Attendance at the IEP Meeting

First off, you should be aware that the state has posted a 184-page document entitled N.J.A.C.  6A:14 Special Education and a 54-page document, Parental Rights in Special Education.  They can be located on the nj.gov website under education.   While all states develop their own regulations regarding special education, they must comply with federal  regulations (Part 300 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).  This is the first of several posts regarding the annual IEP meeting.   As a parent, you should be aware of who’s required to attend this meeting.

  • At least one General Education teacher of the student.
  • At least one Special Education teacher of the student, or where appropriate, a special education provider of the student.
  • At least one Child Study Team member who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results.
  • Case Manager
  • District Representative qualified to supervise the provision of specially designed instruction and is knowledgeable about the availability of resources. Typically, this is a special education administrator or principal.

                Other participants MAY attend…as follows:

  • the student, where appropriate
  • personnel or agency representatives when transition services are being considered, developed
  • any individuals who have expertise or knowledge regarding the student, including related services personnel; advocate; friend of the family; physician; family therapist, etc. In the interest of a productive discussion and development of an effective IEP, it is best to notify the school of any additional people a parent plans to invite.

Note:  if a parent intends to have a lawyer attend, the school must be given notice regarding this.  The IEP meeting may then need to be scheduled when lawyers for both parties are able to attend (this may include a videoconference or conference call).

 

Documents Parents Should Have Prior to the IEP Meeting:

 

Prior to attending the meeting, you should receive a draft of the proposed IEP—typically within 10 days of the scheduled meeting.   What is important is that you have sufficient information and time to review the IEP prior to the meeting.   If you have questions about the draft, you should contact the Case Manager.

 

If a new evaluation is to be discussed at the annual review, you should also receive a copy of the evaluation at least 10 days prior to the meeting.  The person who did the evaluation should contact you to discuss the results as well.