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7 clarifying questions for IEP meetings

Organize your records and your thoughts.
Get copies of items not in your files, such as missing evaluations or more information on the law.
Make your list of concerns, questions, and recommendations that you want considered in the development of the IEP. Put them in order of importance.
Talk to your personal advocate about what the meeting will be like and plan what his or her role will be.
Write statements you want to make to the IEP team.
Write self-statements you will support.
Set students up for success by helping them role-play and practice before the meeting.

Be on time.
Explain the process and the purpose of the meeting.
Make sure participants briefly describe their role in the process when they introduce themselves.
Offer refreshments.
Refrain from using jargon.
Avoid sidebar conversations, which may distract parents who are trying to process a lot of information.
Provide positive information and factual information concerning the weaknesses of the student.
Engage in active listening.
Ask parents for their input throughout the process.

Goals reflect high expectations for learning
Family input is considered
Activities and environments in which skills will be taught are inclusive
Age-appropriate goals, skills, and learning activities are taught
Communication, movement, and behavior skills are embedded within typical instructional activities
Activities represent opportunities for interactions with classmates without disabilities
Students have the opportunity to make choices and learn self-determination skills
Assistive technology and other supports are provided to help students access instruction and demonstrate learning
Objectives represent real-life skills
Targeted skills can be addressed in multiple settings
Natural supports are used before specialized supports

Send invitation and permission-to-assess forms to parents to sign (with copies for them to keep).
If parents are bringing children, arrange for age-appropriate toys to be available.
Arrange to meet or talk with parents about results and discuss possible goals.
Verify who will translate and remind that person (if needed) of the meeting.
1 week before: Remind all team members of date and time.
See that reports & goals are submitted 2 days before meeting; give parents copies.
Day before/day of: Check that the meeting room is unlocked and there are enough chairs for all participants to be seated comfortably around the table.

Given. Use this word at the beginning of the goal to set the condition. Given a journal prompt, Sarah will...
Observable. Next, use an action word to clearly identify the behavior you're measuring: Given a journal prompt, Sarah will orally read...
A target is set. Set the criterion for exactly what the student should do to meet the goal: how much, how often, at what level: Given a journal prompt, Sarah will orally read 90 words per minute with 3 or fewer errors...
Limit time. By when should the student master the goal? Given a journal prompt, Sarah will orally read 90 words per minute with 3 or fewer errors by the end of the 2017-2018 school year.