Transfer Students

In the case of transfer students, there are two possible scenarios: 

1. The student transfers to a Tennessee school system from within the state, or 

2. The student transfers to a Tennessee school system from out-of-state.

The Lead Special Education Teacher must first request records from the previous school district. For in-state transfers, he/she must also notify one of the Special Populations Compliance Specialists (Casey Crawford or Nicole Moananu) to have the file transferred electronically in TN Pulse. The student, however, must be enrolled in his or her zoned school before the file transfer can occur. It may take several days for the student's information to import from Powerschool into TN Pulse, so please plan accordingly. 

1. For in-state transfer students: If a student transfers in-state and their records are complete, the IEP team does not need to complete a new Eligibility Report and the student’s eligibility date remains the same. If components are missing from the records, the IEP team will complete the Re-evaluation Summary Report (RSR) to review existing evaluation data and determine what assessments are needed in order to establish the student’s continued eligibility and need for special education services. Lastly, follow the steps outlined in the Re-evaluation Process section of this manual. 

2. For out-of-state transfer students: The IEP team will complete the Re-evaluation Summary Report to review existing evaluation data and determine whether these assessments are sufficient to satisfy the Tennessee State standards for eligibility. Lastly, follow the steps outlined in the Re-evaluation Process section of this manual. 

If a student transfers from out-of-state and their records are complete and sufficient for determining eligibility, the IEP team will complete a permanent Tennessee Eligibility Report. On the eligibility tab, the referral date will be entered as the date the LEA was made aware that the student previously received special education services, and the consent date will be entered as the date the parent consented to the file review for eligibility purposes (i.e., the date the RSR was signed). 

If a student transfers from out-of-state and their records are incomplete or insufficient for determining eligibility, the IEP team will indicate the assessment decision on Section V of the RSR. On the eligibility tab, the referral date will be entered as the date the LEA was made aware that the student previously received special education services, and the consent date will be entered as the date the parent signed consent for additional assessments. The IEP team will generate and sign an Our-of-State Transfer Eligibility Report which provides eligibility during the initial evaluation timeline (60 calendar days). 

When assessments are complete, the IEP team will reconvene to review evaluation results and determine eligibility according to Tennessee State Disability standards. If the IEP team determines the student to be eligible, then a permanent Tennessee Eligibility Report and IEP will be generated and signed with the current date. If the student is found ineligible, an Eligibility Report will be generated and signed to reflect the IEP teams decision. Lastly, follow the steps outlined in the Re-evaluation Process section of this manual. 

A CMCSS IEP must be developed for all transfer students within 30 school days. 

Please refer to the following documents for further clarification: flowchart for transfer students and CMCSS procedures for in-state and out-of-state transfers.