IEP Partial Rejection Letters

The information on this page is for general education only and is not legal advice. 

What happens if you don't agree with your child's proposed IEP (Individualized Education Program)?

In Massachusetts, parents typically have 30 days to review and sign an IEP. When families don’t respond or never sign, it can delay new or revised special education services from starting.

Why is signing the IEP important?


The school team generally cannot:

  • Start new special education services;
  • Put updated accommodations or modifications in place; or
  • Begin working toward new IEP goals

until the IEP is signed.

Even if the plan isn’t perfect, it is often important to agree to the parts you support so those services can begin while you work out disagreements about other sections.


This is where partial rejections come in.

A partial rejection lets you:


  • Accept the parts of the IEP you agree with, and
  • Clearly reject the parts you believe are incorrect, incomplete, or unacceptable.

You do this by sending the school a partial rejection letter that:

  • Lists the specific sections you are rejecting (for example, goals, services, placement, accommodations), and
  • States whether you are requesting an IEP Team meeting to discuss your concerns.


Do you need an IEP meeting?

You probably do need a meeting if:

  • You don’t understand what is being proposed, or
  • You have a fundamental disagreement with the Team about your child’s needs, goals, or services.

You may not need a meeting if:

  • The issue is minor, such as a typo or an oversight on something the Team already agreed to update, and/or
  • The change can be fixed quickly in writing.

In those cases, you can describe the correction you want directly in your partial rejection letter or email.

Resources

Wellesley SEPAC and Lucy Verhave of Scaffold (formerly Verhave Education) have created sample partial rejection letters to help guide you as you write your own. Use these samples as a starting point and adapt the language to fit your child's situation.

Example 1
Example 2

Want to help?

If you are willing to share a de-identified example of a partial rejection letter that you felt was helpful and well-received by the school Team, please contact info@wellesleysepac.org.

Please remove all names and any identifying details before sharing.