After the IEP meeting you will be sent the document for signature, which will include the placement form and transition form, if applicable. Typically signatures are handled electronically. Its important to review the IEP closely against your notes to confirm changes agreed to in the meeting are included in the document. You have 30 days to review the document and 3 options.
You can accept the IEP in full
You can reject the IEP in full. Note that letting the 30 day window expire defaults to this option
You can partially reject the IEP
You can accept the placement
You can reject the placement
You should be aware that if you reject the IEP or placement within 5 days the school will automatically notify the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) - see Understanding the Dispute Process.
To partially accept an IEP, you will need to select the option to partially reject and will need to provide inline comments to the sections you are rejecting as well as providing a summary of the rejections on the signature page. The advantage of partially rejecting, as opposed to fully rejecting an IEP is that anything not flagged by you will immediately go into effect. If you largely agree with the IEP but disagree with a small number of areas, partially rejecting might be preferable to ensure your child will receive the services you agree with.
If your child was on an IEP already and the area you are rejecting was covered in the prior IEP, then the prior IEP will remain in effect for this area until the dispute is resolved. For example if there was a service your child was receiving and you reject changes to that service on an IEP renewal, the service will remain as it was until the dispute is resolved. This is known as "stay put" protections.
To resolve the areas of dispute you can make a selection to request another IEP meeting or you can consider other options to resolve the dispute (see Understanding the Dispute Process).
If your child is not currently on an IEP and you fully reject the IEP its important to understand that your child will not receive the services outlined in the IEP until the dispute is resolved. If your child is already on an IEP and you reject the updated IEP, the existing IEP will remain in effect until the dispute is resolved. This is known as "stay put" protections.
Parental Consent in Special Education - Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)
I Do Not Agree With My Child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) - MassLegalHelp
How to Consent to Some Parts of an IEP and Not Others - Understood.org
If I disagree with the IEP or placement, will my child still get special education services? - MassLegalHelp
The Power of the Partial Rejection - Daniel S. Perlman
Please note that we at Reading SEPAC cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented on any third-party website listed on this site, nor do we endorse any informational content appearing on third-party websites of any of the providers listed. We endeavor only to provide a listing of potentially helpful information available. Its up to you, as a consumer, to do your own diligence and research. Also note that any summarization of the laws, rules, regulations, processes or similar related to special education, or advice proffered is based exclusively on the experience of Reading SEPAC members as parents of children with special needs. Its in no way an official reflection of the position of the FCSA or the Reading School system and we make no claims of expertise in communication, law, education or any other areas. While we have endeavored to provide simple-to-read language for parents, we are not experts, do not claim to be, and make no warranties or claims of accuracy related to the informational content of this website.