Bureau of Special Education Appeals Facilitated Team Meetings (FIEP)
To help special education and 504 Accommodation teams have productive and collaborative meetings, the Bureau of Special Education Appeals provides the option of remotely facilitated IEP and 504 team meetings(“FIEPs”).
What is a facilitated team meeting (FIEP)?
The TEAM meeting is conducted remotely and in exactly the same manner as it would be without the presence of the facilitator. A member of the IEP team leads the IEP meeting, typically the District’s Team Chair. The District is responsible for developing the attendance list or setting up the meeting.
The facilitator is an impartial, trained person provided by the BSEA to support the process of the team meeting. The facilitator helps keep the team members focused on the purpose of the IEP or 504 meeting while supporting a positive and collaborative tone for communication. The facilitator will work to create an environment in which the IEP/504 team members can listen to one another’s points of view and work together to develop an IEP/504 Plan that is acceptable to both the parents and the school district.
Either the parent or the school may request a facilitated team meeting and both parties must agree for the BSEA to facilitate the meeting.
Interpreters are provided by the Student’s school district for team meetings.
Please let the BSEA Facilitator know if you require any accommodations to access the remote meeting.
If a parent needs support in accessing a laptop or internet, please let the facilitator know and they will help you work with your Student’s district to provide you access to this remote meeting.
Role of the Facilitator:
- maintains impartiality and does not take sides or place blame;
- helps members of the team focus on the needs of the child and on developing a mutually acceptable IEP/504 Plan;
- assists the team in discussing conflicts and disagreements related to the IEP/504 Plan;
- helps maintain open communication among all members;
- helps team members develop and ask clarifying questions;
- helps team members stay on task and within the time allotted for the meeting;
- does not determine if a particular decision is right or wrong; does not take sides;
- does not impose a decision on the group;
- does not keep a record of the conversation, cannot subsequently be called to testify about the conversation
Who is the facilitator?
BSEA Mediators and the Coordinator of Mediation and Facilitation serve as BSEA Facilitators. Facilitators are neutral parties, they do not represent school districts, parents, students, or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Facilitators are there to support the process of the team meeting. The BSEA assigns facilitators to meetings based on availability, it cannot guarantee the availability of any particular facilitator for a meeting.
Benefits of a facilitated team meeting:
- may build and improve relationships among the team members and between parents and schools;
- models effective communication and active listening;
- clarifies points of agreement and disagreement;
- assists parties in completing agenda during meeting in order to facilitate the development of an IEP or 504 Plan;
- keeps meeting participants from getting stuck on just one part of IEP or 504 Plan;
- Supports appropriate and positive communication between team members in challenging and/or difficult conversations;
- keeps team members on task and the meeting within the scheduled timeframe;
- keeps meeting focused on development of student’s IEP/504 Plan
How do I request a facilitated team meeting?
Either parents or school districts can request a facilitated team meeting; however, both parties must agree to use this voluntary process. When both parties have agreed to have a BSEA facilitator attend the team meeting, the school district should reach out to the BSEA’s Coordinator of Mediation and Facilitation to make the request. The Coordinator can be reached at:
Myrto Flessas (781-397-4794, 857-260-4541, Myrto.flessas@mass.gov) *Email is preferred.
The Coordinator will gather the necessary information and notify the school of the next available date for a remotely facilitated team meeting. The district is then responsible for checking if the parent is available for the proposed date. The BSEA can only offer one date at a time due to the heavy volume of requests we receive for facilitated meetings. The facilitator will then provide the Agreement for Facilitation form that must be signed by ALL meeting participants. The form will be emailed to participants with directions for completion.
Who attends a facilitated team meeting?
The required members of the IEP team attend the facilitated team meeting in addition to the facilitator. The District will invite required members of the team and, if they wish, parents may bring an advocate or other people who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child. The facilitator does not make decisions about who attends the team meeting and does not send out invitations for the team meeting.
Where and when is a facilitated team meeting conducted?
At this time, the BSEA is only able to offer remote facilitation. The team meeting must be attended remotely by all participants as we are not able to effectively facilitate hybrid remote/in person meetings. Also, we require that ALL meeting participants are visible during the entire meeting, we ask that no more than two people be on any one screen.
At this time, the BSEA is only able to provide 1.5 hour long remotely facilitated team meetings. If a meeting will take more than 1.5 hours, the BSEA will let the team know the next available meeting date and a second session may be scheduled.
If both parties have agreed to have the BSEA facilitator attend and a facilitator is available, the facilitator will attend the meeting. If the BSEA does not have a facilitator available for a scheduled meeting, the parties can agree to change the meeting date in order to meet at a time when a BSEA facilitator is available or hold the meeting without a facilitator.
**The BSEA will do its best to accommodate but cannot guarantee a facilitator will be available even if both parties consent, and parties may need to be flexible in order to schedule at a time a facilitator is available.
Is there any type of procedural notice that I will receive from the BSEA regarding a facilitated team meeting?
The district is required to give proper notice of the IEP meeting to the parents about the purpose, time, and location as well as who has been invited. The BSEA does not issue any notice or documents for facilitated team meetings other than the Agreement for Facilitation form which must be completed and returned to the facilitator prior to the meeting.
A BSEA Facilitated Team meeting follows all the rules and practices that any typical team meeting would follow. For example:
- District is responsible for confirming the meeting date, time, and facilitator contact information with the family.
- District is responsible for setting up the Remote Meeting Link
- District is responsible for developing the Meeting Agenda and sharing it with the family.
- District is responsible for sending out the Meeting Attendance Sheet to the family.
- District is responsible for arranging for any needed interpretation services or accommodations necessary for team members to access the meeting. Please notify the Facilitator if interpretation services or accommodations are required for any meeting participants.
- The District’s Team Chair will chair the meeting.
- District should do all the things they would typically do for any team meeting.
- Please reach out with any questions.
In addition, ALL meeting participants will be required to email sign an Agreement for Facilitation form prior to the meeting. The form outlines the role of a facilitator and notifies parties that the facilitator does not serve in a record keeping capacity for the meeting and cannot be called to testify about the meeting or have any records or work product subpoenaed.
Does the facilitator make decisions?
No. The BSEA Facilitator is not a team member. The role of the facilitator is to facilitate communication among the IEP team members as they develop an IEP or 504 Plan for the student. The facilitator models effective communication skills and supports parties in their discussion in order to aid in their development of the IEP/504 Plan. Facilitators are trained in effective communication and ways to address and resolve conflicts. The members of the IEP team are the decision-makers.
Who pays for the facilitated team meeting?
There is no cost to parents or to the school district for BSEA facilitated IEP/504 team meetings.
Preparation for a facilitated team meeting
- consider the student’s strengths, needs, and interests and any major concerns about his or her education;
- consider how the student’s disability affects his or her education;
- consider the student’s educational progress. What has been working and what has not?
- read the student’s most recent school/independent evaluations and IEP/504 Plan; request a copy if you do not have one;
- most importantly: be willing to listen carefully and consider possible solutions and options
What if the team is not in agreement after the facilitated team meeting?
Some issues, disagreements, and problems may not be resolved through a facilitated team meeting. Parents and school districts retain their rights to other appropriate forms of dispute resolution such as mediation and due process hearings.
Is there a guaranteed right for families to have access to a BSEA facilitator?
No. The BSEA will provide a remote facilitator only if both the parent and school district agree on the need and make the request, and if the team meeting is scheduled remotely for a maximum of 1.5 hours at a time/date that a BSEA facilitator is available.