IPRC

Identification, Placement and Review Committee

IPRC

by Hien Vu

School boards must set up Identification, Placement, and Review Committees (IPRCs) to identify students who need special education programs and services.

IPRC follows a formal process outlined in the Ontario Regulation 181/98.

The purpose of this guide is to explain how the IPRC identifies students who need special education programs. It also outlines your rights as a parent or guardian so that you can make the best decisions for your child.

Who makes up an IPRC?

What is the role of the IPRC?

IPRC Process at a Glance

Request an IPRC Meeting

An IPRC is made up of at least three persons, one of whom must be a principal or supervisory officer of the board.

IPRC Meeting

Agree with Decision

Request a Second Meeting

Second Meeting

The IPRC will:

• decide whether your child should be identified as exceptional
• identify the category and area(s) of exceptionality of your child
• decide an appropriate placement for your child
• review the identification and placement at least once a year

Appeal Decision

Agree with Decision

Appeal Board Meeting

Agree with Decision

Appeal to Special Education Tribunal

During the IPRC

After the IPRC

Before the IPRC

The Chair of the IPRC will start the meeting by welcoming everyone and introducing the key participants. You will have the chance to introduce yourself and your guests.

The IPRC Chair will explain the purpose of the meeting. In addition, the committee will:

• review all relevant information about your child

• consider an educational assessment of your child

• consider a health or psychological assessment of your child, if required

• interview your child (with your consent if he or she is under 16)

• consider any information you or your child (if over 16) submitted

• discuss your child’s strengths and needs

You will be encouraged to join in the discussion.

As a parent, you have the right to request an IPRC meeting! To do so, make a written request to the principal. The principal or teacher can also refer your child to an IPRC if he or she believes that your child may need special education programs or services.

Within 15 days of receiving a written request,

the principal will provide you:

• an acknowledgment of your request

• a copy of the board’s Parents’ Guide to Special Education

• a letter stating when and where the IPRC meeting

will take place

Once the IPRC has presented its Statement of Decision, you can:

agree and sign the consent form, which will lead to the implementation of the IPRC’s decision and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for your child will be developed

request a second meeting to further discuss the IPRC’s decision

disagree and file an appeal with the Special Education Appeal Board

If there is no response from you within 15 days, the IPRC’s decision will be implemented and an IEP for your child will be developed.

Statement of Decision

What if you disagree with the IPRC's decision?

What happens after the Appeal Board's meeting?

Support for Parents

Reference

What information will the IPRC consider?

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2001). Special Education: A Guide to Educators.

Ontario Teachers' Federation. (2014). Exceptionalities Determined by Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC). Retrieved from http://www.teachspeced.ca/iprc

• classroom and special education resource teachers’ assessments and evaluations of your child’s needs and academic achievement
• results of any formal assessments, including those by a psychologist, a speech-language pathologist, and/or an occupational therapist

The committee may discuss and make recommendations regarding special education programs and services for your child. Once all the information about your child has been presented and considered, the IPRC will decide on the best placement option for your child.

The IPRC will give reasons for the decisions made about your child’s identification and placement in its written Statement of Decision.

You are encouraged to attend the meeting! You may choose to have a representative present at the meeting to speak on your behalf.

If you are not comfortable speaking to the committee in English, ask your child’s principal to arrange an interpreter at the IPRC. Other services are also available to accommodate parents or guardians with special needs, such as parents with vision or hearing impairments.

You will receive a written copy of any information about your child that the Chair of the IPRC has received. This information may include:

You are encouraged to provide information about your child’s strengths and needs. The information you give to the principal will be forwarded to the IPRC.

Within 30 days of receiving the Appeal Board’s written statement, the school board will consider the recommendations and decide what actions to take in the best interest of your child.

You can accept the board’s decision or appeal to the Special Education Tribunal. The school will implement its decision only when you provide consent in writing. Information about applying to the Tribunal will be included with the Appeal Board’s decision.

You may ask for a second meeting to discuss your concerns regarding the IPRC's decision within 15 days of the first meeting.

The second meeting will be held as soon as possible after your request has been received. At this meeting, the committee will carefully listen and try to resolve your concerns. The IPRC may decide to make changes to its decision(s) or not after this meeting. If you are still dissatisfied, you may file a letter of appeal with the secretary of the board within 15 days of receiving the decision of the second meeting.

If you appeal the IPRC’s decision, you must indicate with which of the decisions you disagree with and your reasons for disagreeing with the committee.

Special Education Tribunal Process

What will the IPRC's written Statement of Decision include?

Who are the members of the Appeal Board?

What if you are unable to attend the meeting?

Contact the principal of your child’s school to arrange an alternate date or time. If you cannot attend, let the principal know in advance.

The IPRC’s written Statement of Decision will:

• state whether your child has been identified as exceptional

• specify your child’s identification of exceptionality, including:

• the category and definition of the exceptionality
• your child’s strengths and needs

• state the IPRC’s placement decision and the reasons for the decision

• highlight any recommendations regarding a special education program and special education services

A Special Education Appeal Board is made up of three members, none of whom are from the original committee or have prior involvement with the matter under appeal. The new committee will have:

• one member selected by the board
• one member selected by you
• a Chair selected jointly by the other two members

The principal will contact you after the IPRC meeting to let you know the committee’s decisions concerning your child’s identification and placement. You will also get this information in a written statement.

(Ontario Ministry of Education, 2001)

(Ontario Teachers' Federation, 2014)

What does the Appeal Board do?

IPRC Review

Who attends an IPRC meeting?

What are some possible IPRC placement decisions?

After your child has been in the special education program for three months, you may make a request for a review of the placement and identification decisions. Once you have made the request, the school principal will let you know, in writing, approximately when the IPRC review will take place.

The IPRC will consider the progress your child has made in relation to the IEP and may decide to make changes if necessary.

The Chair of the Appeal Board will arrange a meeting to take place within 30 days of being selected. At this meeting, the Appeal Board will receive and review materials about your child. You will be invited to attend and participate in all discussions.

Within 3 days of the end of the meeting, the Appeal Board will make its recommendations. The Appeal Board may:

• agree with the IPRC and recommend that its decisions be implemented
• disagree with the IPRC and make a recommendation to the board about your child’s identification and placement or both

The Appeal Board will report its recommendations and reasons, in writing, to you and to the board.

In addition to the three people on the IPRC, others may attend the meeting, including:

• you and your child (students 16 or over have the right to attend and participate in discussions)

• the principal of your child’s school

• your child’s teacher, and other professionals such as special education and board support staff

• a representative who may support you or your child

• an interpreter, if required