All referrals & evaluations:
- Check only those areas to assess that the team agrees on during the pre-evaluation meeting.
- Boxes on the referral form should match the consent to evaluate form unless otherwise documented in a PWN.
- Vision and hearing boxes are for evaluations to be conducted by specialists in this area and are not for the screenings completed by the school nurse.
- Once consent to evaluate is obtained from the parent, the district has 75 calendar days to complete the evaluation and have an IEP in place if the student is eligible for special education.
- Parents are provided with a PWN regarding the evaluation to be conducted.
Consent to Evaluate: Pre-evaluation meetings are the preferred method for obtaining parental consent for evaluation. Sending home consent with students or via mail is not best practice.
If you are having difficulties getting consent from the parents, contact your Pupil Services Program Coordinator for guidance.
Initial Referral: Once a referral is made, a case manager is designated at the school site. The case manager enters the student into the database and completes the referral section (refer to database manual for how to enter information into the database).
Initial AND Reevaluation (a.k.a. 3-year reevaluation):
- Hold a pre-evaluation meeting for the purpose of evaluation planning. Determine with the team what areas need to be assessed to determine eligibility, placement and program (i.e. the IEP).
- A parent signs consent for evaluation. Once the signature is obtained, the district has 75 calendar days to complete the evaluation and have an IEP in place. “Day 1” is the day the school receives the signed consent form. When received, district personnel writes the date received at the bottom of the form as documentation.
- Always consult with the school psychologist and any relevant related service providers before proposing assessments for an evaluation. If they are not present at the meeting, document on the PWN and the pre-evaluation planning sheet who was consulted.
- A PWN must be given to the parent stating that the evaluation will be conducted and what areas will be assessed.
- If the student fails a hearing or vision screening, contact your school psychologist.