General FAQs

Request that the family schedule a meeting with the child’s teacher and school administrator to discuss concerns regarding the child’s learning or development. Instruct the family to submit a written request for a special education assessment to the school administrator. This request may be submitted during the meeting or separately (e.g., via email or letter).

The District is required to approve or deny the assessment request within 15 calendar days. This determination will be communicated through a Prior Written Notice.

If the request is approved, the District must provide an assessment plan within 15 calendar days of receiving the written request. The parent or guardian then has 15 calendar days to review and sign the assessment plan.

Once the assessment plan is signed, the District has 60 calendar days to complete the evaluation (excluding school breaks longer than five school days).

Assessment results are shared with the family prior to or during the IEP meeting. If the child is found eligible for special education services, the IEP team, including the parent or guardian, will develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Additional information is available in the SFUSD Special Education Handbook here.

The main number for a school connects you to the receptionist/school secretary, who can provide the direct contact for the appropriate provider. 

Suggested script:

"Hi, my name is [insert name].  I am a [provider role] with UCSF and I am requesting to speak to [insert SFUSD provider role] in order to gain more information on a student that we serve at UCSF.  May I please be transferred to speak to them, or can you provide direct contact information for them?"

If the child is not receiving any services currently from SFUSD, but needs assistance with intake, please follow the appropriate intake pathways:

1. 1. • General SFUSD Enrollment 

      • SFUSD Special Education Enrollment 

If the parent believes the child is receiving services from SFUSD, and the services occur on a school site (walk-in services), contact the school site and follow directions for that school as the enrolling school.

If the SFUSD provider that you are communicating or sharing information with is a clinical provider (i.e., nurse, PT, OT, SLP, audiologist, social worker or physician), an ROI is not needed for direct communication about evaluation and treatment of the child. 

If the SFUSD provider is not a clinical provider (i.e., teacher or administrator), an ROI is needed. 

See here for corroboration and details on hhs.gov.

According to FERPA, school providers always need an ROI to exchange information with other health care providers outside their own institution.  Therefore, any SFUSD provider needs a signed ROI to share information with any UCSF provider.

Example: SFUSD RN requires clarification about an asthma plan with a UCSF pulmonologist.  SFUSD RN must have a signed ROI on file to contact the UCSF pulmonologist.

However, according to HIPAA, health care providers do NOT need an ROI to exchange information about active treatment with other health care providers, even outside their own institution.  This means that a UCSF provider may share information about mutual patients with SFUSD clinical providers (RN, PT, OT, SLP, Audiologist, or physician) without a signed ROI. An ROI is needed if the SFUSD provider is not a clinical provider (i.e., a teacher or administrator).

Example: UCSF audiologist wishes to send an updated audiogram to SFUSD SLP.  UCSF audiologist may send that audiogram without having a signed ROI.

An ROI form governing bi-directional transfer of information between SFUSD and UCSF can be found here [will link to SFUSD ROI].  

See the following references for details:

• Concise guidance on HIPAA and FERPA from American Academy of Pediatrics: 

https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/school-health/hipaa-and-ferpa-basics/?srsltid=AfmBOoqA5C3zvWfSdQQ-Pc0zmuj78TMlBHgJnkBh1Qafl-iALtmnfJss

• In-depth guidance on HIPAA and FERPA from California state: 

https://courts.ca.gov/sites/default/files/courts/default/2024-12/btb25-2o-01.pdf

• Basic guidance on HIPAA from US department of Health and Human Services:

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/517/does-hipaa-allow-a-health-care-provider-to-disclose-information-to-a-school-nurse/index.html