Informed and Ahead, Session 2 Recap: Making IEPs Work Before It’s Too Late

By late October, most special education leaders start to see the patterns.

Service logs that don’t quite match what’s written in the IEP.
Progress reports that are light on actual data.
A nagging feeling that a few students aren’t where they should be.

Session 2 of Parallel’s Informed and Ahead series, led by special education law expert Dr. David Bateman, was all about that moment in the year. When small cracks can either be patched early or grow into compliance findings, due process hearings, and, most importantly, lost learning time for students.

As Summer Allison, Parallel’s Chief Revenue Officer, framed it in her opening, one thing hasn’t changed over the decades:

“What hasn’t changed is that we show up to create connection and support for students.
What has changed is the toolset. Today, technology and remote services can expand access instead of limiting it by geography, staffing, or zip code, if the systems behind them are strong.”

This session focused on those systems: monitoring, data, and mid-fall course corrections.

Why This Time of Year Matters So Much

Dr. Bateman didn’t mince words: compliance is a low bar.

Yes, districts must meet timelines, complete paperwork, and deliver the services written into each IEP. However, following the Endrew F. decision, the standard is clear: IEPs must be designed and implemented in a manner that enables meaningful progress, not merely access or advancement from one grade to the next.

From his work in hundreds of due process hearings, he sees the same pattern again and again:

• Vague or subjective progress reports
• Little to no graphed or measurable data
• IEPs that don’t change, even when students aren’t making progress
• Gaps between what’s written in the IEP and what’s actually delivered

That’s where the “knew or should have known” standard comes in. When districts have early warning signs like parent concerns, teacher emails, progress reports showing flat or minimal growth, and don’t respond, they’re much more vulnerable to compensatory education claims later.

A mid-fall check-in isn’t just a good practice. It’s a way to protect students and the system before things escalate.

Step 1: Audit IEP Service Delivery and Fidelity

The first question Dr. Bateman encouraged leaders to ask mid-fall is simple:

Are we actually implementing the IEPs we wrote?

That means:

• Pulling 3–5 IEPs at random and checking:
  
  • Are the minutes and services being delivered as written?
  • Is the student in the right setting, for the right amount of time?
• Reviewing related service logs :
  
  • Are sessions being logged consistently?
  • Review where any service gaps are emerging. Is the student continuing to demonstrate progress aligned with their IEP? 
• Verifying implementation at the classroom level:
  
  • Are accommodations and specially designed instruction (SDI) visible in actual practice?
  • Are general education teachers aware of and using the supports written into the IEP?

The goal isn’t to “catch” people doing something wrong. It’s to surface implementation gaps early, while there’s still time to fix them, communicate with families, and adjust support.

Parallel eases administrative burden through clinical oversight that strengthens compliance and drives better student outcomes. To make these conversations easiest,  we’ve put it all in one place in these Session 2, Informed and Ahead handouts. They make it easy for your team to review progress, spot issues early, and document next steps.

Through real-time data, consistent documentation, and clinical oversight built directly into Pathway, teams can quickly spot missed sessions, early red flags, and opportunities to adjust services before small issues become big ones.

Step 2: Look Closely at the Quality of Progress Monitoring

The next layer of the mid-fall check-in is progress monitoring.

Dr. Bateman shared real examples from cases he’s worked on: marking-period comments like, “Seems to be doing well,” “A joy to have in class,” “Works really hard.” Encouraging? Yes. Legally defensible evidence of progress? No.

Strong progress monitoring:

• Is tied directly to the IEP goal
• Uses measurable data (frequency, percentage, duration, level of prompting, etc.)
• Is collected regularly, not just at report-card time
• Can be graphed and explained clearly to families and teams

He contrasted vague comments with a simple, powerful summary for a behavioral goal:

“Marcus increased independent use of coping strategies from 40% in early September to 80% by late October.”

That single sentence:

• Connects back to the specific goal
• Shows a baseline and a current level
• Demonstrates instructional impact

Mid-fall is the perfect moment for leaders to take a closer look at what their data is actually telling them. This can start with a simple review of a sample of progress reports across schools and asking, “Could I explain this data to a parent in a way that clearly shows growth—or lack of it?” 

From there, patterns emerge. You can quickly identify which teams might need coaching on writing measurable goals, collecting usable data, or tightening up their monitoring routines. The aim isn’t more paperwork for its own sake. It’s better, clearer data that leads to better decisions for students and staff.

Step 3: Use Early Data to Respond When Students Are Off-Track

One of the most important messages from Session 2 was this:

When progress data shows that a student is not on track, the IEP team must respond. That response shouldn’t be “wait and see until the annual meeting.”

Instead, Dr. Bateman urged teams to:

• Reconvene the IEP team when a student is consistently not making progress and ask: 
  
  • Are goals ambitious but realistic?
  • Is SDI being delivered as planned?
  • Are the instructional methods aligned with the student’s needs?
• Change something:
  
  • Grouping
  • Intensity or frequency of SDI
  • Instructional method or curriculum
  • Environment or supports
• Document those changes and revisit the data within a set timeframe (e.g., 4–6 weeks)

He emphasized that accommodations alone are not a substitute for SDI. Extended time, assistive technology, or read-aloud supports cannot replace explicit instruction in reading, writing, behavior, or social skills when those are the areas of need.

Mid-fall is the right time to pause and ask the questions that matter most: Who is not yet on track to meet their goals? What have we tried so far? And what will we adjust next—and how will we know if it’s working? 

These aren’t judgment questions; they’re strategy questions. When leaders surface them early, teams have time to course-correct before progress reports are due and before small gaps become bigger problems.

Step 4: Build Systems That Support Staff, Not Just Supervise Them

A key thread throughout the session was that systems should feel supportive, not punitive.

Progress monitoring and internal audits should:

• Give teachers and providers a clearer picture of how students are doing
• Prompt constructive conversations: “What do you need to move this student forward?”
• Help principals and special education leaders stay informed without micromanaging
• Make it easier to communicate honestly with families—before they’re surprised by a lack of progress

Parallel’s approach mirrors that same mindset: give teams the structure and support they need to act early. That includes tools like checklists, trackers, and sample forms that save time instead of adding to the burden; a virtual platform that captures meaningful data after every session; and a clinical management team that proactively reaches out when providers or students need support rather than waiting for challenges to snowball.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s a culture where data drives decisions, not blame.

Where Session 2 Leaves Us

By this time of year, no district can change how school started. But there is still plenty of time to change how the year ends.

From Dr. Bateman’s perspective, the districts that avoid disputes and, more importantly, deliver better outcomes for students, tend to have a few things in common:

• They verify that services are being delivered as written.
• They collect and use real progress data, not just reassuring phrases.
• They adjust IEPs and instruction when students are off-track, instead of waiting.
• They communicate clearly and consistently with families.

That’s the heart of a mid-fall check-in: not catching people doing things wrong, but catching students before they fall behind.

If Session 2 left you thinking about how to strengthen your own systems for monitoring, supporting staff, and updating IEPs, Parallel is here as a partner, not just in crisis, but in preparation.

Because the best time to fix a problem is before it becomes one.

Parallel’s approach mirrors that same mindset: give leaders simple, high-impact tools that make mid-fall monitoring easier, not heavier.  

Watch Dr. Bateman during Session 2 of the Informed and Ahead Series here: Session 2 | Informed & Ahead | Monitoring

About the Author

Laura McBride is a former English Learner educator turned educational copywriter who partners with mission-driven education brands to tell stories that inspire action and trust. With over 15 years in K–12 education, she brings a deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs within schools, especially in supporting multilingual and exceptional learners. Today, she helps organizations like Parallel Learning share stories that connect educators, students, and families, keeping them informed, inspired, and part of the conversation about what’s next in education.

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