Introduction
Use form P-1 to provide parents notice the local education agency (LEA or agency) will implement the student’s initial IEP and the school or other facility at which it will be implemented. It is also used to obtain consent from the parent for the initial provision of special education services. 34 CFR §§ 300.114, 300.116, 300.300, 300.327, and 300.503; Wis. Stat. §§ 115.78, 115.787, 115.79, and 115.792. Agencies must ensure a continuum of placement options to meet the needs of students with disabilities including instruction in regular classes, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions. 34 CFR § 300.115. In determining the educational placement, the IEP team must consider the least restrictive environment for the student. 34 CFR §§ 300.314 and 300.316. Placement refers not only to the school or facility in which the student is educated, but also the regular education or special education environment within the school or facility in which services are provided.
Wisconsin has two state residential schools for IEP teams to consider as options for students who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or deafblind. These placements may offer unique opportunities such as a rich American Sign Language (ASL) communication environment or orientation and mobility experiences to meet the needs of students with these impairments.
Implementation Considerations
The agency must provide parents with notice a reasonable time before the agency implements their student’s IEP and placement. 34 CFR § 300.503(a). In implementing this requirement, the agency should consider the amount of time mail takes to go through the agency's processing and mailing system.
If an IEP is in effect for a period in which a student will move from one school to another because of a change of level, for example, from elementary to middle school, the IEP team may determine placement for both levels at the same meeting and include the information in the notice of placement. “ABC Elementary School from January 17, 2026, to June 6, 2026, and XYZ Middle School from September 4, 2026, to January 16, 2027.” If notice only lists the current school placement, for example, “ABC Elementary School,” the IEP team must meet again to determine the student’s next school placement, and the student’s parents must receive a new notice of placement prior to implementation of the IEP in the next school.
Form Content and Explanations
Content: Date of placement determination. Explanation: A student’s placement must be determined at least annually. No more than twelve months may elapse between IEP team meetings to determine a student’s placement. 34 CFR § 300.116; Wis. Stat. § 115.79(1)(b).
Content: Date parent provided with notice of placement. Explanation: The parents must receive a notice of placement, including a copy of their student’s IEP, a reasonable time before the LEA initiates the student’s placement and begins implementing the IEP. 34 CFR § 300.503; Wis. Stat. § 115.792.
Content: Date IEP developed on. Explanation: The date of IEP development is the date of the IEP team meeting to develop the student’s IEP. The student’s placement must be based on the IEP. 34 CFR § 300.116.
Content: Projected date of implementation. Explanation: Enter the projected date for the initiation of IEP services. Special education and related services must be made available as soon as possible following development of the initial IEP. A copy of the finalized IEP must be provided to parents before the IEP is implemented. 34 CFR §§ 300.323(c)(2) and 300.503
Content: School or other facility where IEP will be implemented. Explanation: This entry identifies the school or other facility (e.g., home, residential care center, hospital) where the student’s IEP will be implemented. If the student’s IEP will be implemented in a public school, enter the name of the public school and the agency within which it is located. If the student’s IEP will be implemented in another facility, identify the facility and the city in which it is located. A placement must be as close as possible to the student’s home. Unless the IEP requires another arrangement, the student must be educated in the school that the student would attend if not disabled. 34 CFR § 300.503; Wis. Stat. § 115.792.
Content: 1. Will the student attend the school they would attend if nondisabled? Explanation: Determine if the student will attend their regular school of attendance. If the student is three or four years old and the agency does not provide regular education programs for children of that age, document consideration of the child’s current age-appropriate settings for the delivery of special education and related services. If the student will attend the school they would attend if nondisabled, no explanation is necessary. If they will not, explain by completing (a) and (b). 34 CFR §§ 300.314 & 300.503; Wis. Stat. § 115.792.
Content: a. List other options, if any, related to the school determination (e.g., the physical place where attending. Explanation: For (a), list other school or facility placement options considered.
Content: b. Explain the reason(s) for rejecting the other school options considered, and describe any other factors relevant to the proposed action. Explanation: For (b), explain the reason(s) for rejecting those options along with any other relevant factors. To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities, including students in public or private institutions or other care facilities, must be educated with students who are nondisabled. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of students with disabilities from the regular educational environment may occur only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Content: 2. Other options considered and rejected. Refer to Form I-4, Section V. Is the student participating full time in the regular education environment? Explanation: Check “yes” only if the student participates in the regular education environment full time for the full school day. 34 CFR § 300.114. Determine if the student will be removed from the regular education environment for any part of the full school day. Examples of removals include specially designed instruction in a special education classroom, lunch in a separate environment, or a shortened school day. If the student is not removed from the regular education environment, explanation is optional. If there is a removal, check “no” and explain by completing (a) and (b).
Content: a. List other options considered if any, (e.g., frequency, amount, location, and duration of the specially designed instruction, related services, supplementary aids and services, program modifications and supports). Explanation: For (a), list other options considered and rejected before determining to remove a student from the regular education environment. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment may occur only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. 34 CFR § 300.114.
Content: Explain why full-time participation in the regular education environment or age-appropriate settings with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily, the reason(s) for rejecting the other options considered, and describe any other factors relevant to the proposed action. Explanation: For (b), explain why full-time participation in the regular education environment or age-appropriate settings with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Document the reasons less restrictive options were rejected along with any other relevant factors.
Shortening a student’s school day should happen only in rare circumstances. The reason for shortening a student’s school day must be based on the individualized disability-related needs of the student. Carefully consider other options before removing a student from the regular education environment for any part of the school day and list other options considered. These may include the frequency, amount, location, and duration of the specially designed instruction, related services, supplementary aids and services, program modifications and supports. Document a plan for returning the student to a full day as soon as possible, including conducting IEP team meetings more frequently.
Content: Copies of evaluation report and IEP. Explanation: The agency must provide the student’s parents with a copy of an evaluation report that includes documentation of determination of eligibility for special education. If the LEA provided the parents with a copy of their student’s latest evaluation report, the agencyis not required to provide another copy unless a parent requests a copy. The agency may provide the report with the placement notice or provide it prior to providing the placement notice. The agency must provide parents a copy of their student’s IEP with the placement notice. 34 CFR §§ 300.306, 300.322, and 300.503; Wis. Stat. §§ 115.782, 115.787, and 115.792. Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the agency previously provided a copy of the student’s evaluation report to the parents and is providing a copy of the IEP with form P-1, or the agency is providing both the evaluation report and the IEP with form P-1.
Content: Parents have procedural safeguards and can contact other sources for assistance about understanding their rights. Explanation: Any required notice must inform parents of the protections they have under the procedural safeguards of IDEA, and of sources they may contact to obtain information and assistance in understanding IDEA and state special education law. 34 CFR § 300.503; Wis. Stat. § 115.792(2). Because the LEA previously provided a copy of the complete procedural safeguards with the initial notice of evaluation (form IE-1), the LEA is not required to provide the parents with another copy of the procedural safeguards notice unless the parents request it.
Content: Parent permission is needed for services. Explanation: The LEA must obtain the consent of the student’s parent before the initial provision of special education and related services. Agencies must make reasonable efforts to obtain informed consent from the parent for the initial provision of special education and related services. 34 CFR § 300.300 (b)(2). Presenting the P-1 and I-4 forms explains the services that would be provided to document reasonable effort to obtain consent for services. Page 2 of form P-1 is used to obtain this consent. The parent’s consent for evaluation may not be construed to be consent for the initial provision of special education and related services. 34 CFR § 300.300; Wis. Stat. § 115.79.
Content: Explanation regarding consent is voluntary, the right to revoke that consent, and the possible effects of not granting consent. Explanation: The agency must inform parents the granting of consent is voluntary and may be revoked at any time. If a parent does not grant consent for services, the LEA may not request mediation or initiate a due process hearing regarding whether services should be provided. 34 CFR §§ 300.9 and 300.300.