Factor deep dive · B
Factor B: who has to deliver the service
Factor B is the second of the four questions you ask in each domain — it asks whether the IEP requires a specific kind of person to deliver the service. It's the factor whose shape changes most from domain to domain, because the credential ladder is different in each area.
Factor B is the second of the four questions you ask in each domain.
Factor B asks: does the IEP require a specific kind of person — a particular certification, license, or specialized training — to deliver this student's service?
This is the one factor whose shape really changes from domain to domain, because the credential ladder is different in each area. What stays constant is the gradient: ordinary special-education staff at the low end, targeted specialist competencies in the middle, advanced or licensed expertise the program can't function without at the top.
As with every factor, you rate what the IEP requires — if the IEP names or requires a specific provider type, that's your signal. How to rate a student
The four levels (the general shape)
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0 — None required | No specialized credential needed; the support doesn't depend on who delivers it. |
| 1 — Minimum | Ordinary special-education staff: SPED teacher, paraprofessional with teacher oversight, or general-ed teacher with SPED support. No advanced specialization. |
| 2 — Moderate | Targeted, documented competencies beyond general practice — a provider with specific training for this student's need, often plus planned coaching/consultation. |
| 3 — Significant | Advanced/licensed expertise the program fails without. Specialized professional judgment is critical and frequent. |
What "the specialist" is, domain by domain
Same ladder, different people:
| Domain | Level 2 (targeted competency) | Level 3 (advanced expertise) |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | SPED teacher with methodology training; a dyslexia provider not required to be advanced | Evidence-based dyslexia instruction by an advanced-level dyslexia practitioner; or highly specialized methodology expertise |
| Behavior | Behavior specialist, counselor, social worker, school psychologist; structured competencies + periodic coaching | Highly specialized behavioral expertise for crisis-level, function-based intervention; advanced judgment, frequent plan redesign |
| Communication | SLPA (speech-language pathology assistant) under a licensed SLP, or a licensed SLP | AAC specialist, sign-language interpreter, deaf-blind intervener, AT specialist — coordinated expert team beyond the SLP |
| Independent Functioning | Personnel with specific training/competencies tied to the student's need | Advanced specialists (e.g., O&M, TVI, TODHH, DB intervener); instruction fails without them |
| Personal Care / Health | Staff with specific health training/competencies; periodic clinical oversight | Advanced clinical licensure (e.g., RN); continuous/frequent clinical judgment required |
(Abbreviations: SLP = speech-language pathologist; SLPA = its assistant; AAC = augmentative and alternative communication; AT = assistive technology; O&M = orientation & mobility specialist; TVI = teacher of the visually impaired; TODHH = teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing; DB = deaf-blind; RN = registered nurse. glossary)
A clear example of how the anchor rule works here: dyslexia in Curriculum. Level 3 requires the IEP to require an advanced-level dyslexia practitioner. Level 2's language explicitly says the provider is not required to be advanced. So if the IEP doesn't require the advanced practitioner, you rate a 2 — even if you think the student would benefit from one. (The real-world credential that fits "advanced-level dyslexia practitioner" is a CALT, Certified Academic Language Therapist, though the rubric uses the generic phrase.) How to rate a student
How Factor B fits with A, C, and D
- A — how much service (Factor B is who delivers that service). Factor A
- C — required staffing ratio. Factor C
- D — required equipment. Factor D
Highest factor wins for the domain, so a high Factor B alone can make a domain Significant — common when a student needs an advanced specialist even if the amount of service (Factor A) is moderate. How scores become a tier