Vermont IEP Meeting Parent Checklist for Transition Planning

Before the Meeting

The transition IEP meeting is where the plan for your student's adult life gets written. Walking in prepared shifts the dynamic from receiving a pre-drafted plan to actively shaping it.

Two weeks before the meeting:

• Request a draft copy of the IEP, including the transition section. Vermont schools are not required to provide a draft in advance, but most will if asked in writing. Having the document early lets you review it rather than reading it for the first time at the table.
• Request copies of any transition assessments completed since the last IEP meeting. If no assessments were done, note that — the Indicator 13 checklist requires assessment-based goals.
• Confirm that the student received a meeting invitation. Under IDEA, the student must be invited to any IEP meeting where transition services are discussed.
• Confirm that a HireAbility Vermont counselor was invited. If the IEP includes employment goals, the school needs parental consent (or the adult student's consent after 18) to invite outside agencies. If you haven't given that consent, provide it now.

The week before:

• Talk to your student about their goals. What do they want to do after high school? Where do they want to live? What kind of work interests them? Their input should drive the postsecondary goals, not the other way around.
• Review the Vermont Graduation Readiness Tool results if available. This tool evaluates whether the student is functionally ready to exit school, and the data should inform the team's timeline discussion.
• Write down your questions and concerns. Meetings move fast, and it's easy to leave without addressing something important.

What to Bring

• Your own copy of the current IEP and any draft revisions
• Transition assessment results and any outside evaluations (private psychoeducational reports, adaptive behavior scales, career assessments)
• A list of proposed transition goals — you don't need perfect legal language, just clear statements about what you think the postsecondary goals should be
• Notes on Pre-ETS or work-based learning activities the student has completed
• Documentation of any agency contacts — HireAbility counselor meetings, DAIL intake conversations, PCG application status
• A notepad or recorder — If you plan to record, notify the school before the meeting and confirm any district requirements.

Questions to Ask at the Meeting

On postsecondary goals:

• What specific transition assessment data supports these postsecondary goals?
• Are the goals measurable? How will we know if the student has achieved them?
• Who is responsible for each transition service, and what is the timeline?

On agency coordination:

• Has a HireAbility counselor been assigned? Are they attending this meeting?
• Has the school initiated the DAIL intake process through PCG? If not, when will they?
• For students nearing 18: has the transfer of rights notice been sent?

On graduation planning:

• Has the Graduation Readiness Tool been completed this year?
• What is the team's proposed graduation timeline, and what data supports it?
• Has the team discussed the ceremony exception under 16 V.S.A. § 2944?

On dispute resolution:

• If you disagree with a proposed change, ask for Prior Written Notice (Form #7). The school must document its decision and the basis for it.
• If agreement can't be reached, you can request facilitated IEP meeting support, mediation through the Vermont Agency of Education, or file an administrative complaint.

Your Rights During the Meeting

Vermont parents have specific rights during IEP meetings that apply across all phases, but matter most during transition planning:

• Equal participant: You are a required member of the IEP team and must have an opportunity to provide input. Your agreement is not required for every IEP decision.
• Consent: The school needs your consent for evaluations and for the initial provision of services. After age 18, consent authority transfers to the student.
• Prior Written Notice: Whenever the school proposes or refuses a change to the IEP, they must provide written notice explaining the decision, the data they relied on, and the alternatives they considered.
• Independent evaluation: If you disagree with the school's evaluation results, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense.

After the Meeting

Within a week of the meeting:

• Review the final IEP document for accuracy. Confirm that what was discussed matches what was written.
• If anything was agreed to verbally but not captured in the document, request an amendment.
• Follow up with any agencies that were assigned responsibilities — confirm they received the IEP and understand their role.

The Vermont IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a meeting preparation worksheet and an agency communication log to track follow-up contacts after each IEP meeting.

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