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| Special Education Process |  The process starts when parents or school staff makes a referral for an initial evaluation.
How the process works
1. School personnel, parents, students or others may make a request for evaluation. The school district must complete a full and individual evaluation, if you request an evaluation to determine whether your child has a disability and needs special education. If it refuses to complete the evaluation, it must give you appropriate notice, and let you know your rights.
You have to give permission in writing for an initial (first-time) evaluation, and for any tests that are completed as part of a re-evaluation.
2. Qualified professionals and you will review the results of the evaluation, and determine if your child is eligible for special education services.
3. You will be appropriately notified and the process stops, if your child is not eligible. Nevertheless, you have a right to disagree with the results of the evaluation or the eligibility decision.
 You have a right to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), if you disagree with the results of an evaluation. The IEE can be completed by someone who does not work for the school district. The IEE must be paid by the school district, which has to demonstrate at an impartial due process hearing that its evaluation is appropriate.
4. If the school district and you agree that your child is eligible for services, you and the school staff will plan your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), at an IEP team meeting, where you are an equal member of this team.
5. The IEP contains any special services your child needs, including goals your child is expected to achieve in one year, and objectives or benchmarks to note progress. The team defines what services are in the IEP as well as the location of those services and modifications. Sometimes, the IEP and placement decisions will take place at one meeting. At other times, placement may be made at a separate meeting (usually called a placement meeting).
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