Most Typical Method
Prior to testing a student for special education needs, interventions need to be tried and documented in the classroom by the general education teacher. Once the teacher has documented at least three interventions (an intervention should last 5-6 weeks to be considered a valid intervention) which have proven to be ineffective, the teacher will make a referral to the child study team. The general education is responsible for informing parents of this referral.
The elementary child study meets twice per month. The team will review the interventions to determine if a student is ready to begin the testing procedure. The special education department will contact parents to discuss a meeting time that the evaluation team should meet. At this meeting, the team will determine which assessments are appropriate for the student. This team consists of the parents, general education teacher, school administrator, special education teacher, and other special education staff that are of interest.
The next step includes the preparation of a Prior Written Notice for Evaluation. The special education team will prepare this page which will list that assessments that the team is proposing to use with the student to determine if a student meet qualifications for special education services. This page MUST be signed by a parent or legal guardian prior to any assessment being started. When this document has been signed and returned to the school, the school has 30 school days to complete the assessment. (30 days begin when the document is physically returned to the school.)
When the 30 school days are coming to a close, the team will schedule another meeting to review the findings of the assessment. It is at this meeting that the team will determine if a student meets the criteria for special education services. The team will decide whether to implement an Individual Education Plan (IEP) at this meeting.
A second Method
Parents can also make a written request for the child study team to review their child's situation. The team would then review the request and meet with the parents for consideration. Once the team has met with the parents, the process begins with the Prior Written Notice of Evaluation and proceeds in the same fashion as stated above.