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| Parent IEP Recommendations Sample Letter |
Scenario for Submitting IEP Recommendations
You have reviewed the draft of the IEP the school is planning on presenting at the meeting. You've done all your homework and know what changes should be made and what services you would like your child to receive. Bring the draft with you to the meeting. You will be able to tell if they have made any changes on the IEP that is actually presented to you in regard to the recommendations you submitted before the meeting. I would suggest submitting your written recommendations at least 2 days before the IEP meeting, if possible. This recommendation letter also serves as a type of meeting agenda for you to go over during the meeting. Take notes at the meeting on which issues are addressed and which are not and don't forget to bring your tape recorder. Use your parent attachment to help you keep track. See www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/tips/bonnell.iep.attach.htm
You can copy and paste the letter right from this web page.
You can download a copy in Word Format
Return Address
Date
Guidance Counselor's Name
School Name
Address
City, ST Zip
Dear (Guidance Counselor's Name):
Re: Parent Submitted Recommendations for (Child's name goes here) IEP for Meeting Dated (date of meeting goes here)
Thank you very much for providing me with the draft of (child's name) IEP that will be discussed at our upcoming meeting. I appreciate the time and effort it took to create this IEP draft and I found it very helpful and informative.
Below are recommendations I am submitting for discussion and inclusion in my child's IEP:
Author's comments: I have included some possible problems you may have encountered while going over the draft as well as in reviewing your child's past IEP's. I will place comments in italics in parentheses and in red.
- PLOP:If there are aspects regarding things on the PLOP that you find agreeable, you will want to compliment them for recording the current test results, your recommendations, etc.
Write:
After reviewing the PLOP on the IEP, I found it well-written, accurate and clear in defining my child's strengths and weakness, etc. (You can come up with things that pertain to the draft that were agreeable. The previous sentence is just a sample of how it can be written.) I would also appreciate having my recommendations included in the IEP for the following:(fill in the blanks here.)
(If the present level of performance is not up-to-date based on the most current testing, evaluations, most recent IEP, etc. **Note-You can request re-evaulations and/or testing be done prior to your next meeting. This will ensure that the IEP is based on those current results)
Write:
I did notice, however that the PLOP is based on (fill in here) and not on the most current objective testing and/or results, the outside evaluations I submitted and their results and recommendations are not mentioned on the PLOP.
(if you had submitted any prior recommendations and/or observations before this time at a last meeting and they are not on the PLOP.)
Write:
I would also like my observations about my child's strengths as well as educational needs also be placed on the PLOP and the recommendations I submitted on (date or meeting that it was not addressed). They are (Make a list of strengths and things you feel need to be addressed in the educational setting that were not included on the PLOP and would strengthen and enable your child's progress. You may even want to include an explanation of how the extra information or recommendations would be of educational benefit). This information is pertinent in providing my child with an accurate assessment of his/her educational needs and promote measurable and meaningful progress.
If the PLOP for all the different domains are combined together on one page.
Write:
When I read the PLOP, I noticed that all the domains are combined together which makes it difficult to determine the strengths and educational issues that need to be addressed per domain. Please separate the PLOP for each domain so that there is a clearer description of the present level of performance in each of the domains.
(If there is such a small description about your child's present level of performance that it seems almost non-existent, you can say something like the following:)
Write:
The description in the current PLOP is not very clear or comprehensive as to what (child' name) can or cannot do in the educational setting. Please provide more detail based on objective facts, evaluation results, teacher observation and my observations.
- Yearly Goals and Objectives: (Once again find something agreeable, if possible, and write something about it.)
Write:
In regard to the yearly goals, the goals pertainng to (cite domain area) are an adequate assessment of what my child needs to make progress.
(If there are goals that are inappropriate, missing that you would like to see added, deleted or re-worded be specific about it and how it would impact your child's progress.)
Write:
However, I would like the following yearly goals (added to/subtracted from/reworded) on the IEP- (These need to be specific to your child's needs and based on the PLOP: e.g. Does your child need to be toilet-trained? This should be addressed in the Independent Functioning Domain and should be in specific terms like (child's name) will be able to independently go to the bathroom by the end of the year without assistance. This should not be generalized by saying the child will increase independents. Make your list here regarding each of the domains: Curriculum and Learning, Independent Functioning, Communication, Social/Emotional Behavior, Health Care. List the domain first then write your yearly goals for each. Be sure they are specific in wording.).
- Objectives and Benchmarks: (Take a look at the way this section is written. Objectives should be clearly defined and the criteria should be specific and time measured, mastery level should be specific, above 60%, as a matter of fact I would not accept mastery any lower than 75% and progress needs to be based on objective data such as weekly checklist, logs, teacher tests, etc., not on teacher observation. Example Objective: Will receptively identify 25 objects by the end of the 1st grading period, Benchmark: 90% mastery level as evidenced by weekly checklist, daily logs, other data collection)
Write:
I would like the following (added to/subtracted from/reworded) for the objectives and benchmarks-(Make your list here for each domain.
- Place any other recommendations here that are applicable to your child
I also request the following services be added/increased: (If this is applicable to you.)
I am looking forward to our meeting and putting together an educational plan that will help my child make meaningful and measurable progress this coming year.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
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