Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) Process and Appeals
Some students may require a formal identification and/or placement in a special education class through the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) process. In practice, Dufferin-Peel has divided IPRCs into three levels: board, family and school. At the board and family level, the IPRC:
- Decides whether a student is exceptional or not;
- Applies the category of exceptionality according to the Ministry of Education categories and definitions of exceptionality;
- Decides the placement of the student and must recommend placement in a regular class if satisfied that such a placement meets the student’s needs and is consistent with parent/guardian/adult student preferences. If recommending placement in a special education class, the IPRC must set out the reasons for this recommendation in their decision.
For a chart of the five Ministry placement options in Dufferin-Peel refer to Special Education Placements.
School level IPRCs are convened annually for the review of identification and/or placement. A parent/guardian/adult student may request a review of the IPRC decision three months after the placement has begun. The review cannot be requested more than once every three months. Parents/guardians/adult students may agree in writing to dispense with or "waive" the annual review.
Parents/guardians/adult students may, within 15 days of receiving the statement of decision, request a second meeting of the IPRC to further discuss the decision; or within 30 days of receiving the statement of decision, file a notice of appeal with the Board.
Further to the follow-up meeting, parents/guardians/adult students who do not agree with the upheld or revised decision of a follow-up meeting may request to have the matter referred to a special education appeal board within 15 days of receipt of the statement of decision of the second meeting of the IPRC.