IEPs, IPRCs and Gifted Identification at the TDSB: A Parent's Guide

Your child is struggling at a Toronto District School Board school, and you keep hearing letters: IEP, IPRC, IST, SST, ILP, ISP. This page explains what each means at the TDSB, the board's published timelines, and what you can do at each step, including gifted identification, which the TDSB runs on its own rules.

Key facts

• The TDSB names four referral steps: an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), an In-School Team (IST) meeting, a School Support Team (SST) meeting, then an IPRC, and the ILP runs 4 to 6 weeks before the school moves on (TDSB Guide to the Referral Process, TDSB Special Education Plan 2026-2027).
• The standard TDSB IEP consultation letter and response form should be sent home within the first two weeks of a new school year or a new placement, then stored with the IEP in the Ontario Student Record (Section K).
• Within 15 days of your written IPRC request, the principal must give you the parent guide and a written statement of approximately when the committee will meet, and you must have the invitation and all documentation at least 10 days before it (TDSB Identification and Placement).
• All Grade 3 students take the Cognitive Abilities Test, Seventh Edition (CCAT-7) each fall, and referred students then take a WISC-V with TDSB Psychological Services (TDSB Universal Screening).
• Gifted identification requires the 98th percentile or above on the WISC-V General Ability Index, tested when the student is at least in Grade 3 and age 8 (Section J).
• TDSB waits for a board psychological assessment can range from several months to up to a calendar year (Section F).

How is special education organized at the TDSB?

The TDSB runs special education through a department called Special Education and Inclusion, and every school works through two standing teams: the In-School Team (IST) and the School Support Team (SST).

The board publishes the whole system in one document, the TDSB Special Education Plan, updated yearly. In the current 2026-2027 version, Section H covers the IPRC process and appeals, Section J placements and the criteria for each exceptionality, Section K the IEP.

At school you deal with the classroom teacher, the special education resource teacher and the principal. Centrally the TDSB has Special Education and Inclusion Consultants, Coordinators and Centrally Assigned Principals. Professional Support Services (PSS) is separate: psychologists, psychoeducational consultants, social workers, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. PSS staff sit on the SST, not the IST, and parental permission is required for your child to be discussed by name when a PSS member attends.

What do I do first if my child is struggling at a TDSB school?

Start with the classroom teacher, then the principal. That is the order the TDSB publishes in its Steps to Address Questions and Concerns, with the superintendent for that Family of Schools as the third step.

The referral process runs in this order:

1. Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The teacher records your child's strengths, areas for growth and the strategies being tried, and runs the plan for 4 to 6 weeks.
2. In-School Team (IST). The classroom teacher, principal or vice-principal, the school special education teacher, and at secondary level guidance and student success teachers.
3. School Support Team (SST). Only if IST strategies have been tried with limited success. The SST adds psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, plus parents and students over 16.
4. IPRC. The SST may recommend PSS support, a return to the IST, or a referral to an IPRC.

Parent attendance at IST and SST is not mandatory, but if you cannot attend the school must tell you the plan of action.

What to say when you first contact the school

• "I would like to meet about how my child is doing. Here is what I am seeing at home, with dates."
• "Does my child have an Individual Learning Plan? Can I have a copy, and when will it be reviewed?"
• "Has my child been presented at an In-School Team meeting, and what did the IST recommend?"
• "I give written permission for the psychologist to discuss my child by name at SST."

How does the TDSB IEP process work, and what is the parent consultation form?

The TDSB writes an IEP for every student identified as exceptional by an IPRC, and the principal may write one for a non-identified student who needs a special education program or services for longer than one reporting period.

Your input comes through a specific document. The Special Education Plan says the standard TDSB consultation letter and response form should be sent home within the first two weeks of a new school year, or of a placement in a new program, and that completed forms are attached to the IEP and stored in the Ontario Student Record. If it has not arrived by the third week of school, ask the principal for it in writing. The TDSB Guide to Individual Education Plans asks for talents and abilities, likes and dislikes, hopes and goals, how your child learns best, relationships and routines. Concrete examples carry more weight than adjectives.

Other TDSB rules worth knowing:

• The IEP must be completed within 30 school days after placement in a special education program, and you must receive a copy (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 6(8)). It is reviewed every reporting period (Ontario: Individual Education Plans), and goes in the OSR unless you object in writing (s. 8).
• The principal signs the IEP. The principal need not accept every suggestion, but must give it due consideration and tell you the reason for leaving one out.
• Under the TDSB Kindergarten to Grade 1 IEP Strategy, the principal must consult the superintendent and explore alternatives before any IEP is created for a JK, SK or Grade 1 student. A Grades 2 to 12 Review decides whether an existing IEP is still needed.
• The board warns in writing that modifications to grade-level expectations in secondary grades can affect credit attainment.

How do I request an IPRC at the TDSB?

Put it in writing to your child's principal. Under O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b), the principal shall refer a pupil to an IPRC at the written request of a parent. In the TDSB's words, the principal "must request an IPRC meeting for your child upon receiving your written request".

The published TDSB timelines are:

• Within 15 days of your written request, the principal gives you the Guide to Special Education and Inclusion for Parents/Caregivers and a written statement of approximately when the committee will meet.
• At least 10 days before the meeting you receive the invitation and a copy of all documentation to be considered.
• Your own documents must reach the IPRC at least five days before the meeting, and the principal must ask you for them.

The package generally includes an educational assessment, the most recent Provincial Report Card, an IEP, a psychological assessment, an ILP from the most recent SST recommending an IPRC, and work samples.

The TDSB organizes IPRCs into three levels: Level 1 is school-based, for regular class placements and gifted-only decisions; Level 2 covers anything where the placement may be an Intensive Support Program; Level 3 is a Central IPRC for complex cases.

A support person is welcome at all three levels, but the plan states that if the family brings legal support, the TDSB will also have a legal representative attend. Placement decisions, it adds, must rest on educational criteria and professional evidence, not preference alone.

An annual review IPRC is held each school year unless you waive it in writing, and you may request a review any time after your child has been in a special education program for three months (s. 21).

How does gifted identification work at the TDSB?

The TDSB screens every Grade 3 student in the fall, then tests referred students individually. Identification happens at an IPRC, not at screening.

Stage one: all Grade 3 students complete a group cognitive abilities assessment, named on the TDSB Universal Screening page as the CCAT-7. The principal provides information about the process each fall. Results are also used to flag students who may benefit from an IST or SST referral, including for learning disability or mild intellectual disability. Stage two: referred students receive an individually administered assessment of intellectual ability by TDSB Psychological Services, using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V).

For an IPRC to identify giftedness, the TDSB requires an individual psychological assessment at or above the 98th percentile on the General Ability Index (GAI) of a recently administered WISC-V, with testing done when the student is at least in Grade 3 and age 8. If the WISC-V was not used, a comparable test must be approved by a TDSB Psychological Services Manager, with a full-scale IQ at the 98th percentile.

The TDSB is strict about test exposure. No advance preparation, practice or prior exposure is permitted, and if staff determine the student may have seen similar items, testing stops and results will not be shared or considered. TDSB Psychological Services provides a maximum of two test administrations across a student's TDSB years, and will not accept private results from the same test twice within 24 months. Separate criteria apply to English language learners and students with a learning disability.

Placement is decided separately. A gifted-identified student may stay in the regular class with indirect, resource or withdrawal support, or be placed in a Gifted Intensive Support Program (ISP). In elementary schools, full-time gifted class placement begins in Grade 4, and eligibility also requires a significant need for enrichment or alternative programming, or significant challenges in interpersonal, social or emotional development at school.

The Gifted ISP may not be in your home school, and students are placed at the site closest to home with space. Families receive one offer only and there are no waitlists. If you decline, a later request to move into a special education class must go through a Central or Learning Centre Review IPRC.

The criteria are contested. The Amendments to the 2026-2027 Special Education Plan record that during the 2025-26 consultation the Special Education Advisory Committee received a minority report from the Association for Bright Children (ABC) of Ontario disagreeing with the Grade 3 and age 8 rule and the 98th percentile GAI requirement. The TDSB says it considered the report and will implement the Section J requirements anyway.

What placements and special education programs does the TDSB list?

The TDSB uses five placement types. O. Reg. 181/98 requires a regular class to be considered first, and the TDSB says the IPRC "must first consider placement in Regular Class with Special Education programs and services before a placement of Special Education Class".

• Regular Class with Indirect Support: the teacher gets consultative services.
• Regular Class with Resource Assistance: specialized instruction inside the classroom. Elementary only.
• Regular Class with Withdrawal Assistance: instruction outside the classroom, under half the day.
• Special Education Class with Partial Integration: at least one period daily in a regular class.
• Special Education Class Full-Time: the Intensive Support Programs (ISPs).

The TDSB publishes location maps by program type on its Intensive Support Program Locations page: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Diagnostic Kindergarten, Developmental Disability, Mild Intellectual Disability, Learning Disability, Gifted, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Physical Disability, Behaviour, and congregated school sites. Those maps are the closest thing the TDSB has to a special education schools list. Pathways in congregated sites may lead to an Ontario Secondary School Certificate or a Certificate of Accomplishment, neither of which leads to post-secondary credit programs.

What can I do if I disagree with a TDSB decision?

It depends on which decision. For an IEP dispute there is no tribunal. The TDSB Parent Concern Protocol sequence is discussion with the teacher and principal, then a School Support Team meeting, then a meeting that may involve the Learning Network Superintendent.

For an IPRC decision the TDSB follows the regulation:

1. Within 15 days of the decision, ask the IPRC to hold a second meeting; or within 30 days, file a notice of appeal (s. 26(2)).
2. Address it to the Director and Secretary Treasurer, Toronto District School Board, 5050 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M2N 5N8, naming the decision and your reasons (TDSB Guide to IPRCs).
3. The TDSB establishes a Special Education Appeal Board of three people with no prior knowledge of the matter. You select one of the three (s. 27(1)(b)). The chair arranges a meeting within 30 days of being selected, and you and your child, if 16 or older, may be present for all discussions.
4. The appeal board recommends within 3 days of the meeting ending, and the board decides what to do within 30 days. Boards need not follow the recommendation. If you do not accept the decision, you may request a hearing by writing to the Secretary of the Special Education Tribunal.

You can also request a review in writing once the placement has been in effect for three months (s. 21).

What to bring to a TDSB meeting

• The invitation letter and full documentation package, with your questions in the margins.
• Your child's current IEP, the completed consultation response form, and the most recent Provincial Report Card.
• Any outside assessment report, plus the signed permission form the administrator generates so TDSB psychology staff can review it. Their review produces a Consultation Note that comes to you and goes in the OSR.
• A one-page dated log of what you are seeing at home and what has been tried.
• A support person, your top three questions in writing, and an interpreter if needed.

Common mistakes

• Asking verbally instead of in writing. The 15-day clock and the principal's duty to refer both attach to a written request.
• Returning the consultation form blank. It becomes a record that you had nothing to add.
• Preparing a child for the CCAT-7 or WISC-V. The TDSB invalidates results on evidence of practice.
• Declining a gifted ISP offer without asking what happens next. One offer, no waitlist, and getting back in later needs a Central or Learning Centre Review IPRC.

Where a consultant fits

Most families reach us between the first teacher meeting and the IPRC invitation, holding documents nobody has explained. Hourly Consulting helps you decide whether to wait for a board assessment or pursue a private one, refers you to psychologists, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, and covers preparing for a specific meeting. We do not conduct assessments. Assessment Breakdown & Guidance goes through a completed report with you, in plain language, before you sit in a meeting. IEP Review & Strategy reviews the assessments and the school's IEP together and drafts proposed goals and wording on accommodations, modified expectations and the transition plan, so you can see what each support should look like in class. Navigating Special Education is a three-session package covering how to share information with the school, what an IPRC is, and next steps. School Placement Support helps if you are weighing an independent school. Talia is an Ontario Certified Teacher with a Special Education Specialist qualification, not a lawyer or a psychologist.

Frequently asked questions

How do I request an IPRC at the TDSB?

Write to your child's principal and ask for an IPRC. Under O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b), the principal shall refer a pupil to an IPRC at the written request of a parent. The TDSB Special Education Plan says that within 15 days of your written request the principal must give you the Guide to Special Education and Inclusion for Parents/Caregivers and a written statement of approximately when the committee will meet.

What is the TDSB IEP parent consultation form?

It is the standard TDSB consultation letter and response form the school sends home so you can give input before the IEP is written. The TDSB Special Education Plan says it should be sent home within the first two weeks of a new school year, or of a student's placement in a new program. Completed response forms are attached to the IEP and stored in the Ontario Student Record.

What grade is gifted screening in at the TDSB?

Grade 3. The TDSB screens all Grade 3 students with the CCAT-7 each fall. Referred students then move to stage two, an individually administered WISC-V given by TDSB Psychological Services. Full-time gifted special education class placement in TDSB elementary schools begins in Grade 4, which is why parents often search for the Grade 4 gifted program.

What score does the TDSB require for gifted identification?

The TDSB requires an individual psychological assessment at or above the 98th percentile on the General Ability Index of a recently administered WISC-V. If the WISC-V was not used, a comparable test must be approved by a TDSB Psychological Services Manager and a full-scale IQ at the 98th percentile is required. Testing must be done when the student is at least in Grade 3 and age 8.

Can my child practise for the CCAT-7 or the WISC-V?

No. The TDSB states that no advance preparation or practice is permitted, and that evidence of prior exposure, preparation or practice renders results invalid. If staff determine the student may have practised or been exposed to similar items, testing stops and results will not be shared or considered. Only two test administrations are provided across a student's TDSB years.

How long is the wait for a TDSB psychological assessment?

The TDSB Special Education Plan says wait times can range from several months to up to a calendar year, and that assessments are provided according to prioritized needs within each school. If you obtain a private assessment instead, TDSB psychology staff review it and summarize the findings in a Consultation Note, a copy of which goes to you and into your child's OSR.

Can I bring someone to a TDSB IPRC meeting?

Yes. The TDSB lists a support person brought by the family among those who may attend an IPRC at all three levels, and you may request an interpreter through the principal. The plan adds one caution: if the family brings legal support, the TDSB will also have a legal representative attend.

Can my child get an IEP at the TDSB without an IPRC?

Yes. The TDSB says the principal may determine that an IEP is developed for a non-identified student who requires a special education program or services for longer than one reporting period. That covers a student who regularly needs student-specific accommodations, or who will be assessed on modified or alternative expectations.

Sources

• O. Reg. 181/98: Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupils
• Ontario: Individual Education Plans
• Ontario: Identifying students with special education needs
• TDSB Special Education Plan 2026-2027
• Amendments to the 2026-2027 Special Education Plan (TDSB)
• TDSB Special Education Plan (section index)
• TDSB Universal Screening
• TDSB Identification and Placement (IPRC)
• TDSB Individual Education Plan
• TDSB The Referral Process
• TDSB Guide to the Referral Process for Parents/Guardians/Caregivers
• TDSB Guide to Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for Parents/Guardians/Caregivers
• TDSB Guide to Identification, Placement and Review Committees (IPRCs)
• TDSB Guides for Parents/Caregivers
• TDSB Intensive Support Program Locations
• TDSB Steps to Address Questions and Concerns