Special education in Massachusetts: timelines, rights, and IEP meeting prep.
This hub collects source-cited Massachusetts guidance for parents preparing for Team meetings, progress conversations, and district responses. It is educational information, not legal advice.
Evaluation assessments must be completed within 30 school working days after parent consent.
Massachusetts ties evaluation, Team meeting, and proposed IEP timing to the 45-school-working-day window.
Parents respond to the proposed IEP and placement no later than 30 days after receipt.
Massachusetts IEP timeline
The key school-working-day deadlines for evaluations, Team meetings, proposed IEPs, parent responses, and implementation.
Read the guideMassachusetts IEP parent rights
Consent, participation, progress reports, communication access, mediation, hearings, and practical meeting questions.
Read the guideWhat to look for in an IEP progress report
How to tell whether a report gives enough data to know if your child is moving toward the IEP goals.
Read the guideIEP meeting preparation checklist
A practical one-page way to organize your questions, records, concerns, and requested next steps.
Read the guide