Question: I know that the IEP team is required to meet within ten days of receiving an outside evaluation, but what days count? I think it is school days, but what about half-days or professional development days?
Q & A: When Will I Receive the IEP in the Mail?
Answer: Parents are often surprised to learn that federal laws and regulations do not contain a deadline if the IEP team met to review or revise an IEP. (But note: If the IEP meeting was an eligibility meeting, federal regulations do provide a deadline - parents must receive the IEP 60 calendar days after the District received consent to evaluate UNLESS the state imposes a shorter timeframe. In Massachusetts the deadline is 45 school days after the consent to evaluate.)
IEP vs. 504 - What's the Difference?
"Stay-Put" Rights In Massachusetts
Special Education Eligibility in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Law on Physical Restraint
Update: How to Request Temporary Home or Hospital Tutoring (New Form and Guidance)
Finding the Right School for Your Child
Finding the right school for your child can be difficult. One good place to start is the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website, where you can search by organization type (public school, private school, approved special education school, approved special education program, etc.). You can further refine this search based on geography and you child's age, gender, or disability. Another option is to consult an educational placement expert. You can search for one here.
Settlement Agreements are Public Records
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, in Champa v. Weston Public Schools (SJC 11838) (October 23, 2015) recently decided that private settlement agreements between public school districts and parents, once redacted of personally identifiable information, are public records subject to disclosure. Previously, many school districts believed that disclosure of settlement agreements violated the Federal Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) and its Massachusetts equivalent.
