Throughout my career as an educator, I routinely saw families feeling very intimidated by the IPRC process and the idea of sitting down at a table with a group of educators and school administrators to discuss what identification their child would receive and what placement they would receive.

What would they ask? What could they ask? Could they disagree? All of these thoughts often circled through their minds.

Let’s tackle some common questions that parents have about the IPRC.

I - Identification

P - Process

R - Review

C- Committee

What is the purpose?

The purpose of the Identification, Process & Review Committee is to decide if a child should be formally identified with an exceptionality, to decide which category they should be identified under, and to determine the appropriate placement.

How does it work?

When the school principal requests it:

You will receive written notice of when it is taking place and receive a copy of the school board’s guide to special education.

When a parent requests it:

Many parents aren’t aware that they can be the ones to request an IPRC, but it is within their right. To request an IPRC, a formal written request must be given to the school principal. Within 15 days of receiving the request, the principal must notify you in writing of when it is taking place and provide you with the school board’s guide to special education.

If you’re invited, should you attend?

Yes, yes and yes! You should always attend a meeting where your child’s education is being discussed.

Can you bring someone with you?

Absolutely! You have the right to bring along an advocate to help strengthen your voice.

What are the placement options?

regular class with indirect support where the student is placed in a regular class for the entire day, and the teacher receives specialized consultative services

regular class with resource assistance where the student is placed in a regular class for most or all of the day and receives specialized instruction, individually or in a small group, within the regular classroom from a qualified special education teacher
regular class with withdrawal assistance where the student is placed in a regular class and receives instruction outside the classroom, for less than 50% of the school day, from a qualified special education teacher
special education class with partial integration where the student is placed in a special education class for at least 50% of the school day and is integrated with a regular class for at least one instructional period daily
full-time special education class for the entire school day

Do they get to decide or do I have the opportunity to agree or disagree?

You are the one who gets to make the decision, or your child depending on their age. You don’t have to decide at that time either, you can take up to 15 days to consider your options before letting the school board know about your decision.

What if I disagree?

This occurs all of the time. A parent may feel their child needs more or less support or has a different goal in regards to inclusion, and as a result, disagrees with the placement. You have every right to disagree.

If you do, you must provide a written statement declaring that you disagree within 15 days of the IPRC. A follow-up meeting will be held to hear more information and reconsider the decision. If there is no change to the decision or if you still disagree, you can move forward with a formal appeal which would need to submitted within 30 days to the Director of Education.

What happens next?

Following the IPRC, your child will start in their new placement based on the agreed-upon start date, and the IEP will be developed.

A school MUST provide you with the IEP within 30 days of your child starting in a Special Education Program.

Understanding the IPRC