What to Do Before, During, and After an IEP Meeting

As special education teachers, we have a lot on our minds when we are preparing for IEP meetings! And sometimes after the meeting is done, we are so busy getting back to the business of teaching that we forget to follow up on some crucial IEP details.

Did you ever wish that there was a checklist to follow so that you could make sure you have all your ducks in a row before, during, and after an IEP meeting? It would make things so much easier, ensure that you are in compliance with the IEP, and make implementing a new IEP more streamlined. Lucky for you, all the steps you need to take regarding a new IEP are right here.

[ Grab the free IEP Meeting Checklist here. ]

Before the IEP Meeting

• Follow an IEP Writing Timeline to make sure everything is completed.
• Spend some one-on-one time with your student to establish present levels of academic and/or functional performance. Don’t forget to document their work and bring it to the meeting!
• Write and double-check the IEP. Nothing is more embarrassing than using a “he” for a female student or misspelling a student’s name.
• Send out input forms or questionnaires to the IEP Team.
• If your building coordinator does not do this, be sure that the Prior Written Notice, IEP Meeting Invitation, and the proposed draft IEP are sent to the parents. Also, make sure that teachers and related service providers are available for and aware of the time, date, and location of the meeting. The IEP Toolkit can help you with this, as it has everything you need to stay organized!
• Consider if anybody else, such as the administration, the school counselor, or a language interpreter, needs to attend the meeting.
• Prepare any necessary documents for the meeting. These may include proposed draft IEPs, signature pages, testing (for an initial IEP), parents rights fliers/booklets, medical assistance forms, and/or final progress reports for the previous IEP. Make sure there are enough copies for everyone who will be attending. Utilize the IEP Meeting Toolkit to help you prepare the necessary documents for your IEP meeting.

During the IEP Meeting

• Finish the meeting by letting the general education teachers give any input, especially positive input!
• Follow the Steps of an IEP Meeting.
• Start positively! Do a round of introductions and make sure that everyone at the table knows the role of everyone else.
• Be sure that everyone has signed in and that the parents receive a parents’ rights booklet (the procedural safeguards for your state), a related services pamphlet, and any other papers that they need to receive.
• If this is an initial IEP, review the formal testing that was done. If this is not an initial IEP, go over the final progress report for the previous IEP and any informal testing that was done.
• Go over the new IEP. Be sure to stop after each section and ask the parent if they have any questions.
• Be sure to interpret any educational jargon or acronyms (LRE, PLFAAP, etc.) in simpler terms so that parents know what you are talking about and don’t feel intimidated.

After the IEP Meeting

• Revise any parts of the IEP that needed revisions.
• Close out the IEP and mail the parents a final copy.
• Distribute the new IEP to related service providers, general education teachers, and special area teachers. Make them aware of any changes to service time, accommodations and modifications, goal areas, or changes in the LRE.
• Update your paperwork to reflect new service time and/or accommodations and modifications. These aspects of the IEP will need to be tracked and you don’t want to track things that were on the old IEP!
• Adjust your instructional schedule, if necessary, to reflect any updates to service time.
• Make adjustments to your lesson plans and data tracking system to reflect new goals, objectives, accommodations and modifications, or present levels.
• Get to work with your student on their new IEP.

When distributing the new IEP to other related service providers, general education providers, and special area teachers, it is important to get their signature acknowledging their receipt of the IEP.  Need a template for these signatures?  When you join The Intentional IEP Membership, you will have access to this one.

There is a lot to do when a new IEP is being written and put into place. However, a checklist like this can help you make sure that you are in compliance and setting your student up for success!

There’s a lot to do outside of IEP meetings as a special education caseload manager. Using templates and checklists is the best way to make sure you stay in compliance.

Writing effective IEPs is so much easier when you have the right tools in your toolbox! Inside The Intentional IEP, you’ll get access to expert-led trainings, a searchable IEP goal bank with IEP Screeners, and ready-to-use resources that take the guesswork out of IEP writing and implementation. With the right tools at your fingertips, you’ll save time, reduce stress, and feel confident in creating IEPs that truly support your students. Join today and fill your IEP toolbox with everything you need!