Public Schools

The IEP Process

NOTE: No two schools seem to follow the same procedures, but the following guidelines should give you a general idea of this process.

• In January, contact your school district. You should call the school district’s office and tell them you are requesting an evaluation process for an IEP. Tell the school your child attends Benchmark.

• All public schools send parents a "permission to proceed form," which must be signed and returned. It is best to get this done as soon as possible in January because the process will not begin until the school district receives this form from you.

• When the district receives your signed “permission to proceed form,” it then begins the evaluation process. A psychologist will be assigned to your child to complete this evaluation process. This assessment (particularly the testing portion), can be done at the school district or you can request to have the evaluation process done at Benchmark School. We recommend that you request to have the evaluation process completed at Benchmark School to ensure that your child is being evaluated in a setting where he/she feels most comfortable.

• The psychologist will assess a student by performing a Cognitive Evaluation, performing achievement tests, conducting classroom observations and gathering Information from Benchmark.

• The information from the evaluation is written up as an Evaluation Report (ER). Recommendations for support and placement are included. This report is sent to parents, who are welcome to provide us with a copy. Sometimes an ER meeting follows to present and discuss the report. Staff from the receiving school who attend this meeting may include a guidance counselor, a school administrator, a teacher, and a special education representative. This varies greatly from school to school.

• Following this meeting, a second meeting is scheduled at which time the child's IEP will be formulated. This document includes specific recommendations and accommodations made to ensure your child is academically successful.

• If an IEP has been formulated, the school district sends parents a draft for approval. We recommend you send Benchmark a copy of the IEP draft so we can look it over and make any necessary suggestions. If the IEP is found to be satisfactory, parents then "sign off' on this document. The IEP will then be implemented.

• IEPs can be revised at any time at the request of the parents. If parents find the IEP unsatisfactory, this needs to be brought to the school district’s attention.

Click here for complete information on the IEP process.