The MET meeting discusses evaluation results in order to determine eligibility and the need for special education services. Being prepared for a MET meeting is important but you do not need to walk into the meeting with a 3-inch binder to be prepared. Bring the information that will help you follow the evaluation results discussion, ask your questions, and make sure the team has considered any information you provided from outside the school.
The evaluation report
If the school has shared a draft report before the meeting, review that document. Mark scores, recommendations, conclusions, and anything else you want to discuss further or gain clarity on. If you have not received a draft, ask whether it can be provided before the meeting so you are not seeing the evaluation for the first time at the table. Bring the same marked up draft report that you reviewed at home to the meeting.
A short list of your questions
Write down the questions you do not want to forget. Keep the list organized to match the outline flow of the MET draft report so you can get answers throughout the meeting discussion.
Useful questions often come directly from the report: What does this score mean? How does this finding show up in the classroom? What services might be available based on these findings? What would it look like in the classroom when these accommodations and recommendations are implemented?
Outside information the school may not already have
Bring relevant private evaluations, medical or provider information, tutoring data, or other records if they add information the school does not already have. Typically this outside information is provided to the MET team during the Review of Existing Data (RED) process, but it is good practice to bring it to the MET meeting to ensure the information was captured and considered in the final report. The MET should consider parent input and information from a variety of sources.
A few concrete examples
If something in the evaluation does not match what you are seeing, bring a specific example. That might be a writing sample, a recent assignment, a pattern of unfinished work/missing work student report, or a short note about what homework or reading looks like at home. A focused example is usually more useful than a stack of papers.
A way to take notes
You will hear scores, eligibility language, and next steps in a short period of time. Write down decisions, questions that were not answered, and anything the team says it will follow up on. Arizona is a one party consent state, so a parent who is participating in the meeting may record it. It is a good practice to let the team know you will be recording before the meeting begins.
A support person, if you want one
Parents may invite someone who has knowledge or special expertise regarding the child. That could be a spouse, family member, provider, consultant, or another person whose presence would be helpful.
Before you leave
Make sure you know the eligibility decision and what happens next. Parents are entitled to a copy of the evaluation report and documentation of the eligibility determination. After the MET meeting, parents should receive the final evaluation report and Prior Written Notice (PWN) documenting the team’s decisions. There is no specific number of days required for the PWN but it must be provided within a reasonable amount of time after the decision and before the decision is implemented. If the child is eligible and requires special education services, the initial IEP meeting must be held within 30 calendar days from the eligibility determination date.