Delaware Summary of Performance: The Exit Document That Follows Your Child

When a student with an IEP exits the Delaware public school system by graduation or reaching the age limit for eligibility, the school is required to complete a Summary of Performance. This document matters more than most families realize, because the moment the student leaves school, their IEP becomes legally inert. The SOP is the bridge between school-based protections under IDEA and whatever comes next: college disability services under the ADA, workplace accommodations, or adult support programs.

What the SOP Must Include

Delaware uses the DDOE Summary of Performance template, which organizes the required exit information into:

• Exit and postsecondary goal information — the student's school district, year exited, diploma, postsecondary goal area, and high-school career pathway
• Academic achievement levels — current performance in reading, math, written expression, and other relevant academic areas, including assessment dates, results, and accommodations needed for success
• Functional performance levels — daily living skills, social skills, communication, mobility, and self-care capabilities
• Recommendations to assist the student in meeting postsecondary goals — specific suggestions for employment, independent living, community participation, and postsecondary education or training
• School and community contacts — agencies and people who may help the student after exit
• Optional student perspective — the student's own description of their strengths, needs, and goals

The SOP is not a generic form letter. It should be detailed enough that a college disability services office or an employer's HR department can read it and understand exactly what accommodations this person needs and why, without access to the full IEP history.

When the SOP Gets Completed

The IEP team completes the SOP during the student's final year of school eligibility — typically at the exit IEP meeting or the last annual review. For students on the DAAS pathway who continue through age 22, the SOP is completed in the spring of their final year.

The timing creates a problem. Many schools treat the SOP as a perfunctory checkbox rather than a working document, rushing through it at the end of a long exit meeting. Families can push back by requesting that the SOP be drafted in advance and reviewed at a dedicated meeting, rather than tacked onto an already-packed agenda.

Using the SOP for College Accommodations

Colleges do not accept IEPs. They operate under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA, which require students to self-disclose their disability and request accommodations through the institution's disability services office. The SOP, combined with current evaluation reports, is the documentation students bring to that conversation.

Two things the SOP should explicitly address for college-bound students:

1. Which high school accommodations translate to college — extended time on exams, note-taking services, and reduced-distraction testing environments typically transfer. Curriculum modifications do not.
2. Evaluation currency — many colleges require evaluations completed within the past three years. If the student's most recent psychoeducational evaluation is older than that, the IEP team should conduct a new one before the student exits, while it's still at school expense.

Using the SOP for Employment

For students entering the workforce directly, the SOP documents the basis for workplace accommodations under the ADA. The student (or their support team) can reference specific SOP recommendations when requesting accommodations from an employer — assistive technology, modified schedules, job coaching, or environmental adjustments.

DVR counselors also use the SOP to inform the Individualized Plan for Employment. The more specific the SOP is about the student's functional capabilities and effective accommodation strategies, the stronger the IPE will be.

What to Do if the SOP Is Incomplete

If the school provides a SOP that reads like a template with fill-in-the-blank answers, that document will not serve the student well in the adult world. Families should review the draft SOP against the student's actual IEP accommodations and evaluation reports. If there are gaps, request revisions in writing before the student officially exits.

The Delaware IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a SOP Review Checklist worksheet that walks through each section of the DDOE template, flagging what must be present and what "good enough" language actually looks like versus boilerplate.

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