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Facilitated Team Meetings

What is a Facilitated Team Meeting?

A facilitated team meeting is the same as any other Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, except that a neutral third person, a facilitator, joins the meeting. Facilitated team meetings are voluntary for all parties and are provided by MDE free of charge.

The facilitator leads the team meeting to promote effective communication and to assist a team in developing an IEP. The facilitator keeps the team focused on the student, while addressing conflicts and disagreements that may arise during the meeting.

The process may be used for any team meeting including initial, annual, reevaluation, or review/revision meetings.

When Should I Request a Facilitated Team Meeting?

A facilitated team meeting should be scheduled early in the IEP process. If you think a team meeting may be difficult, scheduling a facilitated team meeting may prevent the potential conflict from developing into a more serious dispute. We require facilitators to have a minimum of four hours to spend with the parties.

A facilitated team meeting may not take the place of a conciliation conference. If the parent objects to a proposed IEP, the district is required to offer a conciliation conference within 10 days of the objection.

Request a Facilitated Team Meeting

How Long Does the Process Take?

Once we receive a request form completed by the district and the parent, the process takes approximately three weeks to complete.

What if the Team is Unable to Agree on an IEP?

If issues and disagreements are not resolved at the facilitated team meeting, you may want to consider mediation.

What is the Difference between a Mediation and Facilitated Team Meeting?

  • Mediation - Mediation seeks to build positive working relationships, encourages mutual understanding, and helps the parties focus on their common interest – the student. An impartial mediator works with the participants to help them clearly communicate concerns, find common ground, and explore possible solutions to reach their own mutually agreeable resolution. Mediators help parties craft a formal agreement that is legally-binding on the parties and can be used to amend an individualized education program.
Facilitated team meetings - An impartial facilitator leads an IEP, Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), or multi-agency team meeting to promote effective communication and assist a team in developing an individualized education program.

Which ADR Process Best Fits Your Student's Situation?

Encourage Parents to Talk to an Advocate
Advocates are trained in special education processes. They can help families solve problems and understand what to expect in each process. The National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) provides a series of videos designed to support effective collaboration between parents, schools, and early childhood programs. View CADRE’s Working Together webpage to see the videos.
 
  • Request for Facilitated Team Meeting Form - 9/19/18
    To request a facilitated education planning meeting, complete this form electronically and return to MDE as directed.
  •  - 8/23/18
    Suggestions of steps to take before facilitated planning meeting and a brief overview of the meeting process.
  •  - 9/22/16
    Frequently asked questions about the facilitated education planning process.