Types of IEP Meetings
There are a very large number of reasons to hold an IEP meeting. Parents/guardians of a special needs students have the right to call an IEP meeting at any time within a reasonable request ahead of time. Ultimately, however, there are only a limited amount of meeting types that can address every concern and legal protocol. These meetings will be explained here.
Initial IEP
This is the starting point for all IEP meetings. Before the Initial IEP is held, the student is assessed by all applicable service providers to determine if the student is eligible for special education services. The IEP team reviews the assessment results and an Initial IEP is held to determine if the student qualifies for special education services. Should the student qualify, the IEP is written like a plan review normally be written with supports and services to ensure the student is supported in their areas of need. It is common for students to enter special education via an initial IEP in grades K-3.
Plan Review (Annual) IEP
This IEP type is held every year. The purpose of the IEP type is to review all student progress in goals, transitions, supports, and services. The intention of this IEP meeting is to review the IEP over the length of the year and write a brand new IEP with all new content for the next. Plan reviews cannot exceed 364 calendar days (365 for leap year). The Plan review EXPIRES on the 365th day. All end dates must be set to the 364th day. Example: start date- January 20th, 2024. End date- January 19th, 2025. For more information on IEP Dates, click here!
A Plan Review IEP can be held alongside other IEP Meeting types like Evaluations or transitions so long as the date is close enough to the IEPs expiration date.
Evaluation (Triennial) IEP
An Evaluation IEP is held every 3 years. The purpose of this IEP is to fully assess the student to ensure they continue to qualify for special education services. This meeting is usually (but not always) held along with the Plan Review IEP. The student will be assessed in all areas that their disability qualifies them for which also includes cognition. Education Specialists will use standardized tests like the Woodcock Johnson or Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement to assess the student. An Assessment Plan must be approved by the parent/guardian before an evaluation can be held. For more information on the Assessment Plan process, click here!
Any additional providers must also conduct an assessment with the approval of the Assessment Plan. For example, if a student receives Speech services, the Speech Therapist must also conduct a speech assessment.
IMPORTANT: A parent may consent to have a MODIFIED EVALUATION (MODIFIED TRIENNIAL). This means that the school staff and the parent/guardian agrees to not assess the student and use the previous Evaluation from 3 years ago to show eligibility for special education services. A student MUST have had 2 consecutive evaluations from when they first entered special education services. The Psychologist or LEA typically determines this.
If a parent/guardian disagrees with the results of the assessment, they have the right to hold an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).
Independent Education Evaluation
An Independent Educational Evaluation is an IEP meeting process where the parent/guardian disagrees with the assessment results from a school-based evaluation. The parent/guardian requires that an outside agency conduct the assessment at no cost to the parent/guardian. The school district covers the cost of this Independent Educational Evaluation.
The school district considers the determination of the Independent Evaluation as stated:
Must be considered by the public agency in any decision made with respect to the provision of a free appropriate public education to the child, if the IEE meets the school district’s established criteria.” This does not mean the school district must agree or accept the findings or recommendations in the IEE. It simply means the school district must “consider” the information and discuss it as appropriate. 34. C.F.R. 300.503.
Furthermore, if a parent requests an IEE, the school district can either:
A) Fund the Independent Educational Evaluation, or
B) Request a due process hearing to prove that the assessments were reasonable and appropriate.
If the school district does not request a due process hearing, they MUST pay for the IEE.
A parent can request an IEE before the school district has conducted their own assessment, but the school district is not obligated to consider the request until after the school district provides its own assessment result.
The parent/guardian can only request an IEE in the areas that were previously evaluated and the IEE assessor must be one that is “mutually” agreed upon.
Finally, a parent/guardian may request an IEE once per every school district evaluation.
Interim IEP
An Interim IEP is an IEP temporary IEP created when a student comes from an outside district or state. The educational staff is made aware of the special education eligibility of the student. The Interim IEP ensures that services continue to be appropriate based on new and previous information and/or parental concerns. The Interim IEP must be held within 30 calendar school days of the student’s enrollment. Days the student does not attend school do not apply (weekends, holidays, etc).
The purpose of the interim IEP is to review the student’s previous IEP and determine if the services are still appropriate for the new school. The meeting also allows the district to develop a comparable special education program for the student’s needs. This should be held as a new IEP if there is no previous data within the program you are using (Seis, Welligent, Siras). If you are using Seis and find the previous data accessible in Seis from out of district or state, then the meeting should be held as an amendment.
30-Day Review
A 30-Day review is an Amendment IEP that is typically used for the change of placements within the district. When the district changes the setting or placement of a student, the special education team must hold a meeting within 30 calendar school days of the student’s change in setting. Days the student does not attend school do not apply (weekends, holidays, etc).
The Education Specialist reviews the placement to determine if the setting/placement is appropriate for the student. Typically, the present levels page is updated to display the students current-most abilities to determine if the placement is appropriate. The LEA will then offer this placement as a provision of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
The Education Specialist should also determine if the goals, accommodations/modifications, or any other part of the IEP is appropriate to the students abilities and setting. These changes will be made ONLY as an amendment and NOT as a Future/New IEP.
Amendment
An Amendment IEP is a change to the current IEP. This does not erase the current IEP, but simply adds to or changes a portion of the IEP.
Think of it like this: The Constitution of the United states was created and needed to have a few changes to ensure it better suits the nation. There are 27 Amendments (changes) to the Constitution. This is essentially the same with an IEP.
Amendments can be many things. They can be corrections, additions, 30-day change of placements, exits, etc.
IMPORTANT: Amendments should always be completed in the CURRENT IEP and NOT as a future IEP.
Manifestation Determination
A Manifestation Determination IEP meeting is a meeting to determine whether the student’s misconduct was due to their disability or lack of support that may have deterred the student from the misconduct.
When a special needs student causes misconduct at school to trigger a prolonged suspension or expulsion. Pursuant to Education Code 300.530, students with special needs cannot be removed from school for longer than 10 days without an IEP meeting (Manifestation Determination).
This IEP meeting should be held as an amendment and all documentation of the incident(s) should be brought to the meeting along with an update to the present levels within the IEP.
Exit IEP
An Exit IEP is defined as an Amendment IEP that exits the student from all special education services. They will no longer be covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). There are only 3 circumstances in which this can occur.
1) A student no longer needs special education services by being assessed and all team members and parent/guardian in agreement.
2) Parent/Guardian waives all special education services (refuses).
3) Student graduates or reaches age 22.
This IEP meeting should have present levels updated and all services, goals, and accommodations/modifications to be ended on the agreed-upon date of exit.
Parent-Initiated IEP
A parent/guardian has the right to call an IEP meeting to discuss any part of the IEP they deem necessary. This meeting should always be held as an AMENDMENT. A Parent-Initiated IEP must be held within 30 days of the written request.
There is not anything that needs to be done other than to ensure that proper notes are recorded to address the issues of the meeting. It may be a good practice to update the present levels if those haven’t been updated within 6 months or later of the plan review. When the meeting is adjourned, the amendment should include the accurate notes of the meeting.
Continuation IEP
This is a highly delicate IEP process that should be handled with care.
A Continuation IEP is any IEP meeting type that may require several meetings to take place to address sensitive or unresolved issues.
Scenario: You are holding a Plan Review with an Evaluation that is scheduled for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The parent has several issues that they would like resolved at the meeting. The meeting lasts longer than the 1 hour and 30 minute scheduled time. You are only halfway through the IEP… What do you do?
Some would continue on with the IEP regardless of the duration. Most all of us have been there. However, in best practices, to honor everyone’s time, you should adjourn the meeting and require at “part 2”.
What should you do with the half-finished IEP?
The answer is simple. Every time you hold an IEP meeting, you MUST affirm what was discussed. You would affirm the incomplete Plan Review and Evaluation as if you have completed the meeting, but document in the notes that the IEP team agreed to adjourn the meeting and hold a part 2. You must also note this in the comments section of the affirmed IEP as well as the affirm remarks section during the affirm process.
The next step is to hold the part 2 meeting as an AMENDMENT in the CURRENT IEP and affirm this as well. It will automatically update the current IEP with the remaining content. Please state in the notes that this is a part 2 of the IEP dated “xx/xx/xxxx”.