Ep 33. What Does a Typical IEP Agenda Look Like?

IEP season is here and many of us are getting ready to attend our (first) IEP meetings. If you’re a parent of a dyslexic student, you may be curious about what to expect. In this episode, I break down the IEP agenda process and share what to expect before and during an IEP meeting.

IEP stands for Individualized Education Program — a personalized learning plan for a child with a qualifying disability. The IEP outlines present levels, goals, services, and accommodations a child will receive in a given calendar year. The IEP agenda typically looks like this:

Before the IEP Meeting:

Take this time to collect relevant information and data, and start to draft out your Parent Statement. Every school is different about receiving the Parent Statement. Some may ask for it before the meeting, others wait until you’re at the IEP meeting. 

Day of the IEP Meeting:
When you arrive on the day of the meeting, you’ll be escorted to a conference room, office, or empty classroom. Everyone will introduce themselves: Your child’s case manager, their General Education Teacher, their Special Education Teacher, any other significant faculty members, and you. An attendance sheet is passed around to confirm you attended the meeting. 

School Evaluation:
The school team members review your child’s present levels of performance obtained through classwork, assessments, and observations. A child is reevaluated every three years. If your meeting falls on a triennial year, present levels will also be obtained through formal evaluations from a school psychologist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Behavior Interventionist, and/or Occupational Therapist. 

Goals:

After this, you’ll share parent input regarding observations, concerns, and goals for your child’s education. The data collected during assessments and observation drives everything else. The goals should relate to the data gathered during the assessments and present levels. Goals should be achievable within one calendar year. 

Accommodations:

Once everyone agrees on the set goals, it’s time to determine which services and accommodations can support your child in reaching their goals. This includes the frequency of services and accommodations and who is responsible for the set services and accommodations. 

IEP Draft:
During this process, the IEP is drafted and updated in front of you so that you can see changes made in real-time. Take your time and thoroughly read through the draft before signing anything. You do not need to sign the IEP during the draft meeting. You can review and research the draft and call a follow-up meeting.  

Finalize IEP:

Lastly, if everyone agrees, all members of the IEP team — including parents — will sign the IEP. If you feel that the IEP is not serving your child, you can call an IEP meeting and ask for changes to be made. You do not have to wait until your annual IEP meeting. 

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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• Before the IEP Meeting
• Day of the IEP Meeting
• IEP School Evaluation 
• IEP Goals
• IEP Accommodations 
• IEP Draft
• IEP Finalization 

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