ou've noticed the date on your child's IEP, and you're wondering how long it actually holds, or whether you're stuck with the current plan until it runs out. The direct answer: an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is reviewed at least once a year, and your child is reevaluated at least once every three years. Everything below breaks down those two timelines and what you can do between them.
How long does an IEP last?
An IEP lasts one year at a time. The team has to review it at least once a year, so no single version stays in place longer than twelve months without a fresh look. Your child stays covered the whole time. The document gets checked each year to make sure the goals still fit.
Two separate clocks are running, and parents mix them up all the time. One is the annual review of the IEP document. The other is the three-year reevaluation of whether your child still qualifies for services. They're not the same thing, and the difference matters when you're deciding what to ask for.
What is the IEP annual review?
The annual review is a yearly meeting where the team looks at the current IEP and decides what needs to change. Under IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the team reviews the plan at least once every twelve months. They check whether your child met last year's goals, write new ones, and adjust services or accommodations as needed.
You're a full member of that team. You can bring your own data, ask for changes, and put your disagreement on the record. After the meeting, the school has to send you a Prior Written Notice. That's a written explanation of what the school is changing or why it's refusing a change you asked for. That notice is required by federal law, and it's your paper trail.
The annual review doesn't require new testing. It's a working session about the plan itself, not about whether your child still qualifies.
What is the triennial IEP reevaluation?
The triennial reevaluation is the testing that confirms your child still qualifies for special education. "Triennial" just means every three years. Federal law requires it at least once every three years, unless you and the school agree in writing that it isn't needed.
This is where the school gathers new information: assessments, observations, records, and input from you. It answers two questions. Does your child still have a qualifying disability? And what do they need now? Kids' needs shift as they grow. The triennial is built to catch that.
The testing itself has its own steps and timelines. Our guide to requesting an IEP evaluation walks through what gets assessed and how the process works, so this piece won't repeat it.
When can you ask for an IEP review sooner?
Any time. You don't have to wait for the calendar. Federal parental rights let you request an IEP review or a reevaluation whenever you have a reason. These situations often call for one:
- Your child stopped making progress or started sliding backward
- A new diagnosis or evaluation changed the picture
- A major change at home or school started affecting learning
- The current services clearly aren't working
Say your daughter was reading on grade level in October, then stalled by January and started refusing to go to school. You don't have to sit on that until next fall's annual review. A mid-year drop like that is exactly what a review is for.
One limit worth knowing: a full reevaluation can't happen more than once a year unless you and the school both agree to it. A review of the IEP plan has no such cap. You can ask for that whenever it's warranted.
How do you request an early IEP review?
Put it in writing. A short email or letter to the case manager or special education coordinator starts the clock and creates a record. What the handbooks don't tell you: districts rarely offer an early review on their own. You almost always have to ask.
One sentence does the work. "I'm requesting an IEP team meeting to review my child's progress and current goals." Date it, keep a copy, and note who you sent it to. That written request is what gets the team back at the table.
If you want the full letter template and the steps to put a first plan in place, our guide on how to request an IEP evaluation walks through it.
The IEP isn't set in stone
Your child's IEP runs on a yearly cycle with a three-year checkpoint, but neither one locks you in. When something changes, you can ask for a review that same week, in writing, and the team has to respond. You're not waiting on the calendar. You're the one steering the plan.
Not sure where your child's plan stands right now? See how Turnout's education advocates can help with your next step.
