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IEP Checklist for Parents

Law-in-Brief: Special Education #6

Date: December, 2000

Prepared by: Beth Stevens, Legal Advocacy Team

Parents play an important role in the development of their student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), a document designed to meet the student’s unique needs in education by identifying meaningful annual goals that will help measure the student’s progress and offering a realistic plan for meeting these goals. As an essential part of the IEP team, parents can discuss their student’s strengths and offer insight into how the student learns, what the student’s interests are, and other aspects of the student that only the parents can know. They can listen to what the other team members think their student needs to work on at school, report on whether the skills learned at school are being used at home, and share their ideas for enhancing the student’s education.

Once it is determined that the student is eligible for special education, the IEP team has thirty calendar days to meet and to begin developing the student’s IEP. Below is a checklist intended to offer parents some guidance on the steps they may take before, during, and after the IEP meeting to help them be effective advocates for their student.

IEP Meeting Preparation:

√ Receive notification of the IEP meeting from the school district. This notification should arrive early enough to allow parents adequate time to prepare and should include:

the purpose of the meeting;

the time of the meeting;

the location of the meeting;

the expected participants in the meeting;

a statement of the parents’ right to bring other people to the meeting.

√ Contact the school if you will be unable to attend so that a mutually agreed upon time and place for the meeting may be scheduled.

√ Review the student’s education records and list any questions regarding the information contained within those records. Records may include, but are not limited to, assessments, evaluations, observations by teachers, and past IEPs. Parents should contact the school district to obtain any needed copies of these records.

√ Request a new evaluation if the most current evaluation is outdated or if new circumstances relating to the student’s education require a re-evaluation. If the parents of the student disagree with the prevailing evaluation report or find it inadequate, they may request an independent educational evaluation of the student. To learn how, see the Washington Protection and Advocacy System’s publication, “Independent Educational Evaluations”.

√ Learn more about the student’s disability so as to better understand the implications it has on the student’s educational program. Contact the Washington Protection and Advocacy System at 1.800.562.2702 for resources and information.

√ Observe the student in a classroom setting so as to better understand the strengths and needs of the student. For example, look at the way in which the student interacts with the teacher and other students and the way in which the student responds to that particular learning environment. Make notes of any questions or suggestions for change.

√ Speak to the student’s teacher about the student’s progress in the classroom and about the need, if any, for adjustment to the student’s program.

√ Talk with the student about the student’s attitude toward the current educational program and learning environment and about any ideas or suggestions the student has to offer.

√ Network with other parents who have students receiving special education and ask them to share their experiences.

√ Consider whether the student’s current program objectives are appropriate to the student’s abilities and what suggestions for change, if any, you would like to present to the IEP team.

√ Consider whether the student is receiving all necessary related services. These may include, but are not limited to, transportation, physical therapy, medical services, speech-language pathology services, and counseling services.

√ Investigate additional services that may be available in the community.

√ Compile a list of questions to be asked, issues to be discussed, and suggestions to be presented at the IEP team meeting.

√ Organize all documents that are to be submitted to the IEP team or used at the IEP team meeting.

√ Review federal and state special education rules and regulations. Parents may obtain copies of federal rules and regulations or the Guide to the Individualized Education Program by contacting the U.S. Department of Education at 1-877-433-7827. Copies of state rules and regulations or the Family/Educator Guide to Special Education Services may be obtained by contacting the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at 360-753-6733. Parents may also contact the Washington Protection and Advocacy System for other resources and information.

√ If necessary, parents should contact an advocate for assistance, information, or support. This person may accompany parents to the team meeting. Parents may also invite, or request that the school invite, any person who has knowledge of the student and the issues surrounding the student’s special education and related services.

IEP Meeting and Development of the IEP:

√ The participants of the IEP meeting should include:

the student’s parents;

the student, if appropriate;

at least one of the student’s regular education

teachers;

the student’s special education teacher;

an individual who can interpret what the student’s evaluation results mean (this person may be one of the other listed individuals);

an individual representing the school system;

representatives from transition service agencies,

when the student is of transition age;

any other individual with knowledge or special expertise about the child, if necessary;

an advocate for the parents and student, if necessary.

√ Request that an interpreter’s services be provided, if necessary.

√ The discussion should involve all members of the IEP team, including the parents.

√ The IEP should be developed at this meeting by all team participants.

√ The IEP should be developed before any placement decisions are made.

√ The IEP should be clear and written in a language you can understand.

√ The IEP should include the following information (this is required by law):

	a statement of the student’s current performance;
	a statement of the goals that the student can reasonably accomplish in a year broken down into short-term objectives;
	a statement of the manner in which these goals will be measured;
	a statement of the manner in which you will be notified of the student’s progress;
	a statement of the special education and related services to be provided to the student;
	a statement of the extent, if any, to which the student will not participate with nondisabled students;
	a statement of the expected participation in district-wide assessment tests and an explanation of how the student will be assessed if not participating in the district-wide tests;
	a statement of when services will begin, how often they will be provided, where the will be provided, and how long they will last;
	if appropriate, a statement of the transition services needs of the student to reach post-school goals and/or prepare to leave school; and
	a statement that the student has been informed of his or her rights, if any, under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will transfer to the student on reaching the age of majority (usually 18). This statement should be included at least one year prior to that age.

√ You should receive a copy of the IEP.

IEP Implementation:

√ The IEP should be implemented as soon as possible following the IEP meeting. This means that the student should be provided with the special education and related services as listed in the IEP. Every individual involved in providing education and services to the student should know and understand his or her responsibilities for carrying out the IEP so as to ensure that the student receives the education and services that have been planned.

√ The student’s educational placement should be based on the requirements of the IEP. Preferably, the placement should be as close to the student’s home as possible and in the school the student would be attending if not participating in special education.

√ The school district should inform you of the option to file a complaint with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Special Education Branch, if any portion of the IEP is not implemented.

√ The school district should inform you of the option to request a due process hearing if you are unsatisfied with the appropriateness of the educational program specified in the IEP.

√ An IEP meeting must be initiated by the school district every three months for children 0-2 years of age, every six months for children 3-4 years of age, and yearly for children over 4 years of age. IEP meetings may be held more often at the request of the parents or school.

√ The IEP must be reviewed at least once a year (more often for preschool children) or at the request of the parents or school.

√ At least every three years, the student must be re-evaluated. The student may be re-evaluated more often if necessary or if the student’s parents or teachers ask for a re-evaluation.

This document is an information service of the Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS). It provides general information only and should not be used as legal advice for any specific situation. If you would like more information about this topic, call us and ask for a Resource Advocate.

To receive this document in an alternative format, such as large print or Braille, please call Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS) at 1-800-562-2702.

WPAS is a member of the National Disability Rights Network
A substantial portion of the WPAS budget is federally funded.