Raven's Guide to Special Education: The IEP

The IEP - 3

The IEP process | Parts of an IEP | IEP meetings

IEP meetings

The goal of an IEP meeting is to share information and insights about a disabled student that can be used to solve problems, encourage teamwork, and develop appropriate educational services for that student. Effective IEP meetings are conducted in a professional and task-oriented manner while promoting open communication and friendly relations. For IEP meetings to be successful, team leaders need to prepare for and organize the meetings. Some ways to achieve this are as follows:

Preparation

Review the information you want to cover, organize the forms and other written materials you will need, and rehearse an effective and positive way to discuss any anticipated area of controversy or disagreement.
Meet with the parents briefly before other participants arrive to put them at ease and make them feel welcome.
Take time at the start of the meeting to introduce everyone, state the purpose of the meeting, and start the discussion in a positive way.
Ensure that related services staff are available but keep the number of participants to the minimum needed.

Starting the meeting

Arrange the conference setting so that it is clean, orderly, and pleasant. Arrange furniture in advance and use adult-size furniture.
Always be on time and start the meeting promptly.
Do not bring coffee or other drinks to the meeting unless everyone will be served.
Allow the parents to select their seats at the meeting first so they can sit together.
Show the parents that you are interested in their child and know their child well.
Be conversational and friendly, but be professional and stay on-task.
Avoid lengthy digressions that interfere with the IEP process.
Keep the meeting from becoming too long. If the parents or other team members disagree about services, consider scheduling another meeting to resolve the differences and allow more time for additional preparation.

Discussing the IEP

Ask the parents how they think their child has progressed, what they are concerned about, and what suggestions they have for the IEP.
Do not use special education jargon. Explain any term, test name or procedure the parents may not understand.
Explain to parents in a clear and concise way their rights and responsibilities.
Describe the student's "present level of performance" in a positive way.
Be honest with the parents about their child's progress. Talk about student and parent strengths as well as needs. Present specific information rather than generalities. Present work samples and other documentation to illustrate the student's successes. Stick with the facts rather than making value judgments about the student or parents. Be concise.
If you have prepared any parts of the IEP in advance, explain to the parents that they are only draft recommendations for the team to review and change as needed.
Write IEP goals and objectives that are pertinent, understandable, logical and sequential.
Encourage the parents to think about their child's long-term educational needs and how the IEP can assist with those needs.

Ending the meeting

At the end of the meeting, summarize the discussions and agreements that have been made.
Take notes to remind yourself of any needed follow-up actions, such as who to contact and for what purpose.
Schedule any future meetings that will be needed.

A sample IEP (pdf document) is included on this Web site.