Special Education Timeline

  • Referral

    Referral
    Parents, teachers or other school personnel make a written referral to the LEA of the student. Within 15 calendar days or receiving the referral, an IEP team meeting must be scheduled. If the referral is made by parents, they should date and copy all of the correspondance for their records. When a referral is made by someone else, the parents should be immediately notified. Legally, parents must have 10 calendar days notice of an IEP meeting but may decide to meet sooner if they wish.
  • Referral received by school

    Referral received by school
    Referral received by school (LEA)
  • Parents notified of the referral

    Parents notified of the referral
    A letter is sent home to the parents (accompanied by a phone call) to let them know their child has been referred for evaluation.
  • Initial IEP Team discussion

    Initial IEP Team discussion
    Within 15 calendar days or receiving the referral, the IEP team meets to discuss the referral based on information from parents and teachers to discuss if the student qualifies for special education or if further evaluation is needed.
  • Parental Consent for further testing

    Parental Consent for further testing
    Within 15 calendar days of the IEP team meeting, the parent must be notified of the results and discussion. If further testing is needed, they must provide consent.
  • Consent for Evaluation

    Consent for Evaluation
    Parental consent for evaluation received
  • Evaluations Completed

    Evaluations Completed
    Student's further evaluations must be completed within 45 days of notifying the parents and receiving their consent. Eligibility is determined here. Parents must be provided a copy of the evaluation's findings.
  • IEP Development

    IEP Development
    Within 30 days of determining eligibility, the IEP team must meet and create an IEP for the student.
  • Placement

    After the IEP is signed and approved by the school and the parents, the IEP team must meet again to decide where the student will receive services. This should be the least restrictive environment for the student.
  • Parental Consent

    Parental Consent
    Parents have a maximum 15 days to consent to IEP terms and placement for their child.
  • Services can begin!

    Once the final parental consent is received, students will immediately begin receiving special ed services.
  • IEP review

    IEP review
    IEPs should be reviewed at least once per year. They can be reviewed sooner if requested by a parent or teacher.
  • Eligibility Review

    Students should be re-evaluated for eligibility for special education every 3 years