3.0 Evaluation and Reevaluation Standards

Evaluation or Reevaluation is the process of utilizing formal and informal procedures to determine specific areas of a child's or student's strengths, needs, and eligibility for special education services. Each district must conduct a full and individual evaluation of a child or student, for the purposes of special education, that meets all state and federal requirements. Such an evaluation includes, but is not limited to: providing the parent(s) with prior written notice of each proposed evaluation; ensuring tests or evaluation tools are administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel; assessing the child or student in all areas related to the suspected disability; presenting all evaluation results to the parent(s) in writing within state and federal timelines; determining whether the child or student meets state eligibility criteria; and, in evaluating each child with a disability, ensuring the evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child's or student's special education and related services needs, whether or not commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified.

Required Policies

A district must include in its TSES Manual a description of its child study procedures for the evaluation, beginning at birth, of students who may have a disability. Minn. R. 3525.1100, subp. 2(B).

Through their Interagency Early Intervention Committees, districts are required to develop and implement policies and procedures related to assessment systems. These policies and procedures must be included in the district's TSES Manual.

Children with disabilities must be evaluated in accordance with §§ 300.300 through 300.311 of subpart D of this part. 34 C.F.R. § 300.122.

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Items to Demonstrate Compliance