July 29, 2026 Meeting Minutes - Transition Years
- PALS
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
PALS Meeting Minutes
July 29, 2026 9:30 a.m.
Virtual Meeting using Zoom
Open Forum
Open Forum allows participants to share experiences, ask questions, and provide resources in a mutually supportive setting.
School Transitions Through the Years and IEPs
As parents/guardians, we don't often think about school transition as something jarring. Then, we experieince it, through our child, as the student. We participate in the transition meeting the spring before a move from Pre-K to Elementary School, Elementary to Middle School, Middle to High School, and High to After Graduation. The experieince is much like any IEP meeting. Then, the new school year begins and we feel the shock of new routines, new procedures, new expectations, and sometimes changes to support services we thought would always be in place.
A new level of independence happens during that first year after transition. Some of the scaffolding that helped your child be academically successful in the past may be dismantled in the process. The situation can feel overwhelming as a student and a parent/guardian. For a student it could be the expectation of being able to complete tasks independently that creates stress and anxiety. For parents/guardians, it could be the change in communication between home and school. There are so many different variables in play.
So what can a parent/guardian do? The following are a few ideas and not meant to be a complete list. Some maybe specific to those transition years, while most can be helpful throughout the school years.
Always ask for a copy of the evaluation, reevaluation, or draft of the IEP BEFORE the meeting. Be reasonable, ask for a copy a week out, with the understanding it might arrive two days before. The point is for you to have time to read the document and make notes of any questions and concerns beforehand. Additionally, if it's a transition meeting taking the time to compare the current IEP with the draft IEP is a good idea.
For instance, a student moving from Pre-K to Kindergarten who had a 1-on-1 aide may see that vanish. A student moving from elementary to middle school who received Speech Therapy throughout elementary may see it no longer a part of the IEP.
You can make your questions/concerns known before the meeting in an email or wait until the meeting. You are just as much a member of your child's IEP Team as school staff are and you deserve the same amount of time to reflect on the document at hand.
Speaking of email, every in-person or telephone conversation should come with a follow-up email. "It was great speaking with you today about A, B, C. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of X, Y, Z."
Go with your gut, speak up, and ask the hard questions. Not sure what to make of a goal, accomodation, modification, differentiation, or SDI (specially designed instruction)? Ask. Not sure why something in one of the above areas has changed, was removed, or included something new? Ask. Have a differing opinion? Let it be known and back it up with examples or data.
Do not automatically settle for comments like, "We do that for all our students." or "We cover that in our MTSS program." or "Reading/Math Support classes cover those needs." Your child may need more than other students and that need may be covered under IDEA.
Whether school staff comes to you for consent to evaluate or re-evalaute your child for Special Education services or you ask for either, be clear on what will be tested. Reading? Math? Behavioral? Hearing? Vision? Executive Function? Do not assume.
Utilize the Parental Comments/Concerns portion of an evaluation, re-evalaution, or new IEP. Share what you see as your child's strengths, areas of growth, and difficulties. Do not feel limited by the space provided. If you need more, make it. Share what you see at home. Is your child exhausted after the school day? Is homework a chore? How much support does your child need at home to accomplish tasks? Does your child have difficulty sleeping? Eating? Managing time? Your experience matters and can often be linked back to the success in the classroom.
When it comes to a transition meeting, ask questions like; what can we expect to be different? What can we expect to stay the same? Who will be our point of contact? How is A, B, C, handled in the new school/grade setting compared to the old?
Especially for transition years, take a look at the school or school district's calendar. Figure out when staff comes back to work before the new school year. Contact the school's LEA (typically a principal or vice-principal) the week before and inquire about coming in with your child to walk through their classroom locations and meet their new teacher or teachers BEFORE school or school events start. This gives your child a chance to put their eyes on the school and staff they will encounter in a calmer more casual setting.
Send a follow up email to the teacher or teachers thanking them for their time. Consider sending a "Five Things I Would Like You To Know About (Child's Name)". Keep it to one side, one page. Consider asking your child if they would like to write a list too; "Five Things I Would Like You To Know About Me". It's very empowering for the student to share their ideas.
Request a check-in/follow-up meeting six to eight weeks into the new school year, especially in a transition year. This timing is specific. Holding this meeting too early can lead to skewed outcomes. For those first four to six weeks of the school years teachers aren't just focused on academics, they are also teaching routines, procedures, and expectations. After which time studnets are given more independence to follow through without being reminded. Observations happening at the beginning of a school year include additional support from a teacher that may not be a constant moving forward.
Have conversations with other parents. Your family's experience may not be exactly the same and there may still be something that comes up that could be useful.
There are so many more ideas out there and you will find them. We hope these help spark your own ideas as your child moves through school while receiving Special Education Services. Visit our June 2026 Meeting Minutes where we specifically discussed transition to Middle School.
Additional Resources
The Transition Process From Early Intervention to School-Age Programs: Guidelines to Support Parents
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