Initial Assessment - Parent Requesting Assessment

What's Required


If a parent or legal guardian makes a written request to a school district’s director of special education services or to a district administrative 
employee for a full individual and initial evaluation of a student, the district shall, not later than the 15th school day after the date the district 
receives the request: 
(1) provide an opportunity for the parent or legal guardian to give written consent for the evaluation; or
(2) refuse to provide the evaluation and provide the parent or legal guardian with notice of procedural safeguards under 20 U.S.C.   

§29.004(a) A written report of a full individual and initial evaluation of a student for purposes of special education services shall be completed as follows, except as otherwise provided by this section:
§29.004(a-1) If a school district receives written consent signed by a student's parent or legal guardian for a full individual and initial evaluation of a student at least 35 but less than 45 school days before the last instructional day of the school year, the evaluation must be completed and the written report of the evaluation must be provided to the parent or legal guardian not later than June 30 of that year. The student's admission, review, and dismissal committee shall meet not later than the 15th school day of the following school year to consider the evaluation. If a district receives written consent signed by a student's parent or legal guardian less than 35 school days before the last instructional day of the school year or if the district receives the written consent at least 35 but less than 45 school days before the last instructional day of the school year but the student is absent from school during that period on three or more days, Subsection (a)(1) applies to the date the written report of the full individual and initial evaluation is required.
What We Do

Initial Assessment
Parent Requesting Assessment Procedures


1. If a parent contacts any school staff member and requests special education testing: 

(a) Verbal: the staff member who is contacted must notify the Student Support Specialist (SSS) with the details of the verbal request within 24 hours. The SSS will notify the campus diagnostician and speech-language pathologist (SLP), preferably by email.  The diagnostician and/or SLP will reach out to the parent to get details of the request, complete the Parent Request Questionnaire, and return the form to the SSS to be submitted for Folder Review.  The SSS will complete the Initial Assessment Request Form.

(b) Written: the staff member who received the written request will notify and provide the written request to the SSS within 24 hours. The SSS will notify the campus diagnostician and the SLP, preferably by email.  The diagnostician and/or SLP will reach out to the parent to get details of the request,complete the Parent Request Questionnaire, and return to the SSS to be submitted for Folder Review. The SSS will immediately complete the Initial Assessment Request Form and upload a copy of the written request for evaluation into the google form.

2. The SSS will begin to collect documents required on the Evaluation Preparation Checklist.  

3. A folder review will scheduled within 14 calendar days and email will be sent with the folder review date, time, and location.  
  • The campus diagnostician, SLP and/or LSSP will review the documents to ensure all components are accounted for and sign Evaluation Preparation Checklist.
  • All documents required on the Evaluation Preparation Checklist should be scanned into the google drive along with the Parent Request Questionnaire (from the campus diagnostician).  Do NOT scan student work samples.
  • The Campus should have at least one person who has knowledge of the student attend the Folder Review and bring a copy of the campus referral folder with a completed Evaluation Preparation Checklist and Parent Request Questionnaire.
  • The Folder Review Committee will be composed of assessment staff, Assessment Coordinator(s), and Campus staff in order to make the most appropriate educational decision for the student. 
4. A decision will be made at the conclusion of the Folder Review Meeting about whether or not to conduct an evaluation.  Results of the Folder Review will be sent to the relevant campus personnel.
(a) When assessment is warranted -- Initial Notice of Assessment and Consent for Assessment and will be provided along with a Notice of Proposal or Refusal to Provide Services, the Procedural Safeguards and A Guide to the ARD Process by the Campus Diagnostician or SLP.
(b) If the data does not support the decision for assessment -- recommendations will be given and a Notice of Proposal or Refusal to Provide Services will be provided to the parent, campus or referral source  along with a Notice of Proposal or Refusal to Provide Services, the Procedural Safeguards and A Guide to the ARD Process. 
5. The campus should continue to provide (or initiate) campus-based interventions and services throughout the evaluation process.

6. Once the assessment is completed, results will be reviewed with the campus staff.


 
Forms