The director of special education says the PPT doesn't have to follow expert recommendations but is required only to consider them.  Is that true?

Post date: Oct 11, 2011 2:56:58 PM

Yes.  

The PPT must consider the report, but decisions are made by the Planning and Placement Team (PPT).  The PPT is not required to implement a recommendation, even if the recommendation comes from the school's own evaluator.

That being said, recommendations need to be considered in a meaningful way.  So in the PPT, review the recommendations and request that these be added to the IEP.  The school team may say yes.

But if the school team says no, they need to provide Prior Written Notice (PWN), which describes the basis for their refusal.  

(If you aren't sure what PWN requires, review Connecticut's procedural safeguards.  Item B on Page 2.  Important!)  

Note that PWN has to be child-related.  The reason for the refusal can't legitimately be "we don't do that."  And PWN must describe what evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report was used as the basis for its refusal.