IEP meeting agenda template

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

An IEP meeting agenda lists each part of the meeting in order with a time and a person who leads it: welcome and purpose, parent concerns, present levels, goals, services and accommodations, placement, and next steps. Send it with the meeting notice, hand out copies at the start, and keep to the times so the decisions get made before people leave.

An agenda turns an IEP meeting from a reading of a long document into a set of decisions. It shows the parent what will be discussed and when they will be asked for input. It also gives the case manager a polite way to move on when one topic runs long.

Federal rules do not require a written agenda. They do require that parents know the purpose of the meeting, who will be there, and that they are full participants.^[1] A shared agenda is the simplest way to show all three. The IEP meeting guide covers the meeting types and who must attend.

The fill-in agenda template

Copy this into a document and fill in the blanks. Keep it to one page.

Student: ________ Grade: ____ School: ________

Meeting type: Annual review / Initial / Reevaluation / Amendment / Other: ________

Date: ________ Start time: ______ End time: ______ Place or link: ________

Purpose of the meeting: ________

Attending (name and role): ________

Excused members and written input received: ________

Time	Item	Led by	Decision needed
____	Welcome, introductions, purpose, rights offered	________	None
____	Parent and student concerns and priorities	________	Priorities for the year
____	Progress on current goals	________	Which goals continue, change or end
____	Present levels by area	________	Agreement on current performance
____	Proposed goals	________	Goals for the year
____	Accommodations and modifications	________	List for class and testing
____	Services and minutes	________	Service, frequency, location, duration, provider
____	Special factors and other considerations	________	Behavior plan, AT, ESY, transition
____	Placement and time in general education	________	Placement decision
____	Summary and next steps	________	Who does what, by when

Parking lot (topics to return to): ________

Completed example: an annual review

This example is fictional. The student is Ana, a 7th grader with a reading disability and a speech-language goal.

Student: Ana R. Grade: 7 School: Lincoln Middle School

Meeting type: Annual review

Date: March 12 Start time: 3:15 pm End time: 4:15 pm Place: Room 114, with a video link for Ana's father

Purpose: Review progress, write the IEP for next year, and discuss ESY.

Attending: Ana's mother and father; Ana (for the first 20 minutes); Ms. Park, special education teacher and case manager; Mr. Diaz, English teacher; Ms. Lee, SLP; Mr. Grant, assistant principal (district representative).

Excused: None.

Time	Item	Led by	Decision needed
3:15	Welcome, introductions, purpose, procedural safeguards offered	Ms. Park	None
3:20	Ana shares what helps her in class; parents share concerns	Ana, parents	Priorities: reading speed and writing longer answers
3:30	Progress on current goals	Ms. Park, Ms. Lee	Fluency goal continues; vocabulary goal met, ends
3:38	Present levels: reading 98 words correct per minute on grade 7 passages (up from 76 in March last year); written responses average 2 sentences	Ms. Park, Mr. Diaz	Agree on baselines
3:45	Proposed goals: fluency to 125 words correct per minute; written response of 5 sentences with a claim and 2 pieces of evidence	Ms. Park	Goals for the year
3:52	Accommodations: text-to-speech for content reading, extended time 1.5x on tests	Mr. Diaz	Final list
3:57	Services: reading instruction 4 times a week, 40 min, special education setting; speech-language 2 times a month, 30 min, general education classroom	Ms. Park, Ms. Lee	Services and minutes
4:03	ESY: data from winter break shows no regression	Ms. Park	ESY not needed this year
4:07	Placement: general education 85% of the day	Mr. Grant	Placement decision
4:10	Summary and next steps	Ms. Park	See below

Next steps: Ms. Park sends the final IEP and notice by March 19. Mr. Diaz sets up text-to-speech by March 26. Ms. Lee schedules classroom speech sessions for April.

Parking lot: Parents asked about a summer reading program. Ms. Park will send local options.

Notes on each section

Welcome and purpose

Parents look for a clear statement of why everyone is there. Reviewers look for evidence that procedural safeguards were offered; schools must give parents a copy at least once a year.^[5] One sentence on the agenda and in the notes covers it.

Parent and student concerns

Put this near the start. The team must consider the parents' concerns and the student's strengths.^[2] Parents notice whether their concerns show up again later, in goals or services. When the meeting will discuss postsecondary goals and transition, the school must invite the student.^[3]

Progress and present levels

Parents look for numbers they can compare with last year. Reviewers check that every new goal has a baseline in present levels. The present levels examples show the format.

Goals

Show each goal next to its baseline. The goal checker catches vague goals before the meeting. Parents often ask how a goal will be measured, so have the data sheet ready.

Accommodations and services

Reviewers check that each service lists frequency, location and duration.^[4] The services page guide has filled examples.

Special factors and placement

Name each special factor the team considered, even if the answer is "not needed." For placement, state the percent of time in general education and why. Parents want to hear what supports were tried first.

Summary and next steps

Write each action with a person and a date. This is the part of the agenda most often skipped and most often missed later.

Time the agenda to the meeting

For an annual review, 45 to 60 minutes is common. Use the IEP due date calculator to set the meeting date at least 2 weeks before the deadline, so a reschedule does not make it late. Before the meeting, use the IEP meeting checklist. Parents can prepare with the IEP meeting checklist for parents.

Frequently asked questions

Should I send the IEP meeting agenda to parents ahead of time?

Yes, send it with the meeting notice or a few days before. Parents can see when they will be asked for input and come ready with their concerns and questions.

How long should an IEP meeting agenda be?

One page. List each item with a time, who leads it, and the decision needed. A longer agenda usually means the meeting is trying to read the whole IEP aloud.

What goes in the parking lot on an IEP agenda?

Topics raised during the meeting that are not on the agenda or cannot be settled that day. Write each one down with a person who will follow up and a date.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.322: Parent participation, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.321: IEP Team, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.504: Procedural safeguards notice, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.