Georgia IEP Meeting Checklist: How to Prepare and What to Bring

Walking into an IEP meeting unprepared is like going to court without reading the case file. The school's team has had weeks to prepare. They know what they are proposing, what they are willing to offer, and — in many cases — what they are hoping you will not notice. Your preparation is the equalizer.

This checklist covers everything you need to do before, during, and after an IEP meeting in Georgia.

Before the Meeting: Request These Documents

Georgia districts are required to make a genuine effort to have you participate as a full IEP team member. Use that to your advantage by requesting documents in advance.

At least 5 business days before the meeting, request:

• A draft copy of the proposed IEP, including proposed goals, services, and present levels
• The most recent evaluation report and any updated assessment data
• Recent progress reports on current IEP goals
• Any new behavioral data, teacher reports, or observations that will be discussed
• GO-IEP records if your district uses the state's IEP system

Not all districts will share draft documents proactively. If yours does not, ask explicitly in writing: "Pursuant to my right to participate as a full IEP team member, I am requesting draft materials at least 5 business days prior to the meeting scheduled for [date]." Put it in an email so there is a timestamp.

Before the Meeting: Review What You Receive

Once you have the materials, go through them systematically:

Review the Present Levels (PLAAFP):

• Does it accurately describe your child's current academic and functional performance?
• Does it identify the specific ways the disability affects learning?
• Are there gaps — areas of need that you see at home but are not reflected in the document?

Review the Proposed Goals:

• Is each goal measurable? A goal must specify what skill, under what conditions, at what level of accuracy, by when.
• Does each goal directly address a need identified in the PLAAFP? Goals that do not connect to present levels are filler.
• Are there goals missing for areas where your child has documented needs?

Review the Proposed Services:

• Is the type, frequency, duration, and location of each service specified? ("Speech therapy" is not sufficient — you need "individual speech therapy, 30 minutes, 3 times per week, in the resource room, beginning [date]")
• Are there services your child needs that are not listed?
• Has ESY (Extended School Year) been considered and addressed?

Review the LRE Statement:

• Is the amount of time in general education specified as a percentage?
• Is there a clear rationale for any time spent outside general education?

Before the Meeting: Prepare Your Input

Write a one-page Parent Concerns document that you will ask to have inserted verbatim into the Parent Concerns section of the IEP. Include:

• Your child's strengths (these belong in the IEP and are often overlooked)
• Your top 3 specific concerns for the current year
• Specific services or accommodations you are requesting and why
• Observations from home that the school may not have access to — homework struggles, emotional dysregulation, sleep issues, medical factors

Having this in writing means your input is part of the formal record, not just notes from a conversation.

Before the Meeting: Know Your Rights

Under Georgia Rule 160-4-7-.09, the district must provide you with Prior Written Notice (PWN) before proposing or refusing any action related to identification, evaluation, or placement. If you expect the team to deny a request you are going to make, be ready to ask: "Can you please provide me with a Prior Written Notice documenting that refusal?"

You are also allowed to bring a support person — an advocate, a family friend familiar with special education, or anyone else you choose. You do not need to ask the school's permission.

During the Meeting: What to Document

Bring a notepad (or use your phone's notes app) and record:

• Who is present (names and roles of each person)
• Every decision made, proposal offered, and request denied
• The specific wording of any service or accommodation the team agrees to
• Any data or reports that are referenced but not provided to you in advance — request copies

You have the right to audio record the meeting in Georgia, but you must notify the school in advance. If you plan to record, let them know in your confirmation email.

During the Meeting: Questions to Ask

These questions apply to most IEP meetings in Georgia:

On goals:

• "How will progress on this goal be measured, and how often will I receive progress reports?"
• "This goal addresses [X] — can you explain how we will know if it has been met?"

On services:

• "Is this service going to be individual or in a group? How large is the group?"
• "Which staff member will be delivering this service?"
• "Will this service be delivered via teletherapy or in person?"

On placement:

• "What is the justification for the amount of time outside general education?"
• "What less restrictive options were considered?"

On ESY:

• "Has the team considered Extended School Year? What data supports or does not support ESY eligibility?"

On anything denied:

• "Can you provide me with a Prior Written Notice documenting the refusal of [specific request]?"

During the Meeting: What to Sign and What Not to Sign

You do not have to sign the IEP on the day of the meeting. In Georgia, you can take the document home to review it before signing. If there are changes you want made, ask for a revised draft before you sign.

What your signature on an IEP means varies by section. Signing to acknowledge you received the IEP is not the same as signing to consent to placement. Understand what each signature line means before you put your name on it.

If services are starting and you want them to begin, you can sign consent for the parts you agree with and note disagreement on specific sections.

After the Meeting: Follow Up in Writing

Within 24 to 48 hours of the meeting, send a follow-up email to the special education director and case manager that summarizes:

• The decisions made at the meeting
• Any services or accommodations agreed upon
• Any requests you made that were not addressed
• Next steps and timelines

This creates a written record of the meeting's outcomes. If the IEP document later does not reflect what was discussed, you have evidence.

After the Meeting: Track Service Delivery

Once the IEP is in effect, monitor whether services are actually being delivered as written. Request monthly progress reports. Keep a log of any days when services were missed due to substitutes, field trips, or scheduling conflicts. In rural Georgia districts with staffing shortages, service delivery gaps are common — and they are a violation of the IEP.

If services are not being delivered, document it in writing to the special education director. If the pattern continues, a formal GaDOE complaint is the appropriate next step.

Get the Complete Toolkit

The Georgia IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook includes this checklist in ready-to-print format, along with a Parent Concerns template, a service delivery tracking log, and the Prior Written Notice request letter — everything you need organized for every IEP meeting your child will have in Georgia.

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