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10 Steps to Complete an IEP or IFSP

Create the Meeting

1. Open the student in the IEP Manager. Click the Choose Student icon to open your student list, and then select the student’s name. Notify your district special education secretary if a student is missing or if your list includes a student who is not assigned to you.

    

2. Verify the Student Profile. Go to Student Info > Student Profile and confirm the information that will appear on the IEP forms:

   • Demographics: Verify ethnicity, race, and English learner type.
   • Contacts: Confirm that at least one primary contact is listed.
   • Providers: Confirm that a case manager and all service providers are listed.
   • Goals: Complete the student’s goals in Goal Developer.
   • Medical information: Enter vision and hearing results, medications, and overall health information under Student Info > Student Profile > Medical. After this information is entered in SIRAS, it can be included in lists and reports.

3. Select the Meeting Purpose. Select the appropriate Meeting Purpose on the IEP Manager to create the meeting and load the forms associated with that meeting type. A definition of each meeting purpose will appear. You may also refer to the Selecting a Meeting Purpose handout.

   

4. Enter the meeting details. Enter the meeting date, time, and location when known. This information may be entered or updated at any time before the meeting is finalized.

   

Complete the Forms

5. Complete the IEP or IFSP forms. Use the IEP Manager tabs to open and complete all forms required for the meeting. Available tabs may include Basic Forms, Pre-Meeting, ISP Forms, Assessment Reports, Other Forms, and Uploaded Documents.

   How to Fill Out IEP Forms
   Forms may vary slightly between SELPAs. Contact your special education director when clarification is needed.

   

   • Pre-Meeting: Contains forms used before the meeting, such as the Meeting Notice and Assessment Plan.
   • Basic Forms: Opens by default and contains the forms used during the meeting.
   • Assessment Reports: Contains narrative assessment reports. This tab is not available in every SELPA.
   • ISP Forms: Used to develop ISP forms. After the first ISP form is submitted, the student’s plan type changes to ISP and the ISP Forms tab becomes the default instead of Basic Forms.
   • Other Forms: Contains forms that may be needed for the meeting but are not numbered pages in the IEP, such as Health History or Parent Interview forms.
   • Uploaded Documents: Used to upload documents associated with the meeting, such as a doctor’s note or an evaluation from an outside source. A PDF document may be appended to the IEP as a numbered form. When an uploaded document is categorized as a signed signature page, SIRAS uses the uploaded copy in place of the blank signature page. Select the blue question mark in the lower-left corner for additional instructions. Do not include extra periods in an uploaded file name.
   • Links / Requests: Used to manage form links sent to a parent or guardian, general education staff member, or other participant for form completion or an eSignature request outside of a SIRAS user account.
   • Review Pending Changes: Allows the user to review updates that will be applied to the student’s record based on the meeting outcome and Parent Response.
   • Change Log: Presents a timeline of changes made to the IEP before and after consent is received.

   Meeting Participation Form

   The Meeting Participation form records attendance and should be signed at the beginning of the meeting by the parents or guardians and all IEP team members who are present. It can also track participation across multiple continuation meetings.

   • For an in-person meeting, print the form and present it for signatures at the start of the meeting.
   • For a remote meeting, send the form electronically shortly before the meeting by creating a Manage Link request.
   • The meeting does not need to be marked Held before a Manage Link request can be sent for the Meeting Participation form.

   Before the meeting, complete the draft forms as fully as possible. Forms and decisions that depend on discussion with the parent or IEP or IFSP team will be reviewed and completed during Step 6.

Conduct and Complete the Meeting

6. Review the plan with the parent and IEP or IFSP team. This is the meeting itself. Use Print/Preview/Options to assemble the paginated draft, review the proposed plan with the parent or guardian and other team members, and confirm that the forms accurately reflect the team’s discussion and decisions.

   

   • Review the proposed goals, services, accommodations, placement, dates, and other plan details with the parent or guardian and the IEP or IFSP team.
   • Explain the proposed plan, answer questions, and confirm which portions are agreed upon or disputed.
   • Make any corrections or changes agreed upon during the meeting directly in the SIRAS forms.
   • If changes are written on a printed copy, enter them into SIRAS so the electronic forms match the version reviewed by the team.
   • Confirm that all forms are complete and internally consistent, and review the proposed updates shown under Review Pending Changes.
   • Use the Draft watermark while the document is still being reviewed and revised.
   • After making corrections, assemble and review the document again until it accurately reflects the completed meeting and proposed plan.

    

   The version presented for the parent’s signature should be the complete and accurate plan reviewed by the team. The parent’s agreement or disagreement is documented through the signed Parent Consent form in Step 8.
   
    

7. Mark the meeting complete. After the meeting has concluded and all required forms other than the Parent Consent form are complete and accurate, select the Meeting Complete checkbox.

   This indicates that the team has completed its review of the plan and that no further updates to the meeting forms are planned. A confirmation dialog will open so the Parent Response can be recorded. If signed consent is still pending, select the appropriate Awaiting Response status.

   Meeting Complete must be selected before the Parent Consent form can be sent electronically.

   

   When Meeting Complete is selected:

   • Previous, Last, and Next IEP dates will be updated on the student record.
   • Awaiting Response is a temporary status. The meeting cannot be finalized while this status remains selected.
   • If the Parent Response is not Accepts the Plan (Signed Consent), changes to the plan remain as Pending Changes.
   • The Parent Response and applicable pending changes must be resolved before finalization.

Obtain and Record the Parent’s Signed Response

8. Obtain the parent or guardian’s signature on the Parent Consent form.

   The Parent Consent form records whether the parent or guardian accepts the plan, provides partial consent, or does not accept the plan. The signature may be collected in any of the following ways:

   • Electronic signature during an in-person meeting: Open the Parent Consent form from the SIRAS IEP Manager and make the parent signature fields available for electronic signature.
   • Email link: Use the Link Emails feature to email the parent or guardian a link to the Parent Consent form so they can review and sign it from their own device.
   • Scanned signed page: Scan the signed Consent page and upload it as a PDF in the meeting’s Uploaded Documents tab. Configure the attachment as Attach to Basic Forms and select the Consent page as the replacement page. The uploaded page will replace the original Consent page in the assembled IEP.
   Please note: Verbal agreement is not sufficient to select Accepts the Plan. A parent signature is required.

9. Record the signed Parent Response and resolve pending changes. After the signed Parent Consent form is received, select the response that matches the signed form.

   • Accepts the Plan (Signed Consent): Select this response only after the signed acceptance has been received. The applicable plan information and critical data from the completed meeting are then applied to the student’s record and MIS Summary.
   • Partial Consent: Accept only the pending changes that correspond to the portions of the plan approved by the parent. Update the MIS page as needed so the student’s record reflects only the agreed-upon portions.
   • Does Not Accept the Plan / Stay-Put: The proposed plan changes are not applied. CALPADS PLAN and SERV records associated with the proposed plan are not reported.

   Before finalizing:

   • Confirm that the selected Parent Response matches the signed Parent Consent form.
   • Confirm that the appropriate pending changes have been applied or rejected based on the signed response.
   • Select Translation Required when appropriate. If the Agreement and Attendance page indicates oral translation only, do not select the Translation Required checkbox. It is preferable to finalize the IEP before translation begins so the translation reflects the final content.

     

   • Review the Scheduling Notes. Keep only comments that should remain in the permanent record, delete working notes and resolved issues, and add any information important to the meeting outcome.

Finalize the Meeting

10. Finalize the meeting and complete the follow-up tasks. After the forms have been proofread, the signed Parent Consent form has been received, the Parent Response has been recorded, and all applicable pending changes have been resolved, select Finalize.

    Finalization creates the official protected record. After the meeting is finalized, the IEP or IFSP is unalterable through ordinary SIRAS editing. Verify that the record is complete and accurate before selecting Finalize.
    • Finalizing the meeting creates an archived SIRAS record for CALPADS reporting and historical reference.
    • Send the signed original paper copy to the district office when required by district procedure, and select Sent to District Office from the Follow-Up menu in the Forms Status box.
    • Depending on district policy, administrative staff may perform a final review to confirm that the paper and electronic records match and that the data is valid.
    • Refer to the Issues Related to Finalizing and Reactivating IEPs handout for guidance on limited corrections, reactivation, amendments, and addenda.