Most families get an invitation, a meeting date, and a stack of pages that look much like last year's. The annual review has a legal purpose that is bigger than a formality. It is the point where the team has to say whether the plan is working.
This guide covers what the meeting must look at, how it differs from other meetings, and how to use the weeks before it.
What the rule requires
The team must review the IEP at least once a year to determine whether the annual goals are being met. It must revise the IEP as appropriate to address four things:
- Any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals and, where appropriate, the general curriculum.
- The results of any reevaluation.
- Information provided by you or about your child.
- Your child's anticipated needs.
The team has to consider the same special factors as when it first wrote the IEP, such as behavior supports, language needs, communication needs, and assistive technology where they apply. A general education teacher must take part.
Three meetings that sound alike
| Annual review | Reevaluation | Amendment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A look at progress and a revision of the IEP | A new look at whether your child still qualifies and what your child needs | A change to the IEP between annual meetings |
| How often | At least once a year | At least once every three years, and no more than once a year, unless you and the school agree otherwise | Any time, by meeting or by written agreement |
| Does it involve testing? | No, but data are reviewed | It can. The team first reviews existing data and decides what new data, if any, are needed | No |
| What you can do | Give input, ask for data, ask questions | Ask for new assessments, or agree that none are needed | Agree in writing, or ask for a meeting |
Reevaluations can also happen sooner. The rule says the school must ensure one is conducted when the child's needs warrant it, or when a parent or a teacher requests it, though not more than once a year unless you and the school agree otherwise. If the team decides after reviewing existing information that no new testing is needed, it must tell you in writing and explain that you can still request an assessment.
A timeline for the month before
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| About 4 weeks before | Ask in writing for progress data on each goal, the most recent progress report, and any evaluation reports you do not already have |
| 3 weeks before | Ask to see any draft goals the team plans to propose |
| 2 weeks before | Read the current IEP goal by goal and mark each one: met, partly met, or not met, based on the data you have |
| 1 week before | Write your concerns and your priorities for next year, in order |
| The day before | Put the IEP, data, and your notes in one folder |
The school must let you review your child's records before an IEP meeting, and in no case more than 45 days after you ask. An early request keeps you inside that window.
What to look at in the progress data
Each goal is supposed to say how progress will be measured and when you will receive reports. So progress should be visible in numbers or observations, not only in general statements.
- Is there a starting point and a latest result for each goal?
- Does the data match the way the goal says it will be measured?
- If a goal was met early, what is the next target?
- If progress is slower than expected, what has changed in teaching, and when will it be checked again?
What the team can change
Everything in the IEP is open at the annual review: the goals, the services and their minutes, the accommodations, and the explanation of time spent apart from classmates. Goals the child has met are usually replaced with new ones. Goals not yet met can be carried forward, reworded, or broken into smaller steps, and the team should be able to say why. The same question applies to services: if the amount stays the same, ask what the data say about whether it is enough, and if it changes, ask for the reason in writing.
If the date does not work for you
The rule asks the school to schedule the meeting at a mutually agreed time and place and to notify you early enough to attend. You can propose other dates. If neither parent can come in person, the school must use other methods, such as a conference call. It is better to move the meeting than to attend unprepared, though the one-year mark still applies, so propose dates close to the original.
If your child is changing schools next year
When your child moves from one school level to the next, such as elementary to middle school, the new school needs a clear picture of the services. The federal rule does not set out a special meeting for this, so it is something to ask for. Ask whether someone from the next school can join the annual review or whether the team can arrange a short call, and ask that the new teachers receive the IEP and know their responsibilities before the first day.
Planning ahead for older students
For students approaching 16, the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals and the transition services needed to reach them, beginning no later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or earlier if the team decides. The IEP also has to say, beginning no later than one year before the student reaches the age of majority in your state, that the student has been informed of the rights that will transfer at that age.
After the meeting
Within a couple of days, send a short email that restates what was decided and asks for the revised IEP and written notice of any decisions. For a checklist and a template, see the IEP meeting checklist for parents. For questions grouped by IEP section, read questions to ask at an IEP meeting. If a new evaluation is on the table, how to read an IEP evaluation report will help. The glossary defines the terms.