP at a glance
A good sheet answers the questions a teacher has on the first morning with a new student: who is this child, what are they good at, what helps, what should I look out for, and who do I ask. The sheet is built around those questions and nothing else.
- Strengths and interests. Start with what is going well. It helps teachers connect with the student before they manage anything.
- What helps. Strategies that work in the classroom, in plain words: “Give directions one step at a time” is more useful than “benefits from chunking.”
- Watch for. Early signs that something is getting hard, such as going quiet, tapping, or asking to leave.
- Accommodations. The supports that change how the student learns or shows learning, grouped as presentation, response, setting, timing and scheduling, organization and behavior, and testing.
- Modifications. Changes to what the student is expected to learn, kept separate so nobody mixes them up.
- Goals and services. A line or two on each goal, plus the minutes, how often, where and who provides each service.
- Key contacts. The case manager and other school staff by role, so a teacher knows whom to ask.
- Dates, if you want them. IEP or 504 meeting, annual review and re-evaluation dates help a case manager keep track. Every section can be hidden from the printout.
What to leave off
A sheet that travels around a building should hold the least personal information that still does the job. Leave off diagnoses a teacher does not need in order to teach, test scores, family details and anything from a private evaluation. Eligibility category is off by default for that reason, and the health and safety note is short on purpose. For medical information, follow your school's health-plan process rather than relying on a classroom handout. There are no photo uploads at all.
When in doubt, ask your administrator what may appear on a page that other staff will see, and use initials. You can turn names on at any time.
One sheet, five outputs
One student
The full IEP at a Glance on a single page, with text shrunk slightly only if it needs to be.
Whole caseload
One page per ticked student in a single PDF, ready to print for the first week of school.
Class matrix
Students down the side, accommodations across the top, a check mark in each cell. See the matrix.
504 version
The same sheet titled 504 Plan at a Glance, without goals and services. See the 504 page.
Sub and para
Only what a sub needs for the day. See the sub version.
Tips for case managers
- Write for a stranger. Imagine a substitute who has never met the student. Would they know what to do after reading each bullet?
- Keep the list short. A teacher will use eight accommodations well and thirty badly. Put the ones that matter most for daily work on the sheet and leave the rest to the full plan.
- Hand it over early. Give each teacher the sheet at the start of the year or term, and again after any plan meeting that changes it.
- Match the plan. Copy accommodations from the IEP or 504 plan as written. The sheet should never add or drop a support.
- Ask for feedback. After a few weeks, ask a teacher what they used and what was missing, and edit. The sheet is easy to change and print again.
- Keep a backup. Export the JSON backup after every big update so you can reload it next year.
Accommodations and modifications are different
| Accommodations | Modifications | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | How the student learns or shows learning | What the student is expected to learn or do |
| Example | Extra time, a quiet room, directions read aloud | A different or reduced learning target |
| On the sheet | Ticked from a list of about 60, grouped in six categories | Written in their own short list |
IEPs are written under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for students who receive special education. 504 plans come from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and describe the accommodations and services a student with a disability needs to take part in school. Both kinds of plan can include accommodations. Your school team decides what goes in a plan, and this tool only helps you summarize it.
Your students' information stays on your device
GlanceSheet is a web page that runs in your browser. The caseload you build is saved in your browser's local storage so it is still there tomorrow, and the PDFs are made on your own computer. Nothing is uploaded, and analytics only learn which kind of PDF was made, never what is in it. On a shared computer, export a backup if you need one and use the Delete all data from this browser button before you leave. The privacy page explains this in more detail.
Related free tools
- IEP data sheet generator: collect data on the goals in each student's IEP.
- IEP progress monitoring graph: graph goal progress for progress reports.
Frequently asked questions
Is GlanceSheet really free?
Yes. Every feature is free, with no account, no email wall and no limit on how often you use it. Each PDF has a small “Made with GlanceSheet” line in the bottom margin, which is how other teachers find the tool.
What is an IEP at a Glance?
It is a one-page summary of a student's plan for the adults who work with the student but do not read the whole IEP, such as general education teachers, substitutes and paraprofessionals. It lists strengths, what helps, what to watch for, accommodations, and who to ask. It is a summary, not the IEP, and the full IEP is what the school follows.
Does it store my students' information on a server?
No. Everything you type stays in this browser's local storage on your device, and the PDFs are built in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. Analytics count that a PDF was made and what kind, and never receive anything you type.
Is it FERPA compliant, or approved by my district?
GlanceSheet makes no such claim and has no district approval. It keeps data on your device and uploads nothing, but your district decides which tools may be used with student records. Check with your administrator or technology department, and use initials only whenever you can.
Why does the sheet use initials by default?
Printed sheets get left on desks, photocopied and emailed. Initials make a lost page less revealing. The Initials only switch is on by default, and you can turn it off if your school prefers names on the page. Full names are optional either way.
What is the difference between accommodations and modifications?
Accommodations change how a student learns or shows what they know, for example extra time or a quiet room. Modifications change what the student is expected to learn or do, for example a different or reduced learning target. GlanceSheet keeps them in two separate lists.
Can I make a sheet for a 504 plan?
Yes. Choose 504 as the plan type, or pick the 504 Plan at a Glance version when you download. That sheet is titled 504 Plan at a Glance and leaves out goals and services.
What is the substitute and para version?
A shorter sheet with only strengths, what helps, what to watch for, accommodations and key contacts. It drops dates, goals and services, so a sub sees what they need for one day and nothing more.
How do I keep my caseload for next year or use another computer?
Use Export backup to save a JSON file, and Import backup on the other computer or next year. The file contains whatever you typed, including any names, so store it somewhere private. The Delete all data button clears the browser's copy, which is a good habit on a shared computer.
What if the sheet will not fit on one page?
The editor warns you and names the sections to trim. The PDF never adds a second page. At the smallest allowed text size it shortens the longest sections, marks them with “More in the full plan”, and lists anything it had no room for.
More templates and guides
Last updated · Written by the Rooh Sites team. A summary tool, not legal advice. Follow the full IEP or 504 plan.