How are IEP timelines measured - school days or business days? (MCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school system does have a legal timeline to close an IEP after the meeting. That is one of the reason's that documents are provided to the parents in advance; so they have time to look them over prior to the meeting. If you did not receive documents in advance or at the meeting, than the school system has 5 days after the meeting to provide them. If you did already receive a draft, they have 10 days after the meeting to close the IEP and send it home to you.

After the IEP is closed, yes an amendment can be opened. Depending on what is being done to the IEP, will determine whether a meeting needs to be help. An IEP team cannot change services without an IEP meeting. But they could add parent input into the IEP and have you sign a form saying that you agree to the amendment without an IEP meeting.

A lot of parent disagreements are documented in the prior written notice. So if you do not see it in the IEP, look at that as well.

Not sure which district OP is in but this is not accurate for MCPS. They have 5 business days after the meeting to get documents home - not ten.

Can you please provide a cite to the "5 business days after the meeting to get documents home - not ten."

http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms2/data/ck/sites/315/files/TAB20%20FIVEDAYRULE.pdf

[Anonymous]

We often get Teacher Reports at the meeting that say only good things about DS and reference only good grades. If I don't get the teacher reports prior to the meeting, I can't rebut the overly rosy picture they paint.

This made me chuckle. I can’t even imagine having to rebut a positive teacher report!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We often get Teacher Reports at the meeting that say only good things about DS and reference only good grades. If I don't get the teacher reports prior to the meeting, I can't rebut the overly rosy picture they paint.

This made me chuckle. I can’t even imagine having to rebut a positive teacher report!

I know it sounds funny, but what teachers often do is provide 3 work examples that are homeworks graded for completion. So, the grades appear as "10/10" like he did a great job and there's no problem. Or a teacher will put a project grade that was completed entirely at home with substantial support provided by parent; of course, that grade is going to be great, because DC has a parent reminding him to do it and helping him by scribing, etc. But, the in class written essay under timed circumstances which earns a "D", somehow that never makes it into the teacher report. Or they will check the box that says "no attention problem" but then not note that 3 out of 8 homeworks weren't even turned in.

This is very common for bright kids with a learning disability or ADHD-- as long as the grades are C or above, teachers will not acknowledge an issue or write it off as a "motivational" problem, even with very objective neuro-psych testing. We have to stay on top of the IEP materials that are sent in the 5 day package, because they are often skewed against us. Last year, the "draft IEP" that was sent simply dropped whole pages of goals and objectives from prior years that DC never "met". If I hadn't had time to read the 50+ page packet and compare page by page to the last year, I might not have noticed. Because I did, and because I was taping, I asked on the record why the goals were dropped if DC never was recorded as having met them and demanded that they be reinstated. IEP team had to agree.

It's really important to get the 5 day package, and I have now learned to state on the record (i.e. while taping) that new documents are being provided to me in a non-compliant fashion. Sometimes I refuse to allow them to be considered and the school has to decide whether they want to proceed without the docs they are presenting or reschedule quickly (because I won't waive the timeline). Of course, just when this school is beginning to get with the program, we move up to the next.

[Anonymous]

So happens when you disagree and refuse to sign the IEP? We just had this happen. I’m trying to think about my options going forward but would like to understand their end. Can the IEP stay open until differences are resolved?

[Anonymous]

If you're talking about MCPS, there is no "refuse to sign" because you don't sign anything except the initial consent for services. You need to actively file for mediation/due process to trigger "stay put," which will stop them from making the changes until the disagreement is resolved. But the onus is all on you. If you do nothing, the changes go into effect. Some states require the parents to sign off on all changes before they can be implemented but Maryland is not like this and it's on the parents to file formal disagreement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We often get Teacher Reports at the meeting that say only good things about DS and reference only good grades. If I don't get the teacher reports prior to the meeting, I can't rebut the overly rosy picture they paint.

This made me chuckle. I can’t even imagine having to rebut a positive teacher report!

Does sound funny but I’ve had meetings where I don’t even recognize the kid they are talking about and I wonder why I’m even at an iEP meeting because things sound so great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We often get Teacher Reports at the meeting that say only good things about DS and reference only good grades. If I don't get the teacher reports prior to the meeting, I can't rebut the overly rosy picture they paint.

This made me chuckle. I can’t even imagine having to rebut a positive teacher report!

Does sound funny but I’ve had meetings where I don’t even recognize the kid they are talking about and I wonder why I’m even at an iEP meeting because things sound so great.

+1

Wonder why the do this?