You are NOT required to sign the IEP at the meeting. If you don’t sign, the school cannot implement the new IEP. Your child’s previous IEP stays in effect under stay-put protections. You have time to review, ask questions, and negotiate.
Signing Is Not Required
Many parents feel pressured to sign the IEP before leaving the meeting. The school may tell you it “needs to be signed today” or that services will stop if you don’t sign. In most cases, this is not true. You have the right to take the IEP home, review it, consult with an advocate or attorney, and make an informed decision.
OSEP Letter to Chandler, 2012 — IDEA does not require parents to sign the IEP for it to be considered “developed.” However, most states require parental consent before implementing an initial IEP. For subsequent IEPs, state rules vary on whether consent is required for implementation.
Initial IEP vs. Subsequent IEPs
There’s an important distinction. For the initial IEP (the first one your child ever receives), the school absolutely cannot implement it without your written consent. No signature, no services. For subsequent IEPs (annual reviews, amendments), the rules depend on your state. Some states require consent for any new IEP. Others allow the school to implement it after a reasonable waiting period even without your signature.
Check your state’s specific rules. In some states, if you don’t respond to a proposed IEP within a certain number of days, the school may implement it. In others, your silence means the old IEP stays in place. Know your state’s default before you leave the meeting.
What Are Your Options?
Option 1: Sign with exceptions. In many states, you can sign the IEP but note specific parts you disagree with. Write directly on the IEP: “I consent to all portions except [specific section].” This allows the agreed-upon services to start while you dispute the rest.
Option 2: Don’t sign and request another meeting. Take the IEP home. Review it. Write down what you disagree with and why. Request a follow-up meeting to negotiate the specific items you want changed.
Option 3: Don’t sign and invoke stay-put. If you fundamentally disagree with the proposed IEP, don’t sign it. Your child’s previous IEP remains in effect under stay-put protections. The school must continue providing the services from the last agreed-upon IEP while you work out the dispute.
Option 4: Request mediation or due process. If negotiation fails, you can request mediation (a neutral third party helps you and the school reach agreement) or file for a due process hearing (a formal legal proceeding).
34 C.F.R. § 300.518 — During the pendency of any due process complaint, the child must remain in their current educational placement unless the parent and the agency agree otherwise. The last agreed-upon IEP governs.
What NOT to Do
Don’t sign under pressure just to “get it done.” Once you sign, the school can implement the IEP as written — including parts you disagree with. It’s much harder to fight a signed IEP than to negotiate before signing. Don’t let anyone tell you that refusing to sign means your child loses services. Under stay-put, the previous IEP stays active.