ACADEMIC
RECORDS TOOLKIT
WHY USE THIS TOOLKIT
As your child navigates through the school system with an individualized service plan,
documents and paperwork will inevitably pile up. It is critical to keep all of your child’s
educational records organized to ensure that your child is receiving the services and supports
he/she is guaranteed. With this toolkit, you will be able to navigate the paperwork easily, gain a
greater understanding of your child’s strengths and needs, and be able to advocate for your
child’s education.
HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT
Grab a big 3-ring binder. Print out this toolkit and place it in the binder. Use the sections in this
toolkit as guides for you to find the documents you need.
As the school year goes on, date all documents and records that you come across and place
them in chronological order in the appropriate section. If you’re unsure whether a document is
important to keep or not, just keep it. You will never know when it will come in handy!
Before meetings or phone calls with school staff, skim through the binder for any relevant
information you need. You can even bring the binder with you to meetings, so you can easily
refer to documentation as needed. As your child grows older, you may be able to explain why
self-advocacy is important, and teach him/her to take responsibility for this binder to the best
of his/her ability.
SECTIONS
1 School Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2 Individualized Service Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Request for School Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Parent IEP Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 Academic Reports and Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Correspondences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Correspondences Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
6 Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7 Medical Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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1 | SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION
Name of School
Address of School
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
OFFICE
Title Name
Principal:
Email:
Phone:
Vice Principal:
Email:
Phone:
Nurse:
Email:
Phone:
Counselor:
Email:
Phone:
Secretary:
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
TRANSPORTATION
Bus # (to school):
Driver’s name:
Phone:
Bus # (to home):
Driver’s name:
Phone:
Other (specify):
Driver’s name:
Phone:
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TEACHERS
Title Name
Director of special
education:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Case manager:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
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TEACHERS
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Teacher:
Subject, classroom,
period:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method email / phone / in person
of contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
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THERAPY AND INTERVENTION
May include but is not limited to: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language services, and
reading intervention.
Type of therapy:
Name of staff:
Sessions per week,
classroom
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method of email / phone / in person
contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Type of therapy:
Name of staff:
Sessions per week,
classroom
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method of email / phone / in person
contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Type of therapy:
Name of staff:
Sessions per week,
classroom
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method of email / phone / in person
contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
Type of therapy:
Name of staff:
Sessions per week,
classroom
Email:
Phone:
Preferred method of email / phone / in person
contact:
Preferred time to morning / afternoon / evening
contact:
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2 | INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE PLANS
INCLUDE
 Copies of your child’s IEP (past and present)
 504 plan (if applicable)
 Formal behavior plans (if applicable)
 Any other individualized service plans
WHY
These records will help you monitor the services and goals your child has in school over the
years. You can advocate for your child if he/she is not receiving what is specified in these
documents, give suggestions for changes in future IEP meetings, or take other steps to ensure
that your child is receiving the best educational support possible.
HOW
If you do not already have all of your child’s records, write a letter to the school requesting your
child’s entire cumulative file. You may need to pay a fee for copying and printing. Also be sure
to make a copy of your letter for your own records. If you do not receive a response within 10
days, call or email your school again explaining that you have not received a response, attaching
the original letter. See our Request for School Records template on page 8.
Additionally, review your child’s IEPs thoroughly to keep track of important goals,
accommodations, and services. See our Parent IEP Review guide on pages 9-11 to help you pull
out important information from the IEP and to think about suggestions for improvement. This
guide may also help you prepare to give your input during IEP meetings.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The following links provide more insight into IEPs and IEP meetings.
Blank IEP Form
Maryland State Department of Education
IEP Basics for Parents of Students with Learning Disabilities
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc.
Although this guide is targeted towards students with learning disabilities, it is still very
applicable to any child with an IEP.
Developing Your Child’s IEP
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
IDEA Parent Guide
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc.
This guide explains IDEA and the implications for your child’s education, including the
right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
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REQUEST FOR SCHOOL RECORDS
________________________
________________________
Your address
________________________
Date
____________________________________
Name of director of special education or principal
____________________________________
Name of school
____________________________________
____________________________________
Address of school
Re:
____________________ Grade ___
Your child’s name
______________________________
Student ID number
Dear
______________________________,
Name of director of special education or principal
I would like to request a copy of all of my child’s cumulative school records to place in a
personal home file. Please include all records within the school distract that contain my child’s
name, ____________________. Records should include, but are not limited to: IEPs,
evaluations, test scores, and psychological records.
The best way and time to reach me is ______________________. Please contact me as soon as
possible to discuss when and how I can pick up these copies. Also feel free to contact me with
any questions about my request. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from
you soon.
Sincerely,
____________________________
Signature of parent/guardian
____________________________
Printed name of parent/guardian
____________________________
Telephone number (home and/or cell)
____________________________
Email
Received by: _____________________________________
Date: ___________
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PARENT IEP REVIEW
Here are the major sections of an IEP to pay attention to as you review your child’s IEP. Use the
checklists below to make sure you do not miss any important information, or highlight the
information on the IEP as you go along. The questions after each checklist will help you to
process the educational implications of each section and may help you organize the ideas you
want to discuss with teachers through the year or at a future IEP meeting.
I. Meeting and Identifying Information
 Eligibility evaluation date
 Primary disability
Reevaluation is required at least once every three years. When was your child last evaluated? Is your
child eligible for reevaluation?
What is your child’s primary disability? Do you agree with this classification? If not, you may need to
gather evidence (e.g., observations, work samples, etc.) to suggest that your child may need
reevaluation, even if it has not been three years since the last evaluation.
II. Present Level of Functional Performance
 Academic
 Health
 Physical
 Behavioral
 How does the student’s disability affect his/her involvement in the general education
curriculum?
After reviewing this section, as well as report cards, progress reports, and work samples, in which areas
does your child excel at? In which areas do you wish to see improvement?
From your observations and experiences, what are your child’s strengths, interest areas, significant
personal attributes, and personal accomplishments? How might these influence academic and
behavioral goals for your child in school?
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III. Special Considerations and Accommodations
 Assistive technology
 Presentation, response, timing and scheduling, and setting accommodations (checklists)
 Supplementary aids, services, program modification and supports summary
 Extended School Year (if applicable)
 Transition planning (if applicable; typically for students age 13 and older)
Does your child have any needs that require special technology or devices? Are they listed in the IEP? If
not, make a note to discuss this with your child’s case manager.
Will all of the accommodations checked for your child help him/her to succeed in the school setting? Do
you see any accommodations that you think should be added? If so, provide justification.
IV. Goals
 Goals for different subjects
Are all goals focused on the most critical subjects and skills in which your child needs? Are the objectives
reasonable, measurable, and attainable in your child’s setting? Do you have suggestions to modify any
current goals?
Looking at the progress reports, is your child making sufficient progress on the goals and objectives?
What areas do you wish to see more improvement on? What is working, what isn’t working, and what
suggestions do you have for improvement?
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Do you have suggestions for new goals? Goals can include academic subject areas, as well as behavior,
communication, functional skills, or other areas of concern. Things to consider are:




Why is a goal in this area a priority?
How much progress do you expect to see?
What teaching methods, supplements, or related services would be required for your child to
achieve this goal?
How should progress be measured, and how often should it be measured?
V. Services
 Review all services provided (e.g., speech therapy, physical therapy, etc.)
Is your child receiving all the services that he/she needs in order to make educational progress? If not,
provide justification (e.g., progress reports, evaluations, etc.) for why your child may need services that
are not listed.
VI. Placement Data
 Review the settings to make sure they are the least restrictive environment
Is your child given the opportunity to participate in the general education setting as much as possible? If
your child given enough individualized special education to succeed academically? If you disagree with
your child’s placement, explain why.
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3 | EVALUATIONS
INCLUDE
 Copies of any evaluations your child has received
> These evaluations may include but are not limited to: educational, psychological,
speech/language, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
WHY
It is important to know and understand what evaluations your child has received, in order to
understand his/her strengths and needs, as well as to ensure that the IEP is tailored to your
child. In addition, if you disagree with evaluations from the school system, you can have your
child independently evaluated by a private doctor or therapist. Records of evaluations will help
you petition for the appropriate services for your child.
HOW
If you do not already have copies of all of your child’s evaluations from school, you can request
copies from the school using the Request for School Records template provided on page 8. If
your child has had independent evaluations outside of school, contact the doctor or therapist to
request copies of the evaluation results.
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4 | ACADEMIC REPORTS AND SCORES
INCLUDE
 Report cards
 Progress reports
 Standardized test scores
 Notes from teachers about academic progress
 Attendance records
 Schoolwork samples
> Schoolwork samples should highlight your child’s abilities in a wide range of subjects, with a
focus on the core subjects of reading, writing, and math.
WHY
You want to know if your child is making progress or not in his/her goal areas as specified in the
IEP. These reports give insight to which goals your child has met and which areas in which your
child needs extra support. These may also give you insight as to which settings, placements,
teaching styles, and supports help your child to learn the most.
HOW
Simply collect these documents as the school year goes on, and place them in chronological
order. Be sure all schoolwork samples are dated and labeled with the subject area.
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5 | CORRESPONDENCES
INCLUDE
 Correspondences with teachers, therapists, and any other school staff
 Notes from conversations and meetings
 Copies of any documents, letters, or emails sent or received
WHY
Keeping a record of your correspondences will help you keep track of what you have discussed
with specific people. This will cut down on any redundancy in conversations and help you link
people and information together. For instance, while speaking with a teacher who gives you
conflicting information compared to what a therapist had given you, you can refer back to your
log to confirm exactly what the therapist had said and when. Additionally, keeping records will
serve as evidence, should you ever need to advocate for you or your child’s rights in the school
system.
HOW
Use logs to keep your correspondences organized. See the Correspondences Log provided on
page 15. Record the date of each correspondence, along with any notes and comments you
have. Make note if you need to follow-up on any conversations!
You may choose to keep one log for everything, or make separate logs for different topics.
Some possible topics for different logs include: academic issues, behavioral/disciplinary actions,
and IEP-related issues or meetings.
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CORRESPONDENCES LOG
Date
Person of contact
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Subject of discussion
Type of correspondence
Notes:
Date
Person of contact
Notes:
Date
Person of contact
Notes:
Date
Person of contact
Notes:
Date
Person of contact
Notes:
Date
Person of contact
Notes:
Date
Person of contact
Notes:
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6 | FINANCES
INCLUDE
 Invoices, receipts, or canceled checks from services that you provided for your child’s
educational development
 Any documents or contact information relating to insurance or funding
> These may include but are not limited to: DDA funding application, SSI application, autism
waiver, or rolling access funds application.
WHY
If you seek reimbursement for the services you provided, you need to have the invoices on
hand, and be able to prove that the services were necessary because the school did not provide
sufficient services for your child’s educational progress. In this case, you will also need to show
records, such as IEP goals and progress reports, as evidence.
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7 | MEDICAL RECORDS
INCLUDE
 Medical records regarding a disability that affects your child’s ability to learn or to access the
curriculum and school facilities
 Copies of any medical records that your child’s school asks for
> Examples of information your child’s school asks for include immunization records or
emergency medical information.
WHY
These medical records are crucial when deciding what services and accommodations your child
needs at school, and are always useful to keep on hand. Medical records can be a handful, so
limit the documents in this binder to the basic information that directly relates to your child’s
education.
HOW
Ask for copies of medical records any time your child visits a doctor or therapist. Also make
copies of any medical forms that you fill out for your child’s school.
The following is an example of the emergency information your school may request, which you
should keep a personal copy of:
Emergency Information Form
American College of Emergency Physicians
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you wish to create a separate binder for all other medical records, the following are very
thorough guides to creating a medical records notebook:
Complete Care Notebook for Parents
Seattle Children’s Hospital, The Center for Children with Special Needs
Vital Records Guide
Arkansas Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Council
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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
If you have any questions or comments about this toolkit, please do not hesitate to contact us
at ____________.
Latest update: August 2012
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