Alberta IPP Meeting Checklist: How to Prepare and What to Bring
An IPP meeting in Alberta typically involves a principal, classroom teacher, and one or more specialists sitting across from you — the parent — to review your child's Individual Program Plan. The power imbalance is real: they've done this dozens of times; this may be your first. They know the bureaucratic language; you may not. They have the document prepared; you're seeing it for the first time.
Preparation closes that gap more than anything else. Here's exactly what to do before, during, and after your Alberta IPP meeting.
Before the Meeting: What to Request
Request the draft IPP at least 48 hours in advance. You are entitled to review the document before you're asked to sign it. A school that presents you with the IPP for the first time at the meeting and asks you to sign on the spot is not following the collaborative process the Standards for Special Education require. Request the draft in writing (email is ideal) with enough lead time to actually read it.
Confirm who will be attending. The Learning Team that develops an IPP must include people with actual decision-making authority. Before the meeting, email the school contact to confirm:
- Whether someone with budget authority (not just the classroom teacher) will be present
- Whether any specialists involved in your child's programming (speech-language pathologist, educational psychologist, occupational therapist) will attend or have provided a report
- The meeting's scheduled duration
Review your child's current IPP or last year's IPP. Compare: Were last year's goals met? What data was collected? Were all accommodations documented in the IPP actually delivered? If you don't have a copy of the current IPP, request one in writing before the meeting.
Write down your concerns and goals before you arrive. Once you're in the meeting, the agenda tends to be driven by the school's prepared document. Your own list of concerns ensures your priorities get raised even if the meeting moves quickly.
What to Bring to the Meeting
- A copy of your child's current IPP (to reference during discussion)
- Any private assessment reports you have obtained
- Notes from your own observations of your child's academic and behavioural patterns
- A written list of accommodations you believe should be in the IPP
- A notebook and pen (or note-taking app) — you will be taking your own notes
- If available: your child's previous provincial assessment results, report cards, or teacher feedback
Questions to Ask During the Meeting
Not every question will apply to every situation, but these are worth having in your back pocket:
About the assessment data:
- What specific assessment data was used to develop these IPP goals?
- When was the last psycho-educational assessment conducted? Is a new one recommended?
- How does the assessment data connect to the goals listed in this IPP?
About the goals:
- How will progress toward each goal be measured?
- How often will progress data be collected and shared with me?
- What happens if my child doesn't make expected progress toward a goal by mid-year?
About accommodations:
- Which staff members are responsible for implementing each accommodation?
- How will this be communicated to substitute teachers or new staff?
- Are these accommodations available for provincial assessments (PATs and Diploma Exams)?
About EA support:
- How many EA hours per day/week are allocated to my child?
- Is the EA support dedicated to my child or shared across multiple students?
- If EA hours are reduced this year, what is the rationale and what interim support will be provided?
About the process:
- When is the next scheduled IPP review?
- How will I be notified of my child's progress between review meetings?
- What is the process if I disagree with something in this IPP?
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What to Document Before You Leave
Before the meeting ends, confirm these things explicitly and note them in writing:
Who agreed to what: If a commitment was made verbally in the meeting (the EA hours, a specific accommodation, a promised assessment), confirm it by saying "I want to make sure I understand correctly — you're committing to X by Y date, correct?" and write it down.
Next steps and who owns them: Each action item should have a named owner and a timeline.
When you'll receive a copy of the signed IPP: Request a signed copy within a specific timeframe (5–10 business days is reasonable).
Your right to follow up: If you have concerns about implementation between now and the next formal review, ask who you should contact and how.
After the Meeting: The Follow-Up That Matters
Within 24 to 48 hours of the meeting, send a brief follow-up email to the principal or Learning Team contact. The email should:
- Thank them for the meeting
- Summarize the key commitments made, with your understanding of who is responsible and by when
- Note any items you are still waiting on (copies of documents, outstanding questions)
- State any formal objections you have to IPP elements you didn't agree with during the meeting
This email creates a written record that the school cannot easily contradict later. If accommodations aren't delivered, EA hours are cut, or commitments disappear, you have a timestamped summary of what was agreed. This is the paper trail that matters if things escalate to a formal complaint.
If You Don't Feel Ready to Sign
You are not required to sign the IPP at the meeting. In Alberta, withholding your signature doesn't halt your child's programming, but it documents your disagreement. If you need more time to review the document, say so: "I'd like to review this more carefully before signing. I'll provide my response within X days."
If you have specific objections, state them in writing rather than just withholding your signature. A written objection citing specific gaps — for example, "I do not agree with this IPP because it omits the occupational therapy services recommended in the assessment report" — is far more actionable than a blank refusal.
The Alberta IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes fill-in-the-blank meeting preparation tools and post-meeting follow-up templates specifically designed for Alberta IPP processes.
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