Request for a Review / Dispensing with the Annual Review

At any time after a placement has been in effect for three months, a request for an IPRC review may be made by:

  • the school principal with written notice to the parent;
  • the parent in a written request to the principal; or
  • the director of education of the educating board (in purchase-of-service situations).

A request for an IPRC review cannot be made more often than once every three months. An IPRC review meeting must be held once within each school year, unless the principal of the school at which the special education program is being provided receives written notice from the parent dispensing with the annual review.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsections 21 (1), (2), (3), and (4))

Timelines for the IPRC Review

The IPRC review operates under the same timelines as the original IPRC process. Within fifteen days of a principal's giving written notice to the parent for a review or of the parent's written request to the principal for a review, the school principal must let the parent know, in writing, approximately when the IPRC review will take place.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 21(5))

Attendance at the IPRC Review

The same people who attended the original IPRC meeting may attend the IPRC review. If a special education program and/or special education service has been purchased from another school board, a representative of the purchasing board may be present.

The IPRC Review Decision

The IPRC will review the original placement and identification decisions and decide whether they should be continued or revised. The IPRC review considers the same type of information that was originally considered at the initial IPRC. With the parent's written permission, the IPRC conducting the review will consider the progress that the student has made in relation to the IEP.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 23(2))

After the IPRC Review Decision

As soon as possible after the IPRC review, a written statement confirming or changing the student's identification and/or placement must be sent by the chair of the committee to:

  • the parent;
  • the student, where the student is 16 years of age or older;
  • the school principal;
  • the designated representative of the school board providing the services;
  • the representative of the purchasing board (if appropriate).

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsections 23 (3) and (4))

Following an IPRC review, the IPRC may:

  • confirm its original decision about the identification and placement of the student and provide all relevant parties with a written statement of decision; or
  • change its original decision about the student's identification or placement, or both, and provide all relevant parties with a new statement of decision that specifies:
    • reasons for changing the original IPRC decision;
    • whether the student should continue to be identified as an exceptional student;
    • where the committee considers that the student should continue to be identified as an exceptional student, the committee's placement decision, description of the student's strengths and needs, and the categories and definitions of any exceptionalities of the student; and
    • where the committee considers that the student should be placed in a special education class, the reasons for that decision.

As at the initial IPRC meeting, the committee must consider placement in a regular class with appropriate special education services before it considers placement in a special education class. If the committee decides that the student should be placed in a special education class, it must provide the reason(s) for that placement in its statement of decision.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 23 (6))

After receiving the confirmation or statement of decision resulting from a review, the parent may send a request to the principal for a follow–up meeting. A follow–up meeting of the IPRC review may be held at the parents' request whether or not they agree with the IPRC review decision.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 24(1))

If the parent disagrees with the decision, he or she may:

  • within thirty days of receipt of the IPRC decision, file a notice of appeal with the secretary of the board;
  • within fifteen days of the receipt of decision of the second meeting, file a notice of appeal with the secretary of the board.

(See “The IPRC Appeal” below, for more information.)

If the parent does not supply written consent to the identification and/or placement decision, but also does not appeal, the school board may implement the placement decision. In this case, the school board must notify the parent of the action taken.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, section 25)

If the IPRC review results in a change to the original IPRC decision on identification or placement of the student, the principal must review the IEP to determine whether it needs to be updated.

(See Ontario Regulation 181/98, subsection 7(2) and section 25)