NWT IEP and SSP Meeting Checklist: How to Prepare for Your Child's SBST Meeting

Walking into a School-Based Support Team meeting without preparation is one of the most common ways NWT parents end up agreeing to things they later regret — or failing to push for things their child actually needs.

SBST meetings move quickly. There are usually four to six people in the room. The school team has already met internally before you arrived. The document being discussed was written by professionals who know the terminology. You're processing it in real time while also managing whatever emotional weight comes with discussing your child's learning struggles.

Preparation doesn't require legal training. It requires knowing what you're walking into and having a few things ready.

Before the Meeting: What to Do in Advance

Request the draft SSP or IEP at least one week in advance. The school is legally required to engage you in the development of these documents — not to present them to you at the meeting for signature. If you haven't received a draft before the meeting, contact the PST and ask for it explicitly. You can say: "I'd like to review the draft SSP before the meeting so I can come prepared to discuss specific goals and accommodations. Can you send it to me by [date one week before meeting]?"

Read the draft carefully. For every goal or accommodation listed, ask:

• Is the goal specific and measurable? (See the nwt-iep-goal-bank post for what SMART goals look like)
• Does the accommodation actually address what my child struggles with?
• Is there anything my child needs that's missing?
• Are there any commitments I'd be uncertain whether the school can actually deliver?

Write down your questions before the meeting. It sounds obvious, but having a written list means you won't leave thinking "I forgot to ask about the reading support."

Gather your documentation. What you bring depends on the meeting stage, but a well-prepared NWT parent typically brings:

• Report cards from the current and previous year
• Any medical or clinical documentation (pediatrician letters, previous assessments, specialist reports)
• Your own observation notes (what you've seen at home, behavioral patterns, what makes things easier or harder)
• Copies of previous SSPs or IEPs if this is a review
• Samples of your child's schoolwork if they illustrate a specific difficulty

Know who will be in the room. The standard SBST includes the classroom teacher, the Program Support Teacher (PST), the school principal, and you. If specialists are involved (a psychologist, SLP, or OT), they may attend or their reports may be presented. Ask in advance who will be at the meeting.

You can bring someone with you. Under the NWT framework, you have the right to bring a support person, advocate, or community Elder to any SBST or IEP meeting. If you think you'll benefit from having someone alongside you — especially in a situation where you anticipate disagreement — let the school know in advance that you're bringing a support person.

During the Meeting: What to Pay Attention To

Accommodations vs. modifications. The most important distinction to track throughout the meeting. If the school is proposing to change what your child is expected to learn (not just how), that moves toward IEP territory and requires your written consent. If they're only discussing how the student will be supported, that's SSP accommodation territory.

Vague language in goals. If a goal is read out and you can't answer "how will we know if this goal was met?", it needs revision. You can say: "Can we make this more specific? I want to understand exactly how progress will be measured."

"We'll do our best" or "as available." Watch for language about services that sounds conditional. "Speech-language support will be provided as the itinerant SLP's schedule permits" is not the same as "SLP support will be provided bi-weekly for 30-minute sessions." If a service is important to your child's plan, it should appear with specific frequency and duration.

What's not on the agenda. Schools sometimes avoid difficult topics by not putting them on the agenda. If there's something you need to discuss — EA support hours, a recent behavioral incident, concerns about teacher implementation of the existing plan — bring it up. The meeting is yours to participate in, not just observe.

Document agreements in real time. If something is agreed to verbally, note it immediately. At the end of the meeting, do a brief summary: "Just to confirm, we agreed that [X accommodation] will be added to the SSP, and [Y goal] will be revised before the document is finalized. Is that right?" This protects against the meeting producing a different document than what was discussed.

Questions to Ask at Every IEP/SSP Meeting

At an initial SSP development meeting:

• "What specific accommodations are you proposing, and why are these the right ones for my child?"
• "What does my child need that isn't currently in the draft?"
• "What does the classroom teacher say about what helps my child learn?"
• "When will the document be updated in TIENET/PowerSchool?"
• "What's the plan for reviewing this at the next reporting period?"

At an IEP development or review meeting:

• "Is each of these goals measurable? Can you walk me through how progress will be tracked?"
• "How often will I receive data on my child's progress, not just a general comment?"
• "Are these goals achievable within the timeframe — is there evidence to support that?"
• "What services are being committed to, and who specifically will deliver them?"
• "What are the implications of this plan for my child's graduation pathway?"
• "What happens if my child doesn't make expected progress by the next review?"

At any meeting if you disagree:

• "I'm not comfortable signing this today. I need more time to review [specific concern]. Can we schedule a follow-up meeting?"
• "Can we document my concern about [specific issue] in the meeting notes?"
• "I'd like this disagreement noted formally before we move forward."

After the Meeting: What to Do Within 48 Hours

Review the meeting notes or minutes. Ask for a copy if the school takes formal notes. Compare to what you wrote down during the meeting.

Check that the document reflects what was agreed. If the SSP or IEP was revised or updated as a result of the meeting, request the updated version and confirm the changes are in.

Send a follow-up email summarizing key points. This doesn't need to be formal or confrontational. Something like: "Thanks for the meeting today. Just confirming what I understood we agreed to: [list 2-3 key points]. Let me know if I've missed anything or if I'm mistaken about any of these." This creates a written record of your understanding without seeming adversarial.

Note the next review date. NWT policy requires IEP reviews at every reporting period. Calendar the next review date immediately so it doesn't sneak up on you.

The Teacher Turnover Problem

The NWT has one of the highest teacher turnover rates in Canada — averaging 18% annually, up to 31% in some regions. This creates a specific problem for SBST meetings: the agreements made in a meeting with Teacher A need to survive Teacher A's departure.

The SSP or IEP in TIENET/PowerSchool is your protection against this. Everything agreed to must be in the document — not just discussed in the meeting. When a new teacher arrives in September, the first thing a prepared NWT parent does is schedule a brief meeting to review the SSP/IEP with the new teacher and confirm they understand the plan.

You can also ask the PST to specifically walk new classroom teachers through your child's SSP at the start of each year as part of their onboarding. This is a reasonable request and is consistent with the PST's role under the Ministerial Directive.

The Northwest Territories IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes templates for this kind of teacher transition conversation — a brief document you can hand a new teacher on the first day that summarizes your child's key needs, successful strategies, and contact information. In a territory where teacher turnover is a structural reality, having that document ready is one of the highest-leverage things you can do.

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