Chapter 3: Planning and Placement Team (PPT) Members

(34 CFR Section 300.321 “IEP Team”)

Planning and Placement Team (PPT)

Pursuant to state law, the District will establish a sufficient number of planning and placement teams (1) to ensure that all children requiring special education and related services within its jurisdiction are located, identified, and evaluated, and (2) to develop and implement an IEP for each child who is found eligible for special education and related services.

The PPT is responsible for processing referrals to special education, designing and reviewing initial evaluations and reevaluations, determining a student’s eligibility for special education, developing, reviewing, and revising a student’s IEP.

PPT Membership Requirements

The PPT must include the following individuals:

1. The parents of the child;²⁴
2. Not less than one general education teacher of the child if the child is, or may be, participating in the general education environment;²⁵
3. Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less than one special education provider of the child;
4. A representative of the district who is:
   1. qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities;
   2. knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and
   3. knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the district.²⁶
5. An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results.²⁷
6. At the discretion of the parent or the District, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the student, including related services personnel as appropriate;²⁸
7. As applicable, the paraeducator assigned to the student; and²⁹
8. Whenever appropriate the student with a disability.

Note: No member of the PPT may be disciplined, suspended, terminated, or otherwise punished by a school district for discussing or making recommendations concerning the provision of special education and related services for a student during a PPT meeting for such student.³⁰

Additional Membership Requirements

PPT Membership for Out-of-District Placements

PPT meetings convened to develop, review or revise an IEP of a student eligible for special education services in an out-of-district placement, will include a representative from the facility of the out-of-district placement in addition to the membership identified above.

PPT Membership for Secondary Transition Services

For PPT meetings where a purpose of the meeting is the consideration of the postsecondary goals for the student and the transition services needed to assist the student in reaching those goals, the District will invite the student with a disability, and with the consent of the parents, a representative of any participating agency that is likely to be responsible for providing transition services, to attend the student’s PPT meeting.³¹ If the student does not attend the PPT meeting, the District will take other steps to ensure that the child’s preferences and interests are considered.³²

PPT Membership for Birth to Three Referrals

For a child who previously received services through Birth to Three, an invitation to the initial PPT meeting will, at the request of the parent, be sent to the Birth to Three coordinator or their representative to assist with the transition of services.

PPT Membership for Charter School Students

If the student attends a charter school, the District will invite a representative from the charter school to participate in the PPT meeting.

PPT Membership for Magnet School Students

If the student attends a magnet school, the District will invite a representative from the magnet school to participate in the PPT meeting.

PPT Attendance and Excusal from Attendance

An individual is considered to be in attendance at a PPT meeting if they themselves are physically or virtually participating during the meeting, in whole or in part. The reading of information into the record at a PPT meeting as submitted by an individual who is not in physical or virtual attendance does not constitute being in attendance at the meeting for that individual.

The District intends for all PPT members to be present and fully participate in the process. The District understands, however, that in some cases, a required member of the PPT may be excused from attending the PPT meeting, in whole or in part, if:

1. The member’s area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting and the parent of the child or adult student, and the district agree in writing, that the attendance of the member is not necessary; or
2. The member’s area of the curriculum is being modified or discussed in the meeting, and the member submits in writing to the parent or adult student and the PPT, input into the development of the IEP prior to the meeting, and the parent of the child or adult student and the district agree, in writing, to excuse such member.

If a required member of the PPT was listed on the Notice of PPT Meeting form provided to the parent but did not attend the meeting, a PPT Attendance Excusal Document must be created. Such excusal requires signed consent of both the parent and a representative of the District. If a school district member of the PPT attends the meeting but was not listed on the Notice of PPT Meeting form, a new notice must be generated to include the PPT member, and the parent must waive their right to a five-school-day advanced notice before continuing with the meeting. The parent may bring whomever they choose to a PPT meeting without similar notice to the district.

Notice of PPT Meeting

The District is responsible for initiating, conducting, and maintaining a record of PPT meetings for developing, reviewing, or revising a student’s IEP. The District shall take steps to ensure that one or both of the parents of a student with a disability are present at each PPT meeting or are afforded the opportunity to participate, including notifying parents of the meeting early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to attend and scheduling the meeting at a mutually agreed on time and place.

To ensure parental participation, the District will complete the following procedures:

1. At least five school days prior to the meeting, the District will advise the parent in writing, in their native language, of their rights to be participating members of the PPT. The District and parent may agree to waive the five-day notice.³³ The District will use the Notice of PPT Meeting form to provide written notification to the parent, which specifies the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and the people invited;
2. The District will take appropriate action to ensure that the parent understands the proceedings of the PPT meeting, including, but not limited to, arranging for an interpreter for parents who are deaf or hard of hearing, or whose native language is other than English.
3. In the event that a parent is unable to attend, reasonable efforts will be made to ensure his or her participation by other means such as conference calls or virtual meetings; and
4. If the District is unable to convince the parents that they should attend the PPT meeting, via multiple steps and methods of notification, the PPT meeting may be conducted in their absence. In this event, the District will have a detailed record of its attempts to arrange parental participation.³⁴

Chapter 3 Appendix

Add supplemental documents/information here

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24. The parent of a child with a disability is an integral and equal member of the PPT. The District will take steps to ensure that one or both of the student's parents are afforded the opportunity to participate in each PPT meeting to develop, review or revise the IEP for their child. The parent may also bring or request the presence of other individuals for additional support, without prior notice to the district.
25. The general education teacher(s) of the student will be prepared to update the team on the student’s general education program and provide the PPT with the most recent assessments to document the student’s progress in the general education curriculum, and to the extent appropriate, participate in the development, review and revision of the student’s IEP, including input regarding appropriate positive behavioral interventions and strategies, supplementary aids and services, program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the student consistent with the IEP; and participation in the general education curriculum.
26. As clarified in the comment section of the CFR, the district representative must also have the authority to commit district resources and be able to ensure that whatever services are described in the IEP will actually be provided.
27. Such individual may serve a dual role in the PPT.
28. The determination of the knowledge or special expertise of any individual must be made by the party who invited the individual to be a member of the PPT.
29. It is expected that parents will provide reasonable notice to the District if they wish to have their child’s paraprofessional attend the meeting.
30. CGA § 10-76d (i)(1)
31. A representative of the agency must be invited, unless it is not appropriate to invite them or if written consent to invite them has not been obtained from the parents or adult student.
32. The District is only required to invite the student. The student is not required to attend the meeting.
33. (add link to district form)
34. 34 CFR Section 300.322(d)