How to Prepare for the Annual IEP Meeting

There are several steps that parents and guardians can take to help prepare for a successful IEP meeting. It is helpful to take some time before and after the actual meeting to help the process go smoothly. Many families find it helpful to keep all their child’s IEP information in a specific binder or folder so everything is kept together. Check out our resources below for helpful information on creating and maintaining an IEP binder for your child.

Before the IEP meeting:

Before the IEP Meeting:

Gather Information

Collect any relevant information about the student’s strengths, challenges, and needs. This may include progress reports, test scores, and feedback from teachers or specialists.
Collect documentation from external providers about recent evaluations and share it with the IEP team prior to the scheduled IEP meeting as this documentation may significantly impact a student’s goals, services, and instructional accommodations. Coach them in how they can describe their recent experiences, what is working well for them, and what they want changed.
Document your observations of behavioral concerns or academic difficulties for your child. These insights can provide the IEP team with a better understanding of your child’s specific needs and can provide guidance during the development of an IEP.
Talk with your child about how they are progressing with their goals and how services are working for them. If your child is attending the IEP meeting, coach them in how they can describe their recent experiences and what is working well and what they want to have changed.

Identify Goals

Consider what goals you and your child would like to see included in the new IEP. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Review previous IEP (if applicable), progress reports, and other recent school reports as this information allows you to see the most recent goals and progress made by your child. This will give you a better grasp on what would be the appropriate next steps in the annual goal writing process that occurs during an IEP meeting.
Ask your child about future goals and services and any changes that they would like. If your child is going to attend the IEP meeting, then help coach them about the goals they would like to discuss.
You may also want to consider transition goals for your child, such as their goals after completing high school. This is required when your child is 16 or older in most states, with some, like Nebraska, starting at 14 or older.

Review Current IEP

If the student has an existing IEP, review it before the meeting to ensure that all goals have been met and that any necessary changes are identified.
Typically, the special education teacher prepares a draft of the new/next IEP before the meeting. Request a draft copy of the IEP to review prior to the meeting. Receiving a draft copy in advance will allow you additional time to review it and prepare questions before meeting with the team. This will help to ensure clarity of content and confidence in the agreement before the document is finalized. At some schools special education teachers will have a pre-meeting with parents to discuss the draft IEP and gain their feedback before the formal IEP meeting, currently this does not typically happen at BTEC.

Prepare Questions

Prepare a list of questions to ask during the meeting. These may include questions about accommodations, modifications, or progress monitoring.
There will be a great amount of information shared, so it will be helpful to have relevant questions written in advance. This will ensure that there will be meeting time reserved to provide responses and that your questions will not be forgotten.
Remember to bring a notepad, tablet, or laptop to take notes and jot down additional questions that come to mind.

Invite Guests

Invite guests and advocates who can support you at the meeting and inform the school about them in advance.
As we discussed in the previous lesson, several school professionals will attend the IEP meeting, which can be an intimidating experience for family members. Parents can invite a guest including family, close friend, or an advocate who understands special education and can support you during the meeting. Your invited guest might share their input with the team, prompt you to remember questions that you wanted to share with the IEP team, or take notes.

After the IEP meeting:

After the IEP Meeting:

Document and Communicate

Keep a copy of the IEP as this document can be used as a reference to monitor your child’s progress on their annual goals and ensure that your child is receiving the accommodations and services as outlined within the document.
Continue communication with the school by finding a designated professional, likely your child’s special education teacher or the school’s special education coordinator, who will serve as your child’s case manager or who will be a good point person. Together you can continue to monitor your child’s progress.
Document all communication to track whom and when you spoke to someone and what your conversation was about. This is important within special education as there are federal guidelines that must be followed for certain aspects of the evaluation and annual review process and your documentation can ensure timelines are being met.

By continuing to communicate with your child’s special education teachers and keeping track of communication throughout the school year, you will be better prepared for the next annual IEP meeting. And remember, if you wish to make changes to your child’s IEP, another meeting can be called in addition to the annual meeting. Having frequent conversations with the school and comprehensive documentation will help you see the need for an additional IEP meeting, if necessary.