How to Prepare for an IEP Meeting in Indiana (CCC Meeting Guide)

Indiana calls it a Case Conference Committee (CCC) meeting. Other states call it an IEP meeting. Either way, you're walking into a room where the school's team — teachers, specialists, an administrator who can commit district resources — has been preparing. The families who get the best outcomes are the ones who prepare just as thoroughly.

Start One Week Before

Request the draft IEP before the meeting. Under 511 IAC Article 7, the school is required to give you a copy of the proposed IEP in advance. Some schools provide it the day before; best practice is five or more days ahead. If you receive it the morning of the meeting, you have the right to request a continuation to give you adequate time to review it.

When you receive the draft, read it in this order:

1. Present levels of performance (PLOP). Does this accurately describe your child as they are right now — not vaguely, but specifically? Look for statements like "reads below grade level" and ask what the actual measurement is. Grade equivalent scores, standard scores, and percentiles tell you far more than general descriptions.

2. Annual goals. Each goal must be measurable. "Will improve reading" is not measurable. "Will correctly identify the main idea of a 3rd grade passage with 80% accuracy on 4 of 5 trials" is measurable. If goals are vague, you have grounds to request revision before signing.

3. Services section. What services are listed, for how many minutes per week, in what setting, and starting when? Check that every service discussed in previous meetings appears here. Check that the minutes are sufficient to accomplish the goals.

4. Placement. Where is your child receiving services — general education, resource room, self-contained? Indiana's Article 7 requires placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). If the school is proposing a more restrictive placement, they must demonstrate why less restrictive options are insufficient.

5. Transition section (grades 9+). Indiana requires a transition IEP beginning in grade 9 or age 14, whichever comes first — two years earlier than the federal minimum. If your child is in that range, the IEP must include age-appropriate transition assessments, post-secondary goals, and specific transition services.

Gather Your Materials

Bring to the meeting:

• A copy of the current IEP (or the draft)
• Copies of any private evaluations or outside reports you want the CCC to consider
• A written list of your concerns and questions — you will be nervous; write them down beforehand
• Any data you have been collecting at home: reading logs, behavioral observations, homework completion patterns
• Contact information for IN*SOURCE if you want to request their support at a future meeting

You can bring anyone with relevant knowledge or expertise about your child. An advocate, a private therapist, a family support person. The school cannot exclude them.

Know Your Rights Before You Walk In

You are a required member of the CCC. Not a guest. Not an audience. A legal participant whose input must be considered.

You do not have to sign at the meeting. You can take the IEP home and return a signed copy within a reasonable timeframe. Schools sometimes create pressure to sign immediately — that pressure is not a legal requirement.

You can record the meeting. Indiana is a one-party consent state under IC 35-33.5-5-5. You do not need the school's permission to record. Whether or not you announce the recording is a strategic choice, not a legal requirement.

You can request Prior Written Notice (PWN). If the school proposes a change or refuses a request, ask for it in writing. This creates an official record and triggers accountability.

At the Meeting: What to Focus On

Opening: Listen to how the school opens the meeting. What do they say are the priority issues? Sometimes what they lead with tells you what they have already decided.

During the goals discussion: Ask for each goal: "How will progress on this goal be measured, and how often will I receive progress reports?" Article 7 requires the IEP to specify how parents will be informed of progress at least as often as parents of non-disabled children receive report cards.

During the services discussion: For each service listed, confirm: the frequency (sessions per week), duration (minutes per session), setting (where delivered), and start date. Ask what happens if the provider is absent — what is the district's make-up policy?

If you disagree with a proposal: You do not have to say yes in the room. Say: "I want to take some time to consider this before I agree. Can we schedule a follow-up meeting or can I respond in writing within the week?" That is a reasonable request. Do not let urgency push you into agreeing to a placement or service reduction you are unsure about.

If the meeting goes off-track: You can ask for a break. You can ask that a question be answered before the discussion moves on. You can ask to schedule a continuation if the meeting runs out of time before reaching key agenda items.

After the Meeting

Send a follow-up email within 24 hours summarizing what was agreed, what was left open, and any action items. Something like: "Thank you for today's meeting. As I understood it, we agreed to [X]. I'm still reviewing [Y] and will respond by [date]. Please confirm if this summary is accurate."

This email creates a written record of what happened. Schools sometimes remember meetings differently than parents do.

If you were given a draft IEP and want to propose changes, write them down specifically and send them in writing. You can accept the IEP with exceptions — "I consent to all services listed with the following changes requested: [specific changes]."

If services don't start promptly after the IEP is signed, follow up in writing. The IEP must be implemented as written, and delays can constitute a denial of FAPE.

IN*SOURCE (1-800-332-4433) will attend CCC meetings with Indiana families at no cost. If you have a difficult meeting coming up — a placement dispute, a service reduction proposal, an evaluation review — call them beforehand, not after.

The Indiana IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook includes a full CCC meeting preparation checklist, a question bank organized by IEP section, and a post-meeting follow-up template designed for Indiana's Article 7 process.

Get the complete toolkit for Indiana families

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