Integrating IEPs into Google Classroom

Google Classroom, while widely used for digital learning, lacks built-in support for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Teachers are left without integrated tools for custom lesson plans, accessibility features, or progress tracking, making it difficult to deliver personalized learning experiences for students with disabilities. 

Task: Design a solution to integrate IEPs into Google Classroom, enabling teachers to manage student accommodations and create inclusive, personalized learning experiences more easily. 

We wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges educators face when implementing IEP accommodations in Google Classroom. To explore this, we conducted a site visit to P.S. 217 Roosevelt Island School, interviewed four K-12 Initiative educator, and explored online forums such as r/teachers and r/specialed. Through this process, we uncovered key insights into teachers’ struggles and workstyles.

I created low-fidelity sketches and medium-fidelity wireframes to consolidate our potential ideas and envision the core features of the application. These included the Student Summary Page, a Goals Page, and an Assignment Integration Page.

Moving from wireframes to prototypes, the overall format stayed consistent, but a key change was the placement of IEP information. Initially, IEP details were split across multiple sections (The summary feature was under "People", the goals feature was under "Grades", and Additional information was in a new “IEP Report” tab.)

During prototyping, I realized this fragmented approach could be confusing. To streamline the experience, I consolidated all IEP-related information under each student’s profile. Now, whether accessed through People or Grades, instructors are directed to a unified student profile with a mini navigation bar for quick access to IEP summaries, goals, and progress.

When iterating on how I wanted the goals to be displayed, I focused on making the design easy to understand and intuitive to grasp at a glance. 

I decided to go with Option 3 because it provides a clear hierarchy and natural flow. By placing the goal name and description above the progress bar, users can first understand the purpose and context before interpreting progress. This layout makes the information easier to scan and ensures the bar feels meaningful rather than isolated. 

When iterating on how I wanted the assignments to be displayed, I focused on making the process of applying sepcialized accommodations effortless for instructors.

I ended up going with Option 2, because it allows me to present detailed IEP settings without cluttering the main assignment creation page. It’s a more scalable solution that supports multiple types of settings, offering greater clarity and control than a simple checkbox. 

Integrating IEP management features into Google Classroom has the potential to significantly reduce administrative burden and improve support for students with disabilities. By centralizing goal tracking, accommodations, and progress monitoring within a familiar platform, the design enhances both accessibility and efficiency for educators. If I had more time, I would have liked to iterate on the prototype based on usability testing with educators.

Throughout the course of this project, I gained valuable insights into both design and accessibility in educational technology. Here are four key things I learned: 

• How to translate user research into actionable design decisions that address real classroom challenges.

• The value of simplifying complex workflows to reduce cognitive load for busy educators.

• Techniques for integrating new features into existing platforms without disrupting the user experience.