• Student Invitation & Involvement in IEP Transition Planning:

    By age 14 (and earlier if appropriate), students should be invited to, prepared for, and participating in IEP Team meetings when the meeting involves consideration of postsecondary goals or transition services. 

    Kansas State Department of Education Guidance:

    • The student must be invited to attend the student’s own IEP meeting beginning at age 14, or younger, if a purpose of the meeting is consideration of the student’s postsecondary goals and the transition services needed to assist the student in reaching those goals. If the student elects not to participate, the IEP team must take other steps to ensure that the student's preferences and interests are considered in developing the IEP (K.S.A. 72- 3429(c)(8); K.A.R. 91-40-17(f); (34 C.F.R. 300.321(b)(2)). The school may invite the student to attend their own IEP team meeting at any age if appropriate. The school is not required to give students younger than age 18 the same notice of meeting that is required for parents, but should document that the student was invited to the meeting. Beginning at age 18, if rights have transferred to the student, both the student and parents must receive 10-day written notice of the IEP team meeting 

    • Beginning at age 14, or younger, if a purpose of the meeting is consideration of the student's postsecondary goals or transition services, the student must be invited to attend and participate in the IEP team meetings. The school is not required to give children who are younger than age 18 the same notice that is required for parents, but should document that the student was invited to the meeting. The school is required to invite the student to the IEP team meeting even if the student’s parents do not want their child to attend the meeting. However, because parents have authority to make educational decisions for their child (under 18 years of age), the parents make the final determination of whether their child will attend the meeting (Federal Register, August 14, 2006, p. 46671).

    Documenting Invitation of Student: 

    • There is documentation on synergy that the student was invited to participate in the IEP Team meeting (even if it is know they cannot or will not attend)

      • Documentation options include: Student Invitation indicated on Notice of Meeting, Student signature on IEP Signature page, Note in student contact log that teacher invite student prior to IEP meeting

    • IEP manager discusses purpose and student's preferred participation method in IEP meeting with student prior to the team meeting 

    • If parents do not want their child to attend the IEP team meeting, the school documents invitation to the student (using documentation options from bullet 1) and parent authority to make educational decision within the IEP. 

    • If the student does not participate (or the parent does not want the student to attend), the IEP team takes other steps to ensure that the student's preferences and interests are considered in developing the IEP

     

    Additional Resources: