Quebec PI Meeting: Questions to Ask and What to Bring

You got the notice that a plan d'intervention meeting has been scheduled. Maybe you've been dreading this, or maybe you pushed hard just to get the meeting on the calendar. Either way, the team across that table has sat through hundreds of these. You may be walking in for the first or second time.

That information gap is the single biggest factor in whether your child leaves that meeting with concrete support or vague promises. Here is how to close it.

What Documents to Bring

Come with a folder. Physical or digital — just have it organized.

From the school:

• Your child's current or most recent plan d'intervention (if one exists). Read it before you arrive. Note which goals were actually measured, which weren't, and whether the accommodations listed ever made it into daily practice.
• Any previous psychological, psychoeducational, or orthopédagogie assessment reports. These belong in the child's dossier d'aide particulière — if you haven't received copies, request them in writing before the meeting.
• Progress reports or bulletin notes from the past two trimesters.

From home:

• Your own notes. Write down three to five specific situations where your child struggled or where the accommodations failed. "The teacher told me she couldn't use Lexibar during the exam because it wasn't on the plan" is far more powerful than "the accommodations aren't working."
• Any external evaluations (private psychologist, neuropsychologist, orthopédagogue) not yet formally incorporated into the plan.
• A written list of what you're asking for. If you walk in without knowing what you want, the team will fill the silence.

The Questions That Actually Matter

Don't go in asking vague questions like "is my child making progress?" That gives the team room to describe effort and attitude without committing to measurable outcomes. Ask specific questions that require specific answers.

On the goals themselves:

• "What exactly is the measurable objective for reading comprehension this trimester, and what instrument is used to track it?"
• "Which goals from the last PI were achieved? Which weren't, and why?"
• "Is this plan based on adaptations or modifications? For any modification, what is the impact on diploma eligibility?"

The distinction between mesures d'adaptation and mesures de modification is not administrative fine print — it determines whether your child can sit provincial exams and earn a standard DES. If a team member cannot explain this distinction clearly, that is itself a problem you should flag.

On personnel and services:

• "How many hours per week of orthopédagogie is this plan committing to, and in what format — push-in or pull-out?"
• "Which specific staff member is responsible for tracking daily implementation of the accommodations?"
• "If the orthopédagogue is absent or replaced by a substitute, what is the protocol for continuity?"

The chronic shortage of orthopédagogues in Quebec means services written into a plan often don't materialize due to staffing gaps. Get the frequency in writing, not just the intent.

On assistive technology:

• "Is Lexibar or WordQ currently provisioned on my child's school profile for both regular class and exam use?"
• "The plan needs to specify the exact functions authorized — text-to-speech, predictive orthography. Can we confirm these are listed specifically?"

Tools not formally named in the PI cannot legally be used during provincial standardized exams. A general reference to "assistive technology" is not sufficient.

On timelines and accountability:

• "When exactly is the next review meeting, and what constitutes the trigger for an unscheduled review if services aren't being delivered?"
• "Who do I contact if I observe that an accommodation listed here is not being applied in practice?"

During the Meeting

You have the legal right to bring a support person. This can be a partner, a trusted friend, or a representative from an advocacy organization like the FCPQ. Their role is to take notes and prevent the institutional pressure of the meeting from affecting your judgment. When emotions are running high and three credentialed professionals are explaining why your child doesn't qualify for a particular service, a second set of ears matters.

The principal holds ultimate legal responsibility for the PI under Article 96.14 of the Loi sur l'instruction publique. If a specialist says "we don't have the resources for that," the principal cannot simply shrug. Push the question to them directly: "Given that this accommodation is needed for my child's success, what is the timeline for sourcing the resource?"

Do not sign the plan at the meeting if you're not satisfied with what's in it. Parental signature is expected but not legally mandatory for the school to proceed. Take the document home, review it against what was discussed, and request changes in writing if needed.

After the Meeting

The real test of a PI is not the document — it's implementation. Set a calendar reminder for six weeks out. Contact the homeroom teacher briefly to ask whether the accommodations are functioning as written. If they're not, document the gap in writing and send a short email to the principal referencing the specific PI provision that isn't being followed.

If repeated follow-up produces no results, the formal complaint pathway starts at the school level, escalates to the Centre de services scolaire, and ultimately reaches the Protecteur national de l'élève — who has the authority to fine the CSS up to $250,000 for retaliatory behavior against parents who file complaints.

The Quebec Plan d'Intervention & Accommodations Blueprint covers each of these steps in detail, including the exact complaint language to use and how to document non-compliance in a way that holds up to administrative scrutiny.

A Note on Meeting Scheduling

If you received a meeting notice with fewer than five school days' warning, you can request a rescheduling to allow proper preparation. There is no rule requiring you to walk into a meeting unprepared. The school's urgency to resolve the paperwork is not more important than your ability to participate meaningfully.

Preparation is the only equalizer you have. Use it.

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