June 24, 2026 Meeting Minutes - New to Services in Middle School and 2e
- PALS
- Jun 29
- 5 min read
PALS Meeting Minutes
June 24, 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.
New to Public Middle School with an IEP
Moving a child from a private school to a public school can be an adjustment for both students and parents. Add to it a newly written IEP from a previous public school district and it may feel like a difficult adjustment. In some instances, a child in a private school may have an IEP that is written my the public school district in which the private school is located. The private school has no legal obligation to follow or provide supports and services within the IEP. Planning ahead, being proactive, and developing a strong line of communication with school staff are all important in helping with a smooth transition.
As with any school move between districts or states, this one will also involve reviewing, possibly reevaluating, and rewriting the existing IEP. When a student with an IEP moves to a new district or state, the receiving school is legally required to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This means they must provide services comparable to the previous IEP while they evaluate the student and develop a new, plan.
Federal law mandates a strict framework that the receiving school must follow to ensure a seamless transition:
1. Provision of Comparable Services
The new school cannot delay special education services or leave the student without an IEP. They must immediately provide services that are comparable to the ones listed in the previous IEP. While the delivery format or specific setting might vary slightly, the overall frequency, duration, and type of services (e.g., speech therapy, learning support) must remain similar.
2. Transfer of Records
The new school must take reasonable, proactive steps to promptly request and obtain the student's records, including the IEP, evaluations, and supporting documents, from the previous school. Likewise, the previous school is legally obligated to respond and transfer these files in a timely manner.
3. Continuation vs. New IEP
For both in-state and out-of-state transfers, the new school district has the authority to do one of two things:
Adopt the existing IEP: The new school can formally accept the student's current IEP as their own.
Create a new IEP: The new school can choose to draft a new IEP. To do this, they must go through the standard IEP development process and hold an IEP meeting.
4. Out-of-State Transfers and Evaluations
If a student moves from a different state, the new school district may need to conduct an initial evaluation to determine if the student qualifies for special education under their new state's specific laws. If an evaluation is required, the new school must still provide comparable services using the out-of-state IEP until the new evaluation is completed and a new IEP is agreed upon.
5. Parent Consultation
Any decisions regarding the student's interim services, the transfer process, or the development of a new IEP must be done in consultation with the parents, as they are also members of the student's IEP Team.
NOTE: Special Education Timelines are followed.
Additional Resources
Educational Advocates
Getting an advocate can be very helpful when navigating new waters. PALS talked about advocates and advocacy in February 2024. There are a links to Achieva, The Arc, and Autism Connection of PA there. A Google Search looking for speciality advocates in the area may help. Use a variety of word combinations to ask the question. Sometimes you can find additional information by switching up the words you use in the search. The PEAL Center is often a great resource for families.
As far as lawyers, if the school isn’t responding there is a problem and you have to do what you have to do. PALS has welcomed Nancy Potter to meetings in the past. She not only gets it as a lawyer, but also as a parent. There are many educational lawyers in the area specializing in education law. There is also the Education Law Center that might be a resource for you.
2E+ - Twice-Exceptional
Although we do not often hear from parents of Twice-Exceptional (2E+) students, when we do, there always seems to be a bit of concern. Often parents feel alone and sense pushback from their school IEP Team counterparts when discussing accommodations and services or even an evaluation for 2E+ students. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! See the PALS May 25, 2022 and April 24, 2024 meeting minutes.
For those new to 2E+, PAGE defines "the term twice-exceptional, (2e) as used to describe gifted children who have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement and give evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria."
As mentioned above, working with an advocate or lawyer can be helpful.
A few notes;
Have grace for the resources/advocacy groups, they are often short staffed, especially after 2020 and may take a few days to return your call.
Don’t give up! Educate yourself and use “their” (educators) language when making your requests, from requesting an evaluation to accommodations, to suggestions in an IEE (Independent Education Evaluation), to goals, etc. Remember, a student's ability to get good grades does not mean they do not struggle to achieve them. You want evidence/data that shows how the diagnosis impacts education. If your child is struggling with schoolwork every night this situation can be your starting point when thinking about what accommodations you think they need. What are you doing to help? What strategies are being used to complete the task?
Additional Resources
Commonwelath of Pennsylvania | Department of Education | Gifted Education Frequently Asked Questions and scroll down to Dual Exceptionality
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Next Meeting: July 29, 2026 9:30 a.m. Virtual Meeting using Zoom.
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