Completing, Signing, and Finalizing an IEP Meeting

After an IEP is developed in the IEP Manager, use Print/Preview/Options to review the assembled draft before and during the meeting. The IEP may be reviewed electronically, on paper, or using a combination of both.

Review the IEP During the Meeting

During the meeting, review the proposed plan with the parent or guardian and the IEP team, discuss questions or concerns, and make changes as needed.

If a computer is available, SIRAS forms can be updated directly during the meeting so the electronic record reflects the team’s decisions.

If a printed draft is used, handwritten changes should be entered into SIRAS after the meeting so the electronic record accurately reflects the plan reviewed by the team.

A printed and signed IEP is recommended as a good practice, but it is not required by SIRAS.
When practical, a printed copy can provide the parent or guardian and the IEP team with a clear record of the document reviewed at the meeting and can make it easier to verify that the signed copy and the electronic SIRAS record match. A fully electronic meeting and signature process is also acceptable.

Mark the Meeting Complete

When the meeting has concluded and all required forms other than the Parent Consent form are complete, select Meeting Complete.

This indicates that the meeting forms have been completed and that no further routine changes to the plan are expected. If signed consent has not yet been received, select the appropriate awaiting-response Parent Response.

Obtain the Parent or Guardian Signature

The Parent Consent form may be signed electronically or on paper.

Electronic signature during an in-person meeting: Open the Parent Consent form in SIRAS and allow the parent or guardian to sign using the available electronic signature fields.
Emailed Link: Use the Manage Links feature to email the parent or guardian a secure link to the Parent Consent form so it can be reviewed and signed from the parent’s own device.
Paper signature: Print the appropriate signature or Consent page for the parent or guardian to sign. The signed page may then be scanned and uploaded to the meeting as the appropriate replacement page.

Regardless of the signature method: the electronic record in SIRAS should accurately reflect the plan reviewed with the parent or guardian and the IEP team.

Record the Parent Response and Review the Final Record

After signed consent is received, record the appropriate Parent Response and review any applicable Pending Changes.

Before finalizing:

Confirm that the selected Parent Response matches the signed response.
Confirm that only the agreed-upon Pending Changes are applied.
Review the MIS Summary when the meeting changes eligibility, services, placement, dates, or other reportable information.
Use Print/Preview/Options to proofread the assembled IEP one final time.
Confirm that any handwritten changes made during the meeting have been entered into SIRAS.

Finalize the Meeting

Once the meeting record is complete and accurate, select Finalize. Finalization creates the protected historical meeting record and prevents ordinary editing of the finalized forms.

Do not finalize before the electronic record is complete.
If the meeting was reviewed or corrected on paper, enter those changes into SIRAS before finalizing so the finalized electronic record matches the plan reviewed and signed by the parent or guardian.

Corrections After Finalization

If a clerical or transcription error is discovered after finalization, an authorized staff member may determine that limited reactivation is appropriate. Reactivation should be used to correct the record of the meeting that actually occurred, not to make a new substantive decision after the meeting.

After correcting a reactivated meeting, review any related information that may also be affected, including:

Parent Response
Pending Changes
Current MIS Summary
Archived reporting transactions
CALPADS Report Status, when applicable

Refinalize the meeting after the record has been reconciled.

Use the appropriate process for new substantive changes.
If the team wants to make a new decision after finalization—such as adding or removing a service, changing placement, or making another substantive change to the plan—use the appropriate amendment, addendum, review, or new meeting process according to district and SELPA policy.

Paper Copies and Electronic Records

A printed and signed copy remains a useful and recommended practice when it fits the meeting and district workflow, but SIRAS also supports a fully electronic process.

SIRAS maintains the finalized electronic meeting record and can reproduce the finalized PDF when needed. If a district requires an independent archival copy, download the finalized PDF and store it in the district’s approved records-management system rather than uploading the complete generated IEP PDF back into SIRAS as a duplicate meeting attachment.

See Finalized IEP Records and PDF Archival for additional guidance.