What to Expect at Your First IEP Meeting – a Teacher’s Guide
If you’re a teacher, chances are you’ll attend an IEP meeting at some point—maybe even your first year teaching. These meetings are part of the process for supporting students with special education needs and usually happen at least once a year.
Not sure what to expect? You’re not alone. This post breaks down the IEP meeting agenda, what your role is, and includes a helpful IEP meeting checklist so you can walk in feeling prepared and confident
What is an IEP Meeting?
An IEP meeting is a required part of the special education process. IEP stands for Individualized Education Program—a legal document that outlines a student’s learning goals, services, accommodations, and current levels of performance (sometimes called PLOP or PLAAFP).
These meetings happen at least once a year to review the student’s progress, adjust supports, and update goals based on their needs. The IEP team—which includes you as the classroom teacher—works together to make sure the plan stays relevant, realistic, and student-focused.
Who is a part of the IEP Team?
The IEP team includes everyone involved in supporting the student’s learning—and yes, that includes you.
At a minimum, each IEP meeting must include one general education teacher, one special education teacher, a parent or guardian, and a representative from the school (often an administrator). Depending on the student’s needs, other specialists may attend, like a speech therapist, occupational or physical therapist, school psychologist, or nurse.
Parents can also invite an advocate, legal representative, or translator if needed. And while younger students usually don’t attend, older students—or those with parent permission—may be part of the meeting too.
No two IEP teams look exactly the same. The team is built around the student’s needs, which means every meeting can feel a little different.
What is my role, as the classroom teacher, at an IEP meeting?
At this point, you might be wondering what your role, as the regular education teacher, is at an IEP meeting.
Your role, as a general educator, is to attend the meeting and share relevant information about the student’s progress academically and socially. You’ll have a chance to share what you’ve observed are the student’s strengths and needs. You might also share the types of accommodations and modifications that appear to be working well in your classroom.
As the meeting progressed, you’ll also get information on any changes to the student’s accommodations or modifications. The team might generate behavior plans or health support plans during this time.
In addition, the schedule of services will be set or adjusted based on what the student currently needs. This is important information because it can change how you’ll plan instruction to best meet the needs of this student and their classmates. This discussion might include conversations about pull-out service minutes or push-in minutes provided by a special education teacher or paraprofessional.
What to expect at your first IEP meeting
Now that you know who’s at the table and what your role is, let’s talk about what actually happens during the IEP meeting.
For many teachers, especially first-timers, the process can feel a little overwhelming. But at its core, this is a chance for the IEP team to come together, share insights, and create a meaningful plan that supports the student’s needs.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s typically on the IEP meeting agenda so you can walk in feeling prepared—not panicked.
IEP Meeting Agenda Overview
1. Introductions & Family Input
Every IEP meeting starts with introductions, even if everyone already knows each other. This helps parents understand who’s in the room and what each person’s role is on the team.
After introductions, families are invited to share about their child—including strengths, recent progress, and any concerns they’d like to discuss. It’s an important way to center the meeting around the student from the very beginning.
2. Assessment/Data Review
Next, the team reviews data to get a full picture of the student’s current strengths and needs. If it’s a re-evaluation year (which happens every three years), a school psychologist will share formal testing results that help determine continued eligibility and service areas.
But formal evaluations aren’t the only thing on the table.
As the classroom teacher, you’ll bring observational notes, work samples, or informal assessment data to show how the student is doing in your setting. Each team member will also share insights from their work with the student—this helps establish what’s called the Present Levels of Performance (PLOP).
Find out more about documenting data in the classroom:
3. Review and Create IEP Goals
Once data has been shared, the team will review the student’s current goals. If the student already has an IEP, you’ll talk through each goal—what’s been mastered, what needs tweaking, and what should be removed or replaced.
Sometimes goals are adjusted to increase rigor (like bumping up accuracy or frequency), while others may need a total rewrite to better match the student’s current needs. New goals are also created at this point, especially if this is the student’s first IEP.
Most of the time, you and the family will have access to draft goals before the meeting. Your role is to review, offer input, and help fine-tune anything that feels off before the team finalizes them.
You’ll also discuss accommodations and modifications during this time. This part of the IEP outlines the specific supports a student needs to access learning in the general education setting.
4. Schedule of Services
This is where the team outlines how much and where support will be provided. You’ll review how often the student will receive services, whether they’ll be in the general education classroom, pulled out for support, or a mix of both.
The team also documents who will provide each service—like the special education teacher, speech pathologist, or another provider—so everyone knows their role in supporting the student.
5. Specialized Plans (If Needed)
Some students have additional plans built into their IEP, like a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) or a health plan for medical needs during the school day.
During the meeting, the team will review these plans and decide whether they should stay as-is, be updated, or removed—based on how the student is doing and what support is still needed.
6. Assessment Accommodations
Every IEP meeting includes a review of how the student will access district and state assessments. The team will discuss any needed accommodations—like extended time, breaks, or alternate settings—to ensure fair testing conditions.
If testing is still months away, the team may plan to revisit this section later in the year to make updates as needed.
7. Transportation Needs
If a student requires special transportation—like a smaller bus, extra support staff, or a specialized vehicle—the team will document those needs here.
For most students, this section is a quick check-in, since standard transportation usually applies.
8. Meeting Wrap-Up & Signatures
To finish, the team will review the meeting notes and give everyone a chance to ask final questions or clarify anything that’s still unclear.
Once everything’s agreed upon, each team member signs the IEP. At that point, it becomes a legally binding plan that guides services until the next review.
What Teachers Should Bring to an IEP Meeting
While every IEP meeting is a little different, there are a few things you should always come prepared with. These will help you contribute meaningfully and advocate for your student with confidence.
Bring:
- Recent data on the student’s performance (work samples, test scores, progress monitoring)
- Notes on any interventions or strategies you’re currently using
- A list of the student’s strengths and talents
- Any questions or concerns you’d like to address
- Paper or a notebook to jot down notes during the meeting
Having this information on hand helps you speak to the student’s progress and ensures your voice is part of the decision-making process. If you don’t understand something or have concerns that have not been addressed during the IEP meeting, please speak up.
Get Your IEP Meeting Checklist!
Ready to walk into your next IEP meeting feeling confident and prepared? Download this free, easy-to-follow IEP Meeting Checklist and stay organized during every step of the process—from gathering data to reviewing goals and making decisions.
