The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the midst of IEP season has left parents and school districts with significant challenges in conducting regular IEP meetings. Federal law has always allowed IEP teams to meet remotely by video conference or telephone. Section 300.328 of the IDEA states:
“When conducting IEP team meetings and placement meetings pursuant to this subpart, and subpart E of this part, and carrying out administrative matters under section 615 of the Act (such as scheduling, exchange of witness lists, and status conferences), the parent of a child with a disability and a public agency may agree to use alternative means of meeting participation, such as video conferences and conference calls.”
The U.S. Department of Education has also released guidance regarding the use of technology to provide services to students, including using digital platforms to hold meetings.
Despite these existing allowances, few districts or parents were prepared for the rapid adoption of virtual processes for conducting IEP meetings. But with necessity being the mother of invention, adapt they have.
Districts are now utilizing video conferencing platforms to maintain a wide array of IEP procedures. Following are several issues for parents and teachers to consider:
Understand your state’s laws regarding the recording of telephone conference calls or video conferences: New Jersey’s is a “one-party consent” law. That is, you may record a conversation or phone call if you are a party to the conversation or you get permission from any other single party to the conversation in advance. In New Jersey, if you intend to record the meeting, and your district does not, you should notify the other meeting attendees of your intention to record the meeting.
Use the school’s platform: The school district’s video conference platform is usually the ideal choice. Staff members already have access and are familiar with it, and these platforms typically offer better privacy features and security than free video conferencing tools.
Consider web conference alternatives: Not every family will have access to video conferences. Some participants may prefer to phone in instead. Most video conferencing platforms offer the opportunity to create telephone conference connections during meetings. Respect users’ interest in using conference calls over video conferencing.
Utilize district shared calendars: Both teachers and families are busy during this time, and providing shared access to calendars can help with scheduling, reminders, and followup. Shared calendars also help keep group schedules and contact information handy.
Prepare an agenda and assign a moderator: Video or phone conferences can be more difficult for groups of individuals to navigate than in-person conferences. Having an agenda and sharing it with participants ahead of time can help smooth the transition to web conferences. The agenda will help participants understand ahead of time when they will be able to bring up a particular issue important to them, and thus hold their comments until the appropriate time. Organizing the flow of conversation will ensure sequential and appropriate input from team members.
Use secure email: Increased email communication is inevitable with all team members working remotely. Most email clients and apps can be configured to send encrypted mail, and this choice is preferable when handling sensitive private information. Additionally, some email platforms have features to disable forwarding, unauthorized sharing, and set content expirations.
Encourage student participation: IDEA requirs students to participate in IEP meetings “whenever appropriate.” Remember to include students in virtual IEP meetings as well.
Don’t forget parental input outside of IEP meetings: Remember to include families before and after the actual IEP meeting. While families are always considered during IEP meetings, they should be encouraged to be part of the instructional planning, help assemble appropriate work samples, and share students needs that teachers and other team members may not be aware of now that the student is working remotely.
In addition to the above issues inherent in virtual meetings, parents and team members should remember to do all the important things they would in an in-person meeting: be prepared, be an active listener, be specific, communicate clearly, remain student-focused & solutions-oriented, be collaborative, and take good notes.
This article was adapted from 8 Tips for Conducting Virtual IEP Meetings, Kathryn Nieves, for Edutopia.com, April 16, 2020.
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