Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new law this week that requires New Jersey public schools to provide parents of students with disabilities with more information about a child’s annual special education program meeting ahead of time.
The new law mandates that schools provide parents with a written statement of items to be discussed at an annual Individualized Education Program, also known as an IEP, meeting no later than two business days before it takes place. The information should include the student’s current academic levels and functional performance, a list of the names of any required IEP team members who will miss the meeting, along with their input on any services or programs they oversee for the student, and an invitation for parents to provide feedback about the proposed services.
Typically, during those meetings, parents and school staff discuss a student’s IEP, a legally binding plan that outlines the services a student with a disability needs in school…