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Excusing IEP team members: why, when, who, and how.

Article Excerpt
This month's focus: IDEA and the IEP

The Individualized Education Program, or IEP, is often regarded as the "cornerstone" of special education. It is the written document that describes a student's educational needs and details the special education and related services the school district will provide to address those needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has always laid out specific requirements about what a student's IEP must contain and who must be involved in the development of the IEP. However, IDEA 2004--the latest version of the law--made some significant changes regarding the involvement of IEP team members. Now, the law allows a parent of a child with a disability and the school district to agree that the attendance of an IEP Team member at an IEP meeting is not necessary under certain conditions. This article addresses important aspects of these changes.

WHY: Congress made these changes in response to concerns expressed during the time of IDEA's reauthorization. In issuing its report accompanying the bill to reauthorize IDEA in 2004, the U.S. Senate noted that "(T)he committee has heard from many individuals that the amount of time spent preparing for and attending IEP meetings, and the number of individuals required to attend such meetings, reduces the amount of time that personnel spend with students. Scheduling IEP meetings involves coordinating the schedules of a number of individuals, including parents, who are balancing work and family demands. At the same time, a certain member of the IEP team may not...