Tracey: Does the school have to send to the parent a written notification of when the IEP is and who will attend? If so what is the time frame in which they need to do this.
IEP Meeting: NOTIFICATION
Special Education Law and Advocacy
My child’s school did not notify me, just his father even after I told the principal and AP that we do not communicate and made sure they had my right information. Ithis is the third time in the same district.
Question – I was always taught that all team members were to be included on an IEP meeting (Annual Review) to show they were all given the opportunity to attend and provide input. I am now at a different district and have been told that by putting each team member’s name on the invitation list, I am putting the district in danger of being taken to court by parent – as the parent has the right to refuse to hold the meeting if not every person on the invitation list is able to attend.
I have had no luck with finding anything in state or federal guidelines that supports this expectations. I will also note that I let parent know – no more than 24 hours prior to the meeting – what teachers have agreed to attend and who has provided written feedback (whether they are attending or not).
I am searching for the answer as well. California, at least in my school district is sending generic Meeting notices. I believe this denies the parent of an informed consent. A person from California Department of Education told me the reason is, so the school can grab whomever is available? I will be sending email to CDE and OSEP.
Please help! I just went to my sons school for his IEP meeting and the meeting started without me! When I arrived at the meeting they were discussing goals for the next school year. They would not allow me to suggest anything. They discussed services and his placement for next year. He is loosing all of his services which he needs and his placement will be in a Self Contained room and not mainstreamed or included at all. The school refuses to cooperate with me and include me in the decision process.
You need help in understanding your rights in challenging these decisions. I suggest contacting your state parent training and information project. They will be able to assist you in understanding your rights, & options for challenging their decisions. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
PLEASE FILL A DUE PROCESS COMPLAINT (IT WORKS ) IN NEW YORK WE HAVE UP TOO 2 YEARS FROM DATE OF VIOLATION OF OUR RIGHTS
Were you on time? How is he losing services? Sounds like he received an increase in services if he is not maintained but is in a self contained classroom.
I’m a special ed teacher in GA. Should I go back and add an IEP attendee to the invitation even though they were not invited (ie. high school counselor) but showed up and stayed at the meeting? I feel a bit awkward to say they were invited if they weren’t really invited per the IEP notice.
No, you should not add them to the invitation since they were invited. You should add to the minutes of your meeting that Counselor was not on the invitation but parent gave permission for him/her to attend (assuming parent agreed for this person to attend).
I may be wrong, but isn’t the invitation more about ensuring that the parents have written notice? I have shown up at meetings at the invitation of the parents and I don’t think anyone worried about going back at retroactively adding me to the invitation. GA may have additional requirements for this, but adding a name retroactively doesn’t seem right or necessary…IMO
As a related services provider, I am by law not a required attendee of IEP/ARD meetings. In one of my school districts, I have twice been purposely not invited to meetings in which my service (music therapy) has been dismissed from the student’s IEP. I was not asked for a progress report or any other documentation. I have received no written notification of the termination of my service. For the first, a diagnostician was entering the school at the same time I was and said something like… I forgot to tell you that you should stop seeing X child, effective immediately. For the second, a teacher informed me that a child’s service would end with the school year. Do I have the right to let the parents know that I was left in the dark about meetings at which my service was dismissed?
I work for the TX parent training & information center, & was a TX special ed director, & may be able to assist you. cnoe59@hotmail.com
Hi. I am a sped teacher and over the years we have been told that if you make three documented attempts to contact the parent for an IEP meeting and the parent does not reply we were able to go head with the meeting and then send a draft home once the meeting is complete. Now, I am being told that I can send as many letters home with the student, send as many e-mails or make as many phones calls and these will not count. I have been told this would count only if you send it through the mail. And finding a copy of IDEA is difficult and cannot find any thing under http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/regulations/state/regs_speced_disability_va.pdf
Also, I have been told that none of my attempts other than the one sent in the mail would “hold up in court.” Help me!!! 🙂
If this is not addressed in your state rules, or district policy, then it appears that it is someone’s opinion. You can try contacting staff in your state education agency, or your state parent training and information project. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
Can a referral meeting continue after the parent has left the meeting? The LEA rep (assistant principal) and regular education teacher told EC teacher to make changes on referral form. There was some incorrect information and this was later resolved and discussed with the parent through a formal referral meeting. Can a principal instruct the EC teacher to make changes without the parent present?
All the people that I had asked our resource teacher to invite to attend IEP meeting either couldn’t come or at the last minute had an emergency and couldn’t make it. One invited person, the counselor never even showed up. I felt like questions went unanswered. I had questions for the counselor and dual enrollment coordinator. The general education teacher, who substituted for the teacher who could not come, was clearly put there as a distraction because she is chatty and tried to distract. I feel like crying because it was another IEP meeting where all they wanted was my signiature. Goals were written from assessments of which I was not given prior to meeting. I received the draft the night before the IEP. Goals adressed transition and not reading/language deficits.
What if the school “forgets” and the student does not receive their IEP by the end of the school year?
Tracey –
Yes, the school MUST send the parent notice of Team meetings.
The notice must include the purpose, time, and location of the meeting, and who will be in attendance. It also must discuss the parent’s right to invite other individuals to the meeting.
IDEA, the federal special education law, does not list a specific time frame for sending this notice. The school, however, must send the notice, “early enough to ensure that they [the parent] will have an opportunity to attend.” See the IDEA regulations at §300.322.
Although IDEA does not include a specific time frame, your state may specify one (either through regulations or policy) – so be sure to check. Your local parent center can help you with this (http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/).
Yes. The timeline for notices is set by the state. Your state parent training & information project can assist you. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/