Darek: Hello, I would like to know if there is a required response time when administration agrees to an evaluation. It has been 4 mos. and they have yet to complete it. Thank you
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Darek –
Did you sign a consent form for the evaluation? Under federal law, schools have 60 to complete the evaluation from the day that the parent signs the consent form.
This is the only time line that IDEA provides. Unfortunately it does not include the time from the parent request until the school provides the form, or how soon after the completion of the evaluation the school must hold a Team meeting (two common time eaters).
What can you do? Write a letter to whomever agreed to the evaluation. If you haven’t received a consent form, ask for it. If you have already signed one, ask for a Team meeting to be scheduled to discuss evaluation results. If you have been working with school-based administration, consider sending a copy of the letter to your district’s director of special education or similar authority.
Many states do have additional time limits, or even shorten the 60 day limit. So I encourage you to check your state rules. Your local parent center can help you identify any additional rules the school must follow, as well as your options if the school does not act on your letter (http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/).