IEP Meeting Guidelines

The IEP Process
To put an Individualized Education Program (IEP) into effect, a parent, school personnel, or students must first make a request for the initial evaluation to take place.

• If you request an evaluation to determine whether your child has a disability and needs special education, the school district must complete a full and individual evaluation. If the school district refuses to conduct the evaluation, it must give you appropriate notice, and inform you of your rights.

  • You must first give permission in writing for an initial evaluation, and for any tests that are completed as part of a re-evaluation.

• A team of qualified professionals and you will review the results of the evaluation, and determine if your child is eligible for special education services.

• If not eligible, you will be appropriately notified and the process stops. However, you have a right to disagree with the results of the evaluation or the eligibility decision.

  • If you disagree with the results of the evaluation, you have a right to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). Some other party who doesn’t work for the same school district completes the IEE. Your school district covers the cost of the IEE and proves that the evaluation is appropriate.

• If you and the school district agree that your child is eligible, you and the school staff will plan your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), at an IEP Team meeting.

  • By law, you are required to be a part of the IEP Team. See IEP Team.

• The IEP should list any services your child might need, including annual goals, and objectives to note progress. The IEP Team determines what services are in the IEP as well as the location of those services. This might occur at a separate meeting, or a placement meeting.

  • The placement of your child must be in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) appropriate to you and your child’s needs. He or she will be placed in a regular classroom to receive services unless the IEP Team determines that the child cannot be successful there. Nonetheless, you will be a part of the group that decides what services your child will need and where they will be administered.

• If you disagree with the IEP’s placement, you should first try to arrange another settlement of placement with the IEP team. If you still disagree, you can use your due process rights.

  • This protects the right, as parents, to have input into your child’s educational program and to take steps to resolve disagreements.

• If you agree with the IEP’s placement, your child will receive the services that were arranged in the IEP. Your child will receive progress reports as frequently as children without disabilities. If reports show that that changes to the IEP need to be made, you as a parent, can request that IEP Team to meet.

• Annually, the IEP Team should meet to discuss the progress of the student and write any changes of the existing IEP. As a parent, you can agree or disagree with the proposed changes. If you disagree, you should do so in writing.

• If you disagree with any changes in the IEP, your child will continue to receive the services listed in the original IEP until you reach an agreement with the Team. If you continue to disagree with the Team, many of your options include, asking for an additional Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), or resolving the disagreement using due process rights.

• Your child will continue to receive the IEP services if the Team agrees they are needed. A re-evaluation is completed at least once every three years to see if your child continues to be eligible for special education services, and what services he/she needs.
  

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