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MDE Office of Special Education
Guidance
Guidance
Guidance for Timeline for Initial Evaluations
Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education
March 2022
Child Find
Districts must have in effect policies and procedures to ensure that all children with
disabilities are identified, located, and evaluated.
Timeline: Ongoing
Child find is an ongoing federal mandate.
Rules/Regulations
34 CFR §300.111
Request for Initial Evaluation
Either a parent of a child or a public agency may request an initial evaluation when a
student is suspected of having a disability. Requests for an initial evaluation are
submitted to district personnel. When a request is verbally made, the district must
support the parent in documenting this request. Failure to acknowledge a verbal
request could result in a violation of child find.
Procedural safeguards must be provided upon initial referral or when the parent
requests an evaluation, in accordance with 34 CFR §300.504.
Timeline: Anytime
A request can happen at any time.
Rules/Regulations
R 340.1721
34 CFR §300.301
Guidance for Timeline for Initial Evaluations
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Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED)
A district may decide to conduct a REED as part of an initial evaluation although, a REED
is not required. The REED process may be used to determine what evaluations might be
necessary to ensure a comprehensive evaluation in all areas of suspected disabilities.
The requirements for conducting a REED are found in 34 CFR §300.305.
Notice and Request for Consent to Evaluate
The district must provide notice in accordance with 34 CFR §300.503, addressing
whether or not the district will conduct an evaluation. When the district proposes to
conduct an evaluation, the district must request parental consent to evaluate the
student.
When the child is a ward of the state and is not residing with the child’s parent, the
public agency is not required to obtain informed consent from the parent for an initial
evaluation when certain conditions are met. The public agency would be required to
identify and locate a surrogate parent for the student.
Timeline: Within 10 school days
Counted from the date the district receives the request.
Rules/Regulations
R 340.1721
R 340.1721b(1)
R 340.1725f
34 CFR §300.300
34 CFR §300.305
34 CFR §300.503
Evaluation and Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Evaluation
A Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) conducts the initial evaluation and makes a
recommendation to the IEP Team regarding eligibility.
Guidance for Timeline for Initial Evaluations
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Individualized Education Program
Within 30 school days, the IEP Team is convened to determine initial eligibility or
ineligibility and provide an initial offer of a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
When determined eligible, the IEP Team develops the student’s IEP. The IEP is
completed when the district provides notice of an initial offer of a FAPE to the student’s
parent, or the district provides notice of ineligibility. Notice must be provided within
seven days of the IEP Team meeting and in no case more than 30 school days from the
date parental consent was received.
Timeline: Within 30 school days*
The 30-school day timeline is counted from the date the district receives the parental
consent to evaluate to the initial offer of a FAPE. Proposed evaluations are completed
within the 30-school day timeline.
School day means any day children are in school for instructional purposes. School days
do not include snow days, teacher workdays, or other non-instructional days.
*When the parent and the district agree, the timeline for the initial evaluation and IEP
may be extended beyond 30 school days. The extension must be agreed to in writing,
measured in school days, and agreed to on or before the initial IEP due date.
Evaluation Rules/Regulations
R 340.1702
R 340.1705-1717
R 340.1721a
R 340.1721b(1)
34 CFR §300.11
34 CFR §300.301
34 CFR §300.304
34 CFR §300.305
IEP Rules/Regulations
R 340.1721b(1)
R 340.1721e
34 CFR §300.17
Guidance for Timeline for Initial Evaluations
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34 CFR §300.22
34 CFR §300.23
34 CFR §300.101
34 CFR §300.306
34 CFR §§300.320-324
Parental Consent for Provision of Programs and Services
Parental consent is required before special education programs and services are
provided to a student for the first time.
Timeline: Within 10 school days
Counted from the date the district provides the notice of an initial offer of a FAPE.
Rules/Regulation
R 340.1721b(2)
34 CFR §300.300(b)
IEP Implementation
The district implements the student’s IEP.
Timeline: Within 15 school days*
Counted from the date of the district’s notice of an offer of a FAPE.
*When the parent and district agree, the timeline for implementing the IEP can be
extended. This date must be clearly identified in the IEP.
Rules/Regulations
R 340.1721b(4)
R 340.1722(3)
