Special Education Process

There are two ways to identify a child as possibly needing special education and/or related services:

1. Child Find: Child Find is a process for identifying, locating, and evaluating children between the ages of 3 and 21 years within the district who may be eligible for special education or related services. The MTSS process plays a vital role in supporting students in receiving the necessary support and interventions. The MTSS process is a school-wide system and continuous improvement framework used to ensure positive social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, and academic outcomes for all students.
2. Referral from a parent/guardian or school personnel: A request for a Full Individual Evaluation must be submitted in writing to the principal or the case manager.  The request should be signed, dated, and include an explanation of educational concerns and any supporting documentation. The school must provide the parent/guardian written notice of their decision within a reasonable amount of time (typically within two weeks) of receiving the request.

If the school agrees to evaluate the student, an assessment planning meeting is scheduled within a reasonable amount of time (typically within two weeks) of receiving the request for an evaluation. The purpose of the meeting is to plan the evaluations needed to assess the child in all areas related to their suspected disability. Before the evaluation process can begin, the parent/guardian must provide written consent. 

For students in K-12, the initial evaluation must be completed, and the evaluation team must determine eligibility for special education and related services within 30-school-days after the date the parent/guardian provides written consent to conduct the assessments. For students birth to three, the initial referral process must be completed within 45-calendar-days after the district receives the referral.

Before the 30th school day elapses, the IEP team (including the parent/guardian) meets to review the evaluation results and determine whether the student is eligible for special education and/or related services.

If the student is found eligible for special education, the team develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

If the student is not found eligible for special education, the school may consider eligibility under a Section 504 Plan.

The IEP team (including the parent/guardian) meets to develop the student’s IEP. 

The IEP identifies the student’s unique needs and describes how the school will address those needs. The IEP establishes goals and identifies the supplementary aids, supports, and services to allow the student to meet those goals.

The student’s IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once per year.  

For more information about what to do if you disagree with the IEP placement decision, visit Parental Rights. 

Before the school may provide special education and related services to the student for the first time, the parent/guardian must provide written consent.  

Special education and/or related services begin the school day after the school district receives the signature.

The student’s progress toward the annual goals is measured, as stated in the IEP. IEP Progress Reports are provided as often as report cards to inform parents/guardians about the student’s progress toward the annual IEP goals.