Invitation to a Meeting
Parent Invitation to a Meeting:
When CMCSS calls an IEP team meeting, parents must receive a written invitation at least 10 calendar days before the IEP team meeting pursuant to Tennessee State Board of Education Rule 0520-01-09-.15. Case Managers should create an Invitation to a Meeting form in TNPULSE as well as enter the contact information in the Contacts section of TNPULSE. Parents may waive their right to a 10 day notice; however, the invitation should still be created such that the parent would have been given 10 days notice. If a parent requests an IEP team meeting, the team must convene within 10 school days of this request pursuant to Tennessee Board of Education Rule 0520-01-09-.14.
Student Invitation to a Meeting:
A student must be invited to his or her IEP team meetings beginning with the IEP during which the student will turn 14 years of age. A student invitation should be created separately from the parent/legal guardian invitation. The student should be notified as soon as the meeting date is set; he or she should be afforded the same time consideration as a parent/legal guardian. A copy of the student’s invitation should be placed in his or her permanent file for documentation.
How teachers can adequately prepare the student to participate in the IEP team meeting:
Please inform the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of this requirement before the meeting and explain the important role it plays in preparing the student and family for a successful transition.
Promote student engagement—explain the purpose of the IEP team meeting to the student.
Utilize self-advocacy and self-determination assessments/materials to secure student input.
Role-play IEP team meeting events so that students can become at ease being present in the meeting.
Select tasks for students to complete at the meeting to feel comfortable.
Hearing from a student directly carries much more weight than a faculty member reading assessment results.
Allow the student to communicate through a variety of means—visual, textual or auditory.
Secure information from students who choose not to participate at the meeting; however, teams should try to encourage and support the student attending.
Additionally, parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and educators can familiarize the student with the vocabulary and concepts that he or she will encounter. With the parent’s/legal guardian’s and the student’s permission, pictorial/video examples of student work should be introduced and will likely generate conversation and participation. While this step is not a requirement, it lays the foundation for including the very person who is most affected by an IEP team decision: the student.
Age of Majority:
When a student reaches the age of 18 (age of majority), the rights of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) transfer to the student with a disability. Notification of the age of majority rule must be explained to parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and documented in the IEP. This information must be provided at least one year prior to the student’s eighteenth birthday. Young adults and their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) may have different ideas about the best steps to take to reach their postsecondary goals. There are multiple ways in which families approach the decision making process. These may include:
Student led
Supported decision making
Conservatorship
Where there are concerns about the student’s ability to participate in the process of educational decision making, school district personnel should continue to work closely with the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) to ensure that appropriate decisions are made and that the student has maximum opportunity to participate and lead their IEP team.
