Kansas Transition IEP Meeting Questions: What Parents Should Ask at Every Meeting
The Questions That Change the Meeting
Most parents walk into an IEP transition meeting and listen. The team presents goals, reviews data, proposes services. The parent signs. This is how transition plans stay generic, compliance-driven, and disconnected from what the student actually needs.
Asking specific, informed questions shifts the dynamic. When a parent asks "What age-appropriate transition assessments were administered this year, and how did the results inform these postsecondary goals?" — the team knows they are dealing with someone who understands the process. That changes the quality of what they put on the table.
Kansas requires transition planning to begin at age 14 and mandates that the student be invited to any IEP meeting where transition is discussed. The questions below are organized by the student's age and the transition issues that should be addressed at each stage.
Ages 14–15: The Foundation Questions
The first transition IEP meeting sets the trajectory. What happens here determines whether the plan develops substance or becomes a template exercise.
About transition assessments:
- What age-appropriate transition assessments were used to identify the student's interests, preferences, and strengths?
- Were the assessments conducted before this meeting, or are we writing goals first and assessing later?
- Did the student complete the assessments independently, and were results discussed with them before this meeting?
About postsecondary goals:
- Are the postsecondary goals in this IEP measurable and based on the transition assessment results?
- Do the goals address education/training AND employment? Is an independent living goal appropriate for this student?
- Do the goals describe what the student will do after high school, or just what they will learn during high school?
About the Individual Plan of Study:
- Has the school counselor reviewed the student's IPS career cluster selections?
- Do the IPS course selections align with the IEP postsecondary goals?
- Is the counselor available to attend this meeting or future transition meetings?
Ages 16–17: The Agency and Rights Questions
By age 16, the IEP must include a coordinated set of activities and interagency responsibilities. By age 17, the team must document in writing that the student has been informed about the transfer of rights at age 18.
About agency referrals:
- Has a referral been made to Kansas Rehabilitation Services for Pre-Employment Transition Services?
- If the student may qualify for HCBS waiver services, has the family been connected with the county CDDO?
- Are any outside agencies listed on this IEP as responsible for specific transition services? If yes, was an agency representative invited to this meeting?
- If an agency listed on the IEP has not delivered the services it agreed to, what is the team's plan to reconvene and identify alternatives?
About the transfer of rights:
- Has the team provided formal written notice about the transfer of rights at age 18?
- Has the team discussed alternatives to guardianship, including supported decision-making and limited power of attorney?
- What steps is the team taking to build the student's self-advocacy and self-determination skills before rights transfer?
About work-based learning:
- What work-based learning opportunities are available to the student this year?
- Has the student had any community-based work experience, or only in-school tasks?
- How are work experience hours being documented for the transition plan?
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Ages 18–21: The Exit Planning Questions
Once the student reaches 18 and is in the final years of eligibility, the focus shifts to exit preparation and adult service coordination.
About graduation and continued eligibility:
- Is the team recommending graduation with a regular diploma or a Certificate of Completion?
- If a regular diploma is recommended, does the student still need transition services that would be terminated by graduation?
- If the student continues in an 18-to-21 program, what does the daily schedule include? How much time is spent in community-based settings versus the school building?
About the Summary of Performance:
- When will the team begin preparing the Summary of Performance?
- Will the SOP include specific accommodation recommendations for the student's postsecondary setting?
- Is the most recent evaluation data current enough to be useful, or should a reevaluation be conducted before exit?
About adult service coordination:
- Is the student actively enrolled with Kansas Rehabilitation Services for Vocational Rehabilitation?
- What is the student's current status on the HCBS I/DD waiver waitlist?
- Has the team discussed SSI eligibility, Medicaid status, and ABLE account options?
- What specific services and supports will be available after FAPE eligibility ends on the applicable June 30 exit date?
How to Use These Questions
Print the relevant section before each IEP meeting. Share the questions with the team in advance if you want collaborative preparation. If you want to see how the team handles them without rehearsal, bring the list and ask during the meeting.
Document the answers. If the team commits to a referral or action, write down who is responsible and by when. If the answer is vague — "we'll look into that" — follow up in writing within a week.
The Kansas IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes printable meeting question sheets for each age range, with space for recording answers and follow-up dates, plus a tracking log for monitoring whether commitments made at the meeting are actually carried out.
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