How to Request Your Child's Service Logs (And What to Do When the School Acts Confused)

You have the legal right to request your child's IEP service logs — the records that document when therapy sessions and services actually occurred, how long they lasted, and what was addressed. To request them, send a written request to the special education director or principal citing your rights under FERPA and IDEA.

But you want to see the actual records. Not a summary. Not a reassurance. The session-by-session logs that prove whether those 90 minutes per week are actually happening.

You have every right to see them. Here is how to get them — and what to do when the school pretends they do not exist.

What Are Service Logs?

Service logs are the detailed, session-level records that document when and how your child's IEP services were delivered. They are the proof that the IEP is being implemented as written.

Depending on the service, these records may include:

• Therapy session notes — written by the speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or other related service provider after each session. These typically include the date, duration, activities, and observations.
• Service attendance records — a log showing which dates your child received services, which dates were missed, and why (student absence, provider absence, school closure, scheduling conflict).
• Service delivery tracking sheets — some schools use tracking forms or electronic systems to log each service encounter against what the IEP requires.
• Data collection sheets — the raw data service providers collect during sessions to measure progress on IEP goals (trial data, frequency counts, prompting levels, etc.).
• Group vs. individual session documentation — if the IEP specifies individual therapy and the logs show group sessions, that is a discrepancy worth knowing about.

Service Logs vs. Progress Reports: They Are Not the Same Thing

Schools often respond to service log requests by sending home a progress report. These are not the same thing, and it is important you understand the difference.

Progress Reports	Service Logs
Issued periodically (quarterly, with report cards)	Created for each session or service encounter
Summarize overall progress toward IEP goals	Document whether each specific session occurred
Written in narrative form ("student is making progress")	Include dates, times, durations, activities, and data
Do not show how many sessions were delivered	Show exactly how many sessions were delivered vs. required
Can say "making progress" even if services were missed	Reveal gaps between what was promised and what was delivered

A progress report that says "making adequate progress" tells you nothing about whether the services were actually provided. Your child might be making progress despite missed services — or the school might be overstating progress because they know services were not delivered.

You need both. The progress report tells you where your child is. The service logs tell you whether the school did what it promised.

Your Legal Right to These Records

Your right to access your child's service logs comes from two federal laws:

FERPA — Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g)

FERPA gives parents the right to inspect and review all educational records maintained by the school that are directly related to their child. This includes:

• All records, files, documents, and other materials containing information directly related to your child
• Records maintained by or for the school, regardless of format (paper, electronic, audio, video)
• Service logs, therapy notes, attendance records, data sheets, and provider documentation

Under 34 CFR §99.10, the school must comply with your request within 45 calendar days. They may not suppress or delay access to records.

IDEA — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (34 CFR §300.613)

IDEA provides additional records access rights for parents of children with disabilities:

• The school must permit you to inspect and review any education records relating to your child that are collected, maintained, or used by the district.
• The school must comply without unnecessary delay and specifically before any IEP meeting or due process hearing.
• You have the right to request that the school explain or interpret any record.
• You have the right to copies of the records if you cannot otherwise inspect and review them (34 CFR §300.613(b)(1)).
• The school may charge a reasonable fee for copies but cannot charge a fee for searching for or retrieving records (34 CFR §300.617).

How to Submit a Formal Request

Do not ask for service logs verbally. Do not mention it casually at a meeting and hope someone follows up. Put it in writing. Here is how:

1. Write a formal records request. Address it to the principal and the special education director. Reference both FERPA and IDEA. Be specific about what you are asking for (see the sample letter below).
2. Send it by email. Email creates a timestamped paper trail. If you send a hard copy, keep a dated copy for yourself.
3. Be specific. Do not just ask for "records." Ask for service delivery logs, therapy session notes, attendance records for related services, and raw data collected during service sessions for the current school year (and prior years if relevant).
4. Reference the IEP. Cite the specific services in your child's IEP so the school knows exactly which logs you are asking for. Example: "Speech-language therapy, 3x/week for 30 minutes, as specified on page 12 of the IEP dated September 15, 2025."
5. Set expectations. State that you expect a response within 45 calendar days per FERPA, and note any upcoming IEP meetings that require access to records before that date.

"Raw Data" — The Magic Phrase

Here is something experienced advocates know: when you ask for "service logs," some schools will act confused. They will say they do not have "logs." They will send you progress reports instead. They will tell you to talk to the therapist directly.

But when you ask for "all raw data related to service delivery," the confusion tends to evaporate. Here is why:

• "Raw data" is a FERPA term. Schools know they must provide access to educational records, including raw data. Using this language signals that you know your rights and are making a formal request — not a casual inquiry.
• It covers everything. "Raw data" encompasses session notes, data collection sheets, tracking forms, attendance logs, and any other documentation created during or about service delivery.
• It is harder to deflect. A school can claim "we don't keep service logs" — maybe they call them something different. But they cannot claim they have no raw data on service delivery, because that would mean they are not tracking whether they are implementing the IEP.

Use this language in your request: "I am requesting all raw data, session notes, attendance records, and documentation related to the delivery of [specific service] for [child's name] for the [date range], as maintained by or for the school district."

When the School Plays Dumb

Let us be direct. Some schools will not hand over service logs willingly. Here are the most common stalling tactics and how to respond to each:

"We don't keep service logs."

Your response: "Under IDEA, the school is required to implement the IEP as written. If no records exist documenting service delivery, please explain in writing how the district tracks compliance with the IEP service requirements. If the district has no documentation of service delivery, I will need to request an IEP meeting to discuss whether services have been provided as required and whether compensatory services are owed."

"Those are the therapist's personal notes — they're not school records."

Your response: Under FERPA, educational records include records maintained by a person acting for the school. If a speech therapist, OT, or other provider delivers IEP services — whether as a school employee or a contractor — their session documentation is an educational record. It does not matter if the notes are in the therapist's personal notebook or a school system. If the therapist is providing services under the IEP, the documentation belongs to the parent.

"We'll have those at the annual review."

Your response: "I am not requesting records for a meeting. I am requesting records under FERPA (34 CFR §99.10) and IDEA (34 CFR §300.613). Please provide access within 45 calendar days of this request."

"You already got the progress report."

Your response: "The progress report summarizes goal progress. I am requesting the underlying service delivery documentation — session-by-session logs showing dates, duration, activities, and provider for each service encounter. These are separate records and I am entitled to both under FERPA."

Complete silence — no response at all.

Your response: If the school does not respond within 45 days, send a follow-up email referencing your original request (attach it), note the date it was sent, and state: "I have not received a response. Under FERPA, the school must comply within 45 calendar days. Please provide the requested records immediately. If I do not receive a response within [10 additional days], I will file a FERPA complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office and a state complaint with [your state DOE]."

Using Logs to Prove Missed Services

Once you have the service logs, here is how to use them:

Step 1: Calculate what was required

Look at the IEP service page. Find the frequency, duration, and total. For example: "Speech-language therapy, 3 sessions per week, 30 minutes each, in a pull-out setting." Over a 36-week school year, that equals 108 sessions or 3,240 minutes.

Step 2: Calculate what was delivered

Count the sessions documented in the logs. Note any that were shorter than the required duration. Subtract sessions missed due to the child's absence (those typically do not count as missed by the school). Focus on sessions missed due to provider absence, scheduling conflicts, staffing shortages, or no documented reason.

Step 3: Calculate the gap

If the IEP required 108 sessions and the logs show 72 sessions were delivered (with 12 missed due to child absence), the school missed 24 sessions — approximately 12 hours of speech therapy your child was owed and did not receive.

Step 4: Request compensatory services

Put it in writing: "Based on the service delivery logs provided, [child's name] did not receive [number] sessions of [service] as required by the IEP. I am requesting compensatory services to address this deficit. Please schedule an IEP meeting to discuss the compensatory services plan."

Sample Request Letter

Here is a letter you can adapt and send to your child's school. Send it by email to the principal and special education director.

Dear [Principal] and [Special Education Director],

I am writing to formally request access to educational records for my child, [child's full name], [date of birth], currently enrolled in [grade] at [school name].

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR §99.10) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 34 CFR §300.613), I am requesting the following records for the period of [start date] through [end date]:

• All service delivery logs, session notes, and attendance records for each related service specified in [child's name]'s IEP, including but not limited to: [list specific services, e.g., "speech-language therapy (3x/week, 30 min), occupational therapy (2x/week, 30 min), specialized reading instruction (5x/week, 45 min)"]
• All raw data collected during service sessions, including data collection sheets, trial data, and progress monitoring data
• Documentation of any sessions that were canceled, rescheduled, or not delivered, including the reason for each missed session
• Documentation of whether services were delivered individually or in a group setting, as specified in the IEP

Under FERPA, I understand the school must comply with this request within 45 calendar days. [If applicable: I also note that we have an IEP meeting scheduled for [date], and under 34 CFR §300.613, I have the right to review these records before that meeting. Please provide access no later than [5 business days before the meeting].]

Please provide these records in [electronic/paper] format. If there is a reasonable copying fee, please notify me in advance.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

[Your name]
[Date]
[Phone number]
[Email address]

---

Sources

• 34 CFR Part 99 — Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) — Code of Federal Regulations
• 34 CFR §300.613 — Access Rights (IDEA) — Code of Federal Regulations
• 34 CFR §300.617 — Fees for Records (IDEA) — Code of Federal Regulations
• Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) — U.S. Department of Education
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — U.S. Department of Education