DC IEP Meeting Checklist: How to Prepare for DCPS and Charter School IEPs

Walking into a DC IEP meeting unprepared is one of the most common mistakes DC parents make — not because they don't care, but because no one told them what the meeting actually involves or what they are entitled to ask for. This checklist covers what to do before, during, and after your IEP meeting at DCPS or a DC charter school.

Before the Meeting: What to Do 5-7 Days Ahead

Request the draft IEP in advance. You are entitled to review the proposed IEP before the meeting. Most DCPS and charter schools will not send it automatically — you have to ask. Email the special education coordinator and request the draft IEP at least 5 business days before the scheduled meeting. This gives you time to read it carefully and prepare questions rather than reacting to a 15-page document in real time.

Review all evaluation reports. If this is an initial IEP or a triennial re-evaluation year, you should have received evaluation reports (psychological, speech-language, OT, etc.). Read each report's eligibility conclusions and present levels — these should directly match what appears in the IEP's present levels section. Inconsistencies are worth flagging.

Write down your concerns and priorities. You are a required member of the IEP team. Your input on your child's needs, strengths, and priorities is not courtesy — it is legally required to be considered. Write a short list of your top 3–5 concerns before the meeting so you do not forget them when the team takes control of the agenda.

Check whether the meeting was properly scheduled. Annual IEP review meetings must be held before the current IEP expires. If the school is scheduling a review after the expiration date, that is a timeline violation under 5-A DCMR. Note the current IEP's end date and confirm the meeting is on time.

Confirm who will be at the meeting. A DC IEP meeting requires at minimum: a general education teacher (unless your child has no general education participation), a special education teacher, a school administrator or designee, someone who can interpret evaluation results (often the school psychologist), and you. If anyone required is absent without your written consent, the meeting may not be legally valid. Ask in advance who will attend.

Consider bringing a support person. You have the right to bring someone with you — a relative, a trusted friend, or a paid advocate. DCPS staff cannot tell you that a particular person cannot attend. If you want a record of the meeting, DC is a one-party consent jurisdiction — you can record the meeting without notifying the other participants.

During the Meeting: What to Track

Present levels. The IEP's present levels section must describe where your child actually is right now — with specific data, not general impressions. "Johnny is a struggling reader" is not a present level. "As of March 2026, [student] reads at 45 words correct per minute on grade-level passages, below the grade-level expectation of 100 wcpm" is a present level. Push for data.

Goal quality. Each annual goal should be measurable — you should be able to answer "did the school meet this goal or not?" with data. Goals that say "will improve" without specifying how much improvement, by what measure, are not compliant with IDEA. Use the goal bank examples you have prepared to request revisions to vague goals.

Service minutes. Confirm that the services section specifies the number of minutes per week your child will receive each service, where (general education classroom, resource room, pull-out), and the name of the service provider or role. Vague language like "as needed" is not a compliant service entry.

Placement and least restrictive environment (LRE). The team must discuss whether your child's placement in or outside general education is appropriate, with justification. If the school is proposing to move your child to a more restrictive setting, it must explain why services in a less restrictive setting cannot be provided. Push for this explanation in writing via Prior Written Notice.

Charter school FAPE warnings. If your child attends a charter school and the school is indicating it cannot meet the IEP's service requirements, get that statement in writing. A charter that cannot deliver FAPE must arrange an appropriate placement — it cannot simply reduce services to match what it has available.

Questions to Ask at the Meeting

• What data did you use to write the present levels section?
• What progress did my child make toward last year's goals, and what data supports that?
• Why is this service frequency sufficient given my child's present levels?
• What does "specially designed instruction" look like day-to-day in my child's classroom?
• Who specifically will be delivering each related service?
• What happens to services if the provider is absent?
• How will I receive progress reports, and how often?
• Has the team discussed Extended School Year eligibility?

After the Meeting: What to Do Within 5 Days

Do not sign anything you haven't read. You can sign the IEP to allow services to begin while noting disagreements in writing. Signing does not mean you agree with the entire document — you can request a written amendment later or note specific disputed sections. What you should not do is sign a document you haven't reviewed.

Send a follow-up email. Within 2–3 business days, send an email to the special education coordinator summarizing key decisions made at the meeting, any commitments the school made (additional evaluations, service changes), and any concerns you raised. This creates a written record if disputes arise later.

Request the signed final IEP copy. DCPS and charter schools are supposed to provide you with a copy of the signed IEP. If you do not receive it within a few days, request it in writing.

Track services from day one. Once the IEP is in effect, start a simple log: what services were scheduled, what your child received, and any gaps. DC's most common state complaint category after location of services is IEP implementation — meaning services listed in the document are not actually being delivered. Your log is the evidence base if that happens.

When to Request an IEP Meeting Outside the Annual Cycle

You can request an IEP meeting at any time — you do not have to wait for the annual review. Situations that warrant an off-cycle meeting request:

• A significant change in your child's performance or needs
• A change in placement the school is proposing
• Ongoing failure to deliver services
• A disciplinary action with special education implications
• Transition to a new school

Send your meeting request in writing. DCPS and charter schools must respond within a reasonable timeframe.

The District of Columbia IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a complete DC IEP meeting prep workbook with section-by-section review guides, a goal-quality checklist, and template emails for before and after the meeting.

For a general IEP meeting checklist, see our IEP meeting checklist guide. For DC parent rights in full, see our DC parent rights in special education guide.

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