What Is an IEP in Saskatchewan? (It's Called an IIP or PPP)

You searched for "IEP" and found a pile of American resources. That's because the term IEP — Individualized Education Program — comes from U.S. federal law. It doesn't apply in Canada. In Saskatchewan, the equivalent document is called an Inclusion and Intervention Plan (IIP), or in early childhood settings, a Personal Program Plan (PPP). Same idea, very different system.

Here's what you actually need to know.

Saskatchewan Has No IEP — It Has the IIP and PPP

The Inclusion and Intervention Plan (IIP) is the formal, Ministry-mandated document that outlines the individualized supports and programming for a Saskatchewan student with intensive needs. In K–12 public schools, the Ministry of Education requires an electronic version called the eIIP, which is completed by the school team and logged in the provincial Student Data System.

In early learning settings — licensed childcare centres, preschool programs — the equivalent is the Personal Program Plan (PPP). The PPP has a longer history in Saskatchewan and is still widely referenced, especially by parents who dealt with the system before the province standardized around the IIP terminology. Many veteran educators and parents still say "PPP" out of habit.

Both documents are living plans — meant to be updated regularly and reviewed at least annually.

What Triggers an IIP in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan operates on what the Ministry calls a Needs-Based Model. Unlike Ontario, where a formal diagnosis often triggers a specific funding category, Saskatchewan is supposed to provide support based on a student's functional needs — what the child struggles to do in school — not purely on a medical label.

In practice, a student typically gets an IIP when:

• Their educational needs cannot be met through regular classroom instruction, even with adjustments (called the "Adaptive Dimension")
• They are working on modified learning outcomes — different from the standard provincial curriculum for their grade
• They require intensive, specialized supports that go well beyond what a classroom teacher can provide alone

The school-based team — usually the classroom teacher, a Learning Resource Teacher or Educational Support Teacher, and school administration — initiates the process. If they determine a student needs intensive support, they request a formal assessment and eventually develop an IIP.

Parents have the right to request this process begin. Under The Education Act, 1995, the Director of Education must direct an assessment if a parent formally requests it. Don't wait for the school to notice — put your request in writing.

What an IIP Actually Contains

A complete Saskatchewan IIP must include these core sections:

Who is the student? A profile of the child's strengths, interests, and learning history. This sets the context for everything else.

Current Level of Ability (CLA). The most critical baseline section. It objectively describes what the child can currently do with a target skill. Vague CLAs ("struggles with reading") are a red flag — they make progress impossible to measure.

Annual outcomes and short-term objectives. Specific, measurable goals broken into steps. The Ministry uses SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Strategies and who's responsible. Which staff member is delivering which intervention, and how often.

Transition planning. Both short-term (daily classroom transitions) and long-term (moving from elementary to high school, or from school to adult life).

Parents must be included in developing the IIP — this is not optional. You also have the right to sign the IIP, and if you disagree with the plan, you can refuse to sign it. The school division must document your disagreement and make good-faith efforts to resolve it.

Adaptations vs. Modifications: The Most Important Distinction

This is where Saskatchewan parents most often get blindsided. There's a critical difference between two types of support, and the school won't always make this clear:

Adaptations adjust how a student learns, but the curriculum outcomes stay the same. Examples: extended test time, preferential seating, text-to-speech software, a scribe for written work. A student on adaptations is still working toward standard grade-level expectations and can graduate with a regular diploma.

Modifications change the actual curriculum outcomes. A modified math class might cover only 50% of the regular provincial content. In high school, modified courses get credit codes like 11, 21, or 31 — instead of the standard 10, 20, or 30. Universities and most post-secondary programs do not accept modified courses for admission.

If your child is placed on modified programming without a clear conversation about these long-term consequences, that's a serious problem. Early modification decisions compound over time and can permanently close post-secondary doors.

The goal of good advocacy is to keep your child on adaptations for as long as possible — adjusting the method, not the destination.

How Saskatchewan Differs From Other Provinces

Saskatchewan was the first Canadian province to formally remove the word "disability" from key sections of its Education Act, replacing it with the needs-based language in 2008. The intent was to provide support based on what a child needs, rather than what label they carry.

In Ontario, students typically need a formal identification through an IPRC (Identification, Placement, and Review Committee) process before receiving an IEP. British Columbia uses an Individual Education Plan triggered by specific designation categories. In both provinces, a diagnosis tends to unlock a specific funding envelope.

Saskatchewan's block-funding model means the school division gets a pool of money for special education based on overall enrollment demographics — not per individual student. This creates more flexibility in theory, but in practice means that supports can be inconsistent and highly dependent on which school division you're in. Saskatchewan has 27 divisions, and they don't all operate the same way.

Getting Support Before a Diagnosis

One specific advantage of Saskatchewan's needs-based model: your child doesn't need a formal diagnosis to receive support. Over 1,700 children are currently on waitlists for public autism assessments in Saskatchewan, with waits extending years. The province's own framework says schools should be providing support based on functional needs, not waiting for paperwork.

If your school tells you they need a diagnosis before starting the IIP process, that is inconsistent with Ministry policy. Put your concerns in writing and reference the Actualizing a Learner-Centred Approach framework, which explicitly states that service delivery must be based on individual needs, not diagnostic labels.

The Saskatchewan IEP & Support Plan Blueprint walks you through exactly how to document your child's functional needs, how to request an assessment in writing, and what to bring to your first IIP meeting — translated from Ministry policy language into plain steps you can use immediately.

The Bottom Line

Saskatchewan doesn't use IEPs. It uses IIPs and PPPs. The core purpose is the same — a written plan outlining what supports your child will receive and what goals they're working toward — but the legal framework, the terminology, and the rights attached to the process are all Saskatchewan-specific.

American resources about IDEA, due process hearings, or 504 plans don't apply here. Your leverage comes from The Education Act, 1995, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, and LA FOIP access rights — and knowing how to use them.

The Saskatchewan IEP & Support Plan Blueprint is written specifically for Saskatchewan parents navigating this system — not a generic template built for a different country's laws.

See more Canada guides →