The identification and placement of exceptional students
The IPRC
An IPRC is a formal committee that meets and decides if a student should be identified as exceptional and, if so, the placement that will best meet the student's needs. All school boards must establish one or more IPRCs. An IPRC is composed of at least three persons, one of whom must be a principal or supervisory officer of the board. A school board trustee may not be a member of an IPRC.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, sections 10 and 11)
The ministry standards for school boards' special education plans outlined in Part B of this guide require that those plans provide details concerning the IPRC process.
The Role of an IPRC
An IPRC must:
- invite the parent and the student (if the student is 16 years of age or older) to attend the IPRC meeting;
- review relevant information about the student;
- describe the student's strengths and needs;
- decide whether or not the student should be identified as exceptional;
- identify the area(s) of the student's exceptionality or exceptionalities, according to the categories and definitions of exceptionality provided by the Ministry of Education (see Part A, the Categories of Exceptionalities section, for a list of these categories and definitions);
- decide on an appropriate placement for the student;
- provide reasons for the placement if deciding for a placement in a special education class;
- discuss proposals for special education programs and services if the parent, or the student age 16 or over, requests it;
- review the identification and placement at least once in each school year, unless the parent gives written notice dispensing with the review.
Requesting an IPRC Meeting
Once a child has been enrolled in school, the parents have the right to request that the principal refer their child to an IPRC.
According to the regulation, the principal of the student's school:
- must refer the student to an IPRC upon receiving a written request from the parent;
- may, with written notice to the parent, refer the student to an IPRC.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 14(1))
If a parent makes a written request for an IPRC, the principal must follow the school board procedure in arranging for the IPRC meeting. Neither the board nor the principal can refuse the request.
Within fifteen days of receiving a written request from the parent, or giving the parent notice of a referral, the principal must provide to the parent:
- an acknowledgement of the parent's request (if the IPRC is being convened at parental request);
- a copy of the school board's special education guide for parents;
- a written statement indicating approximately when the IPRC will meet.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 14(6))
Note: Upon request, communication with the parent or student about the IPRC meeting and its results must be provided in Braille, large–print, or audio format.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, section 4)
Once the request for an IPRC has been made by either the principal or the parent, or by both of these parties, the principal must follow the school board procedure in arranging for an IPRC meeting.
Considerations Related to Students Who Are Moving from a Demonstration School to a School of a Board
If a decision is made by the parents and a Demonstration School to move a student from the Demonstration School to a school of a board, the superintendent of the Demonstration School must notify the school board as early as possible that the student is to be enrolled in a school of the board. The IPRC should meet as soon as possible after the decision is made to move the student to a school of the board.
Notice of the IPRC Meeting
At least ten days before the meeting of the IPRC, the chair of the committee must send the parents written notification of the meeting.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 5(5))
This letter will provide information about the date, time, and place of the meeting, and should ask the parents to indicate whether they will attend. Parents should be encouraged to attend, and every effort should be made to accommodate their schedule. Parents should also be informed that they have the right to:
- be present at and participate in all committee discussions about the student;
- be present when the committee makes its decision about the identification and the placement;
- have a representative present to speak on their behalf or otherwise support them.
Each school board has its own procedures for inviting parents to attend the IPRC meeting. Many boards find it helpful to contact parents by telephone and follow up with a letter of invitation. If no reply to the notice of the meeting is received by two or three days before the scheduled date, the principal should contact the parents directly. At the same time, the principal may also wish to verify whether the parents have received, read, and understood the parents' guide to special education prepared by the school board (see “The Parents' Guide” below).
The parents (and student who is 16 years of age or older) must receive the same information about the student that the chair of the IPRC has received. This information is to be sent out as soon as possible after the chair has received it.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 15(8))
The Parents' Guide
Each school board is required to prepare a parents' guide to special education.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 13(1))
At a minimum, the parents' guide to special education must contain the information set out in the sample guide that is included in Appendix D-1 in this part of the guide.
Once an IPRC has been requested, parents must be provided with a copy of the guide, which contains information on the IPRC and the decision-making process.
The parents' guide provides information on the following topics:
- the function of the IPRC and the IPRC review;
- the procedure for identifying a student as exceptional and for deciding the student's placement;
- the IPRC's duty to describe the student's strengths and needs;
- the IPRC's duty to include the student's exceptionality and the category and definition of that exceptionality in its statement of decision;
- the function of a special education appeal board (SEAB) and the parents' right to appeal the decision of the IPRC to such a board;
- the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the Provincial and Demonstration Schools;
- whether and to what extent the school board purchases special education programs and/or services from another school board;
- a list of local parents' organizations eligible to be on a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC);
- the fact that an IPRC placement decision cannot be implemented unless a parent has consented to the decision or has not filed a notice of appeal within the required time limit.
All parents should be informed by means of an item in the school newsletter, or by other appropriate means, at least once each year, of the availability of the school board's special education guide for parents. At the same time, parents should also be informed of their right to request that their child be referred to an IPRC.
Upon request of the parents or the student, the parents' guide must be made available in Braille, large–print, or audio format. Copies of the parents' guide must be available at every school, head office of the school board, and local district office of the Ministry of Education.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 13(2))
Preparation for the IPRC Meeting
Once an IPRC has been requested, the committee will:
- obtain an educational assessment of the student (see Part C of this guide for a discussion of educational assessments);
- obtain, subject to the provisions of the Health Care Consent Act, 1996, health and/or psychological assessments, if it is believed that such information is required to make an accurate identification or placement decision (see Part C of this guide for information on health and psychological assessments);
- consider interviewing the student, if the committee members feel it would be useful to do so (parental permission is necessary before interviewing a child under 16 years of age);
- consider any information about the student submitted by the parents, or by the student who is 16 years of age or older; and
- consider any other information that may be relevant to the IPRC decision.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsections 15 (1)–(7))
A Delayed IPRC Meeting
No student is to be denied any special education program pending an IPRC meeting or decision. If there is a delay in holding the IPRC meeting or in determining identification and placement, a special education program and/or special education services appropriate to the student's apparent strengths and needs must be provided for the student in the interim.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, section 9)
Attending the IPRC Meeting
Parents, and students who are 16 years of age or older, are entitled to be present at and participate in all IPRC discussions about the student and to be present when the committee's identification and placement decisions are made.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 5(1))
In addition to the three people that constitute an IPRC, other people may attend the IPRC meeting. Possible attendees include:
- the principal of the student's school (if not already a member of the IPRC);
- resource people such as the student's teacher(s), special education staff, school board support staff, or other professionals who may be needed to provide further information or clarification;
- a representative of the parents and/or of a student who is 16 years of age or older (i.e., a person who can provide support for or speak on behalf of the parents and/or student);
- an interpreter (including a sign-language interpreter), if required; and
- other individuals whose presence is requested by either the parents or the principal of the student's school (subject to the agreement of the IPRC chair).
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsections 5 (3) and (4))
Recording at an IPRC Meeting
There is no requirement in O. Reg. 181/98 for a transcript or any other record of an IPRC meeting to be prepared. However, it is effective practice to document discussions at meetings where important decisions are made. Such records, including reports submitted to and relied on by the IPRC, support accountability for decisions, enable processes to be reviewed and improved, and assist future committees in understanding past decisions. In addition, the school board may want to keep a formal record of the meeting, including documents considered by the committee, for use in the event of an appeal. If anyone wishes to arrange for some form of record to be made of the meeting, this request should be discussed at the earliest opportunity with the IPRC chair and the other people attending the meeting. Regardless of whether a formal record is made, the IPRC chair and members, and the parents and student may make notes during the meeting.
Prior to the IPRC Meeting
Some time prior to an IPRC meeting, it is advisable that the principal and/or a designated school staff member arrange to meet with the parents for a preliminary discussion in order to:
- make sure that parents understand their rights concerning the IPRC, as explained in the parents' guide;
- request any additional information from parents that may be relevant to the IPRC decision;
- review the results of educational and other assessments that were conducted with the student;
- outline the agenda for the IPRC meeting;
- explain the recommendations that will be made by the school staff;
- discuss the possible decisions the IPRC might make; and
- answer any questions.
The IPRC Meeting
It is the responsibility of the members of the IPRC to set an informal and welcoming tone in the meeting. It is also effective practice for the IPRC chair to:
- introduce all those attending the meeting and explain the reasons for their presence;
- explain the purpose of the meeting; and
- ensure that all participants feel that their contributions are valued.
Parents, and/or students who are 16 years of age or over, must be given the opportunity to have a representative with them if they wish, and to present information and ask questions.
The IPRC meeting will review all available information about the student. The committee will:
- consider the results of the student's educational assessment;
- consider the results of any other assessments, such as health and/or psychological assessments, if it is believed that such information is required to make an accurate identification or placement decision;
- consider the results of an interview with the student, if the committee members feel it would be useful to do so;
- consider any information about the student submitted by the parents, or by the student who is 16 years of age or older; and
- consider any other information that may be relevant to the IPRC decision.
At the meeting, teachers may be asked questions about the student's achievement, progress, behaviour, assessment results, and potential response to a change in placement.
The committee may discuss and make recommendations regarding special education programs and services for the student. At the request of the parents, or of a student who is 16 years of age or older, committee members will discuss any such recommendations with the parents and/or the student. Parents and students should be encouraged to ask questions and participate in the discussion.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsections (1) and (2))
The IPRC Placement Decision
Before the IPRC considers placement of the student in a special education class, the committee, as required by the regulation, must consider placement in a regular class with appropriate special education services. If, after considering all of the information presented to it, the IPRC is satisfied that placement in a regular class would meet the student's needs and is consistent with parental preferences, the committee will decide in favour of a placement in a regular class with appropriate special education services.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 17(1))
If the committee decides that the student should be placed in a special education class, it must give reasons for that decision in its written statement.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, clause 18(2)(c))
The following chart outlines the range of options the IPRC may consider in making its placement decision.
Placement | Description |
---|---|
A regular class with indirect support | The student is placed in a regular class for the entire day, and the teacher receives specialized consultative services. |
A regular class with resource assistance | The student is placed in the regular class for most or all of the day and receives specialized instruction, individually or in a small group, within the regular classroom from a qualified special education teacher. |
A regular class with withdrawal assistance | The student is placed in the regular class and receives instruction outside of the classroom for less than 50 per cent of the school day, from a qualified special education teacher. |
A special education class with partial integration | The student is placed by the IPRC in a special education class where the student-teacher ratio conforms to the standards in O. Reg. 298, section 31, for at least 50 per cent of the school day, but is integrated with a regular class for at least one instructional period daily. |
A special education class full time | The student is placed by the IPRC in a special education class, where the student-teacher ratio conforms to the standards in O. Reg. 298, section 31, for the entire school day. |
Other options exist to meet the student's needs, and parents and school board staff are encouraged to explore them. For example, they may need to consider applying for admission to:
- a Provincial School for students who are Deaf, blind, or deafblind, or a Demonstration School for students who have severe learning disabilities; or
- a facility that provides the necessary care or treatment appropriate to the student's condition.
Applications to Provincial Schools and Demonstration Schools are coordinated and submitted by the school board. Applications to care and treatment facilities are made by the parents directly to the facility, although school board staff may be able to assist the parents in gathering useful information.
The IPRC Statement of Decision
The committee will make its decision about identification and placement after all the information has been presented, considered, and discussed. The committee need not make its determination at the IPRC meeting. It may reserve its decision (e.g., pending the receipt of further information). However, parents (and students 16 years of age or over) are entitled to be present whenever the IPRC makes its decision.
The IPRC written statement of decision will indicate whether the committee has identified the student as exceptional. Where the IPRC has identified the student as exceptional, the statement of decision must include:
- the categories and definitions of any exceptionalities identified;
- the IPRC's description of the student's strengths and needs;
- the IPRC's placement decision;
- the IPRC's recommendations regarding a special education program and special education services, if any; and
- reasons for placing the student in a special education class, if that is the IPRC's decision.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 18(2))
Whether or not the IPRC places a student in a special education class, its statement of decision may indicate the rationale for its decisions and provide a record of both the evidence that was submitted to the committee and the evidence that it relied on in reaching its decisions regarding exceptionalities, placement, and strengths and needs.
School boards have found it helpful to develop a form to use when recording the decision of the committee. This form may become the statement of decision, as long as it contains the information listed above. It also usually lists:
- the names of the committee members present;
- the names of other persons present;
- the titles of the documents considered; and
- the process available to parents if they do not agree with the IPRC's decision.
The chair of the IPRC must send a copy of the statement of decision to:
- the parents;
- the student, if 16 years of age or older;
- the school principal
- the director of the school board.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 18(1))
Parental Consent
The school board will implement the placement decision either after the parents consent to it or, if the parents do not consent but do not wish to appeal the decision, after the time limit for an appeal has expired. Although the regulation requires that the consent be written, it does not specify the precise form in which written consent will be provided. Many school boards have a policy of asking the parents to sign their names to the statement of decision to indicate agreement with the committee's identification and placement decision. The statement of decision may be signed at the IPRC meeting or taken home and returned. Parents should be encouraged to give serious consideration to their child's identification and placement prior to signing the IPRC form.
If the student's parents did not attend the IPRC meeting, the statement of decision and a consent form should be mailed to the student's home to be signed and then returned to the school principal. If the parents do not sign the consent form and do not appeal the decision within the time limit, the school board will implement the IPRC decision, with written notice to the parents.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, section 20)
After the IPRC Decision
A follow-up meeting of the IPRC may be held at the parents' request whether or not they agree with the IPRC decision. The parents have fifteen days after receiving the statement of decision to make a written request to the student's current school principal for a follow-up meeting with the IPRC. The principal will arrange for the meeting to be held as soon as possible. Then, as soon as possible after the follow-up meeting, the IPRC chair will inform the school board and the parents if any changes were made to the IPRC decision and, if so, will provide a revised statement of decision and written reasons for the changes. The parents will be asked to consent to the revised identification and/or placement decision.
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, section 19)
Agreement with the IPRC Decision
Once the IPRC has identified the student as exceptional and the parents have agreed with the IPRC identification and placement decision, the school board will promptly notify the principal of the school at which the special education program will be provided of the need to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the student, including a transition plan
(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 7(7))
(For a discussion of IEPs, see Part E of this guide.)
Disagreement with the IPRC Decision
If the parents disagree with the revised decision, they may:
- within thirty days of receipt of the initial IPRC decision, file a notice of appeal with the secretary of the board (who is usually the director of education);
- within fifteen days of the receipt of the decision of the second meeting, file a notice of appeal with the secretary of the board.
(See The IPRC Appeal section, for more information.)
If the parents do not supply written consent to the IPRC decision and also do not appeal the decision within the time limit set for appealing, the school board will instruct the principal to implement the IPRC decision.
Summary of the IPRC Timeline
IPRC Meeting Requested | Action |
---|---|
Within 15 days of request | Principal sends parent:
|
At least 10 days before meeting | IPRC chair sends parent (and student if 16 or over):
|
Before the meeting and as soon as possible after receipt of information on student | IPRC chair sends parent (and student if 16 or over) information about student received by IPRC |
IPRC Meeting | Action |
---|---|
N/A | IPRC:
As soon as possible after decision is made, statement of decision is sent to the relevant parties, along with reasons for placing student in special education class, if that is IPRC's placement decision |
After IPRC Decision | Action |
---|---|
Within 15 days of statement of decision |
Parent may:
|
If parent agrees or makes no response: | Action |
---|---|
Within 30 school days of placement being implemented |
School completes IEP |
If parent wishes further discussion: | Action |
---|---|
Within 15 days of receipt of decision | Parent requests second meeting |
If parent disagrees: | Action |
---|---|
Within 30 days of receipt of initial IPRC decision | Parent files notice of appeal with secretary of board |
Second IPRC Meeting | Action |
---|---|
N/A | As soon as possible after second IPRC meeting, notice of results sent to relevant parties, along with reasons for changes if there is a revised decision |
After Second IPRC Meeting | Action |
---|---|
N/A |
Parent may:
|
If parent disagrees: | Action |
---|---|
Within 15 days of request of decision of second meeting | Parent files notice of appeal with secretary of board |
Footnotes
- footnote[1] Back to paragraph Ministry policy requires transition plans under other circumstances as well. For details, see Part E of this guide.