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.

The bold is wrong in Montgomery County. MCPS has to provide the IEP documents 5 business days in advance. If they do not, there is no "cure" for this. They are out of compliance, and providing them within 5 business days after the meeting does not "cure" the non-compliance. The school can document "extenuating circumstances" to cure the non-compliance -- something like, Tommy's PARCC scores just became available 2 days prior to the meeting. When the parent receives documents at the IEP meeting not provided within the 5 day rule, there are basically 3 options: 1) waive the 5 day rule and just proceed, 2) ask that the meeting be temporarily stopped to give the parents time to review the documents before reconvening (like a 15 minute break) or 3) ask that the meeting be rescheduled so that the parents have time to review the documents.

The 5 day rule applies to all documents discussed at the meeting. What I find the IEP team often doesn't provide, is the teacher reports and copies of any underlying assignments mentioned in the teacher reports. This is a really crucial omission, because the IEP team uses the Teacher Reports to justify whether or not there is any "adverse impact to education". 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.

See here for a MSDE fact sheet on the 5 day rule -- http://archives.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/earlyinterv/commission/docs/09302013/Materials/6a%2091912%20FINAL%20TAB%2020%20_5%20Day%20Rule_.pdf

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."

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.

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.

I have heard the 5 day lock comment before but my dd’s IEP was open over two months while we worked things out. Not the best situation and probably not legal, but it worked for us and no compliance officer came after us/school telling us to lock the iep.

Ask for the iep and specifically state that you want a chance to review them prior to them locking the iep. Work hard to have a good relationship with the iep team- it will help. Push when you need to but do it politely.

In MCPS...

5 business days to get you the docs prior to the meeting. If they present docs at the meeting that you did not review in advance, you simply say, "I did not receive these in the 5 day document package. If you want to discuss these as part of the meeting, we will have to reschedule," and give them 2 times within the next 10 days you can meet. The onus is then on them to scramble to complete another meeting quickly so they are not out of compliance for very ling. FWIW, we have found that this approach has resulted in the IEP team prividing all documents in a timely fashion at future meetings. BTW, you should be taping all IEP meetings so that non-compliance is on the record.

30 calendar days to schedule the IEP eleugibility screening meeting.

60 days to schedule the IEP eligibility determination meeting.

No statutory or regulatory timeline to "lock" the IEP. IME, some IEP teams try to pressure you into signing or not providing comments by saying they must "lockl the IEP. simply, tell them in writing that you intend to provide X comments or signing statement or whatever and you do nit want the IEP locked until you, as an equal IEP team member, have had a chance to review the document.

Even if they say it has been licked, still provide any materials or statements you want.

If it's something very big that affects the IEP, you can even call an "IEP Review" meeting if you want to provide new data that affects the IEP.

Send an email to the case manager letting them know that you plan to send parent input after reviewing the IEP. This way they will wait to lock it. Otherwise, the case manager will probably probably lock it. If you don’t however, the team can do an amendment and add your parent feedback on the IEP. If in doubt, communicate. It is a team process and you should act in good faith as should they.

I don't understand. Cant we ask for an iep meeting at any time? Can't I submit my input at any time?

The IEP can be amended if there are errors. No need to worry about it being locked/closed.

Just a thought ... but the best way to clarify this would have been to just ask at the IEP meeting: Can you explain the rest of the process and the timeline to me? I have heard that at some point the IEP is "locked". I want to be sure I understand the deliverables and deadlines. Thank you.

School days = business days.

The school team has five business days following a meeting to send the paperwork. If your meeting was Friday then you’ll get it by 4/6. You could always send your disagreements now just to make sure it’s included correctly.

I think you will be fine if you get it in anytime before break is over.

OP: So you think I can't wait until I read what they wrote first? I had it in my mind that they had two days to get me the paperwork after the meeting which would still give me time to read then submit my input.

It is 5 work days but not sure how that works with break. I think you will be fine if you get it in anytime before break is over.

I'm most interested in how the days after a meeting are counted in terms of when parent needs to get updated copy IEP and when it needs to be locked.

Background: Periodic IEP meeting was yesterday. Based on suggestion from the IEP parent workshop, my plan is to submit the parent report form after the meeting. I don't want to miss the 5 day deadline for when IEP is locked but also want to read what they wrote first (to confirm what was agreed to is accurately represented).

Regarding the parent report form, as I understand it, what's entered on this form will go into the MD IEP system form (i.e. not just be an attachment) and that this can be a very effective tool to make sure the parent input travels with the IEP. I provided my thoughts to the team via email prior to the meeting but would like to use this process to make sure my position on areas of disagreement (mainly lack of progress) travels with the IEP.