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Facilitated Individualized Education Program- FIEP Team Meetings

General Information

The Program for Exceptional Students is committed to working with parents and guardians towards providing the best services to our students. We are proud to provide the option of a FIEP Team meeting through the Georgia Department of Education. A FIEP Team meeting is an optional collaborative dispute prevention and resolution process. A FIEP Team meeting is the same as any other IEP Team meeting with the exception that a neutral, third-party facilitator joins the meeting.

What Is IEP Team Meeting Facilitation?
The neutral Facilitator helps with communication and problem solving during the meeting. The facilitator will help keep the IEP Team focused on the student and the development of the IEP, and does not make decisions about the student’s IEP. The goal of a FIEP Team meeting is to develop an IEP that is supported by team members and benefits the student.

In a FIEP Team meeting:

  • Families and schools agree to have a facilitator join an IEP Team meeting.
  • Facilitators maintain open communication and ensure that everyone at the IEP Team meeting can participate fully.
  • If disagreements arise during the meeting, a facilitator can help the Team clarify and resolve them.
  • The facilitator typically does not address issues that are not related to the student’s IEP.

Either a parent/guardian or the District may initiate the FIEP Team meeting process, however both parties must agree to the FIEP Team meeting in order for the process to take place.

If you are interested in a FIEP Team meeting, please refer to the below documents for more information. The below document links include a FIEP Request Form, which should be completed, signed, and returned to the Director of the Program for Exceptional Students: via Fax to Ms. Robin Barber at 706-748-2270, or scanned and emailed to Robin B Barber .

NOTE: The completed FIEP Request Form must be received by the Director at least 10 school days (2 weeks) prior to the IEP meeting.

If the District is the party requesting a FIEP Team meeting, the document will be emailed to the parent/guardian at least 15 school days (3 weeks) prior to the IEP meeting. Should the parent/guardian agree to the FIEP Team meeting, the parent/guardian must return the form to the Director as above within 5 days of parents receipt, or at least 2 weeks prior to the IEP meeting.

Once a completed Request Form and IEP Team meeting notice is provided to the GaDOE by the District, the GaDOE Dispute Resolution Team will appoint a facilitator for the IEP Team meeting from a list of trained professionals and keep the parties notified about the progress of the request.