Organizing your child’s IEP binder

Learn

• IEP binder checklist

  IEP paperwork piles up fast, and it can be hard to know what to keep. Using a three-ring binder can help you stay organized.

  Download Understood’s IEP binder checklist, and put it at the very front of your binder. It explains how to what to include and how to keep it up to date.

  As your binder grows, this checklist will help you see what you’ve updated and when.

• Communication

  Use the “Communication” section of your IEP binder for three key things:

  • Understood’s school contact sheet to help you reach out to key people with questions or concerns

  • Understood’s school communication log to help you keep track of your interactions with the school. Be sure to note what was discussed and what was decided

  • Copies of letters and important emails: Having a paper version in your binder means you’ll have it on hand for meetings. Then you can easily find and reference what was said.

• Evaluation and IEP

  In the “Evaluation” section:

  • Your request or the school’s referral for an evaluation

  • Your consent to evaluate (to help track if the evaluation is completed in a timely manner)

  • Your child’s school-based evaluation report

  • Private evaluations, if your child has had any

  In the “IEP” section:

  • A copy of your rights that the school gives you

  • Your child’s IEP

  • Prior written notice for each IEP meeting (Many schools attach meeting notes to this form. Keep those here as well as your own notes from the meeting.)

• Progress notes and sample work

  In the “Progress notes” section:

  • Your child’s report cards

  • Your child’s IEP progress notes: By law, the IEP team needs to update you at least as often as you get progress reports on your child’s general education.

  • Understood’s IEP goal tracker to track your child’s progress toward each annual goal in the IEP

  In the “Sample work” section:

  • Samples of homework or classwork that show signs of progress or concern

  • File these monthly.

  • Put the newest ones on top to help you find the most recent samples.

• Behavior

  Use this section for a few key things that involve behavior and school discipline:

  • A copy of the school’s code of conduct

  • Any class-specific behavior plans and rules provided by a teacher

  • A behavior intervention plan, if your child has one

  • Disciplinary notices, if your child receives any

  Why keep these in your IEP binder? Because kids have additional rights and protection if the behavior they’re disciplined for could be related to their disability.