Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Parental Participation Important Questions: Can the school have an IEP meeting without the parent?

The school may proceed with an IEP meeting without a parent present only if it can demonstrate that despite diligent efforts, it was unable to persuade the parent to attend. These efforts must be thoroughly documented, including:

• Detailed records of telephone calls made or attempted, along with the outcomes.

• Copies of all correspondence sent to the parents, along with any responses received.

• Records of visits made to the parent’s home or workplace and the outcomes of these visits.