DC IEP Procedures Question

[Anonymous]

How many days after the meeting do I have to review and provide comments?

Once again the school provided a different copy of the document in the meeting than they sent prior to the meeting. I had other things on my plate that I needed to take care of and have not had the time to go through the "final draft" the way I want to. The meeting was last Friday and they want my comments today saying that they have a deadline.

[Anonymous]

Assuming this isn't an initial IEP, it goes into affect after 15 days unless you contest it.

[Anonymous]

How many days do I get to review it? In DC you do not need to sign it. I feel like they are putting unreasonable timeframes to turn around information. They always spring new docs on us the day before / day of the meeting but give us a short window to respond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many days do I get to review it? In DC you do not need to sign it. I feel like they are putting unreasonable timeframes to turn around information. They always spring new docs on us the day before / day of the meeting but give us a short window to respond.

Call the OSSE ombudsperson. https://sboe.dc.gov/page/office-of-the-ombudsman-for-public-education

You believe you are supposed to get the draft documents 5 days before. I always email 7 days before a meeting and re-state that I need them 5 days ahead of time to review. That usually works.

Are you in a charter or DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Read the procedural safeguards document. https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Part%20B%20Procedural%20Safeguards.pdf

Page 13

The LEA must give you copies of certain documents before or after an IEP team meeting takes place. No
fewer than 5 business days before an IEP team meeting where the team will discuss an IEP or eligibility
for special education, the LEA must give you an accessible copy of any evaluation, assessment, report,
data chart, or other document that will be discussed at the meeting. If the meeting is scheduled fewer
than 5 business days before it is to occur, the LEA must give you these documents at least 24 hours
before the IEP meeting.

No later than 5 business days after an IEP meeting at which a new or amended IEP has been agreed
upon, the LEA must give you a copy of the IEP. If the IEP has not been completed by the 5th business day,
or the LEA needs additional time to translate the document for you into another language as may be
required by the D.C. Language Access Act (D.C. Code § 2-1931 et seq.), the LEA must give you a copy of
the latest available draft IEP and a final copy when it is completed. The LEA must give you the final copy
within 15 business days of the meeting at which the IEP was agreed upon.

There isn't a formal deadline for you to return comments after the IEP meeting because the final IEP is supposed to be a working draft during the meeting and reflect your input.

I usually return it to them within 48 hours -- and send an email telling them that's how long it will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many days do I get to review it? In DC you do not need to sign it. I feel like they are putting unreasonable timeframes to turn around information. They always spring new docs on us the day before / day of the meeting but give us a short window to respond.

Call the OSSE ombudsperson. https://sboe.dc.gov/page/office-of-the-ombudsman-for-public-education

You believe you are supposed to get the draft documents 5 days before. I always email 7 days before a meeting and re-state that I need them 5 days ahead of time to review. That usually works.

Are you in a charter or DCPS?

We are in DCPS. The challenge is the POC for creating the doc has very low attention to detail. In the meeting she is making changes and I never know how it is going to come out on the other end when I see the updated draft.


I wish I could play the card - you did not get me the doc far enough in advance to review - but right now we just smile and say thank you.

[Anonymous]

If they don't give you the document at least 5 days in advance, they only need to provide a reasonable explanation of why that didn't happen. At the 15 day mark, the IEP as written will go into effect. Any changes that you want after that will have to be done in an amendment. But, if they had gotten you everything 5 days in advance then you should get back to them with your final thought no more than 5 days after for those documents that were missing. That's how long you would have had originally. When you give them feedback, any changes that they agree to will take time for them to change, so you need to give them a buffer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they don't give you the document at least 5 days in advance, they only need to provide a reasonable explanation of why that didn't happen. At the 15 day mark, the IEP as written will go into effect. Any changes that you want after that will have to be done in an amendment. But, if they had gotten you everything 5 days in advance then you should get back to them with your final thought no more than 5 days after for those documents that were missing. That's how long you would have had originally. When you give them feedback, any changes that they agree to will take time for them to change, so you need to give them a buffer.

Thanks - reality is the IEP is for next year. I highly doubt they plan on making these changes for the last week of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they don't give you the document at least 5 days in advance, they only need to provide a reasonable explanation of why that didn't happen. At the 15 day mark, the IEP as written will go into effect. Any changes that you want after that will have to be done in an amendment. But, if they had gotten you everything 5 days in advance then you should get back to them with your final thought no more than 5 days after for those documents that were missing. That's how long you would have had originally. When you give them feedback, any changes that they agree to will take time for them to change, so you need to give them a buffer.

Thanks - reality is the IEP is for next year. I highly doubt they plan on making these changes for the last week of school.

[Anonymous]

I mean changes in the copy system---changes to the paperwork within the required timeline.