NL ISSP Meeting Checklist: How to Prepare for Your PPT

Most parents walk into their first Program Planning Team meeting unprepared — overwhelmed by terminology, uncertain about what they can push back on, and unsure whether what they are being offered is reasonable or the minimum the school is willing to provide. They often sign the ISSP and leave the meeting with a plan that doesn't adequately serve their child.

This checklist is designed to change that. Use it to prepare for any PPT meeting in Newfoundland and Labrador — whether it's a first ISSP, an annual review, or an interim meeting triggered by unmet goals.

Before the Meeting: What to Do in the Week Prior

Request and read the draft ISSP before you arrive.
Ask the Contact Teacher to send you a draft at least two to three school days before the meeting, if available. If the school says no draft is available, ask for the previous ISSP and any progress data collected since the last review. Parents and guardians are invited to provide input into programming decisions, so request time to review the plan before signing and ask when the next review is scheduled.

Pull your child's school records.
Under ATIPPA, you can request your child's complete educational file at any time. Requests for current records normally receive a response within 7 business (school) days. For meeting preparation, review report cards, previous assessments, teacher notes, and attendance records. Look for patterns: Is the support documented in the ISSP actually being reflected in academic progress? Are teachers noting the same concerns meeting after meeting without resolution?

Write your own observations down in advance.
You know your child outside school hours. Compile specific examples with dates: behaviors you've noticed at home that may reflect unmet needs at school, skills that are emerging at home but not reflected in classroom progress notes, or regression you've observed after a change in school support. Bring this written list to the meeting — not as a complaint, but as data the team doesn't have access to.

Identify your top three non-negotiable priorities.
Walking into the meeting with a clear hierarchy of what matters most prevents the common scenario where a parent agrees to a compromise on every item and leaves with a plan that addresses nothing substantively. Decide in advance: what are the two or three specific outcomes you will not leave without?

Bring a support person.
Ask whether you may bring a support person — a spouse, family member, or advocate from an organization like LDANL, Inclusion NL, or ASNL. Meetings are easier to recall accurately when two people attend. One person can listen while the other takes notes.

At the Meeting: Questions to Ask

These questions cut through vague language and create a clearer accountability record for an ISSP:

On goals:

• "How is this goal measured? What data will be collected, by whom, and how often?"
• "What does success look like for this goal, concretely?"
• "Is this goal achievable within the review period, or should it be broken into smaller milestones?"

On accommodations:

• "Which accommodations will be in place in every class, and which are only for specific subjects? How will classroom teachers be informed?"
• "What happens if a substitute teacher is covering the class? How are accommodations communicated to subs?"
• "Is extended time documented for provincial assessments and standardized tests, not just daily work?"

On Student Assistant support:

• "How many SA hours per day or week is my child allocated?"
• "Are those SA hours assigned to my child specifically, or do they depend on school-level allocation?"
• "What happens when the SA is absent or redirected to cover a classroom?"

On IRT involvement:

• "How many students is the IRT currently supporting?"
• "How much direct IRT time per week is documented for my child?"
• "Will the IRT be present when this accommodation [specify] is being delivered?"

On review and accountability:

• "Who is responsible for each goal in this ISSP? Can we name the person, not just the role?"
• "When will we receive a written progress update before the annual review?"
• "Under what circumstances can I request an interim review?"

At the Meeting: Red Flags to Watch For

Vague goals without measurable criteria: If a goal cannot be answered with a number or a documented observation, it cannot be evaluated or held accountable. Push for specificity.

"We'll do our best" language: This is not a commitment. Best efforts are not a substitute for documented supports. Ask for specific deliverables.

SA hours described as "as needed": SA support should be described as specifically as possible. NLSchools assigns hours to schools based on the number of students approved, the severity of the needs, and the school's special education teacher allocation; ask how the school will cover the support documented for your child.

Goals carried over unchanged from last year: If a goal appears in this year's ISSP unchanged from last year's, ask directly: "Was this goal met? If not, why not, and what will change this year?" Goals that are never met and never adapted represent a systemic failure to plan effectively.

Pressure to sign at the meeting: You do not need to agree to the ISSP at the meeting. You can take the document home, review it, and respond in writing. The school should not be pressuring you to sign before you are confident in the plan.

After the Meeting: What to Do Before You Leave

• Confirm you will receive a signed copy of the ISSP and any amendments agreed to at the meeting
• Note the name and role of the Contact Teacher who will be your primary point of contact
• Write down (or photograph) the review timeline and any next steps the team committed to
• Send a brief follow-up email to the Contact Teacher that same day, summarizing the key commitments made at the meeting. This creates a written record that is not dependent on anyone's memory.

The 15-Day Rule After Any Decision

If a decision at the PPT meeting is subject to the Schools Act Section 22 appeal process — for example, a disputed placement, denied assessment, or failure to implement an ISSP — the formal appeal must be commenced within 15 days of the date you were informed of the decision. Do not wait to see if the situation improves. If you have concerns, document them in writing immediately.

The Newfoundland & Labrador IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes a full PPT meeting preparation guide with NL-specific policy citations, a complete accountability framework for ISSP goals, and ready-to-use email templates for requesting records, submitting follow-up documentation, and triggering Section 22 appeals when needed.

See more Newfoundland and Labrador guides →