How can I make sure there is a smooth transition with IEP if I move to another district during the summer?

Question

How can I make sure there is a smooth transition with IEP if I move to another district during the summer?

Answer 1

Go to the school early in the summer. Take a complete copy of the special ed paperwork and have the school make a copy. (The school especially needs the original permission to place, the most recent psychological evaluation, and the current IEP.) Ask if you can schedule the temporary IEP meeting as soon as possible. (at least on the first workdays)

Answer 2

In addition to letting the registrar know, bring copies of all paperwork (IEPs/testing) that you have.  It helps a lot because sometimes it is difficult to get paperwork from other districts.

Answer 3

Make sure when you register your student that you mark on the registration form that the student has an IEP. After school starts, ask for an IEP meeting to make sure the new teacher(s) know your student's needs. We have many parents who never let us know their student should be receiving services, and we may not find out until the file gets here from the last school.

Answer 4

According to the federal law that mandates special ed in public schools called IDEA, wehn a child with an IEP transfers schools the IEP is to be followed by the school immediately. They are not suppose to wait for any reason.

Also, schools are suppose to send all the childs records to the new school. Sometimes this doesn't happen,though.

Give a copy of the IEP plan to everyone at the new school who needs it, to make sure they get it.

Write to the new school and request an IEP meeting. By law the school is suppose to hold meeting within 15 days (I think?) of your written dated request.

In the meeting go over your concerns and make sure that everyone is on the same page and know what to do to help your child.

Ask your child if the new school is doing what they are suppose to do in following the IEP plan.

I have heard but I don't know is this is legal - new schools are to follow the IEP plan until they  do a new evaluation on the child  and/or  have an IEP meeting to determine if the IEP plan needs to be changed to meet the childs needs better.

I don't see how this can be true, because the new school will not know right off  if the IEP plan needs to be changed or not. AND, they will not want to spend money doing a new eval.

Go to wrightslaw.com to see if the school has to do these things when a child transfers.