Al: The IEP team agreed to amend the IEP to include bi-weekly academic progress monitoring. The meeting notes reflect this agreement. However, the bi-weekly progress monitoring was not conducted. The team acknowledged this at the end of the school year. Our child regressed based on functional and academic measures during the school year. When we inquired why, we were told that the IEP was not updated to include the PM. Additionally, we were told that the teacher however did keep a “behavioral” notebook that was not shared with the IEP team. The IEP team is now recommending a placement change based on the behavioral notebook.
Just to let you know, in case it’s relevant — in my state, a case where a school is attempting to put a child in a more restrictive environment, against the wishes of the family, is a high priority case, that is likely to be accepted by the disability rights office for free legal representation.
My comment is that it’s ABSURD that the Team would propose a change in placement based solely on one piece of evidence, let alone evidence that was not shared.
I’m assuming that you’re either on the fence with the proposal or you’re against it. Here are some further thoughts I have, for either scenario…
How does parent consent for placement apply in your state? Find this out asap, if you’re unsure. In some states, placement can’t be changes without parental consent. In other states, parents can only dispute it after the change has been made. It’s good to know where you’re state falls, and how much leverage you have with the Team when you make proposals.
Have other individuals seen the behavioral notebook? If so, request to see it yourself. It would be considered an educational record and you have that right. If not, ask the teacher to provide a summary of it’s contents, so you – and the rest of the Team – can be fully informed.