Step 1: Consent

Schools must have permission to evaluate your child. Learn more.

Step 2: Planning

During planning, schools look at different areas they need to measure. Learn more.

Step 3: Evaluation

Experts complete testing and write reports about what they learn. Learn more.

Step 4: Invitation to Meet

After the evaluation is complete, you will get an invitation to learn about the results. Learn more.

Step 5: ETR Meeting

During the Evaluation Team Report (ETR) meeting, experts will share what they found. Learn more.

Step 6: Eligibility

You and the evaluation team decide together if your child needs special education. Learn more.

Step 1: Consent

Before the school can evaluate your child, you must give permission. This permission, called "consent," is needed even if your child enters the special education process from Bright Beginnings/Help Me Grow.

When the school asks for your permission, you will receive the PR-05 Parent Consent for Evaluation form.

ETR Timing

The school has 60 calendar days to complete your child's evaluation, from the day they receive your consent to the eligibility determination.

Step 2: Planning

During planning, schools look at different areas they need to measure. This is because the school must look at every area that impacts a child's ability to learn. For example, a school may look at intelligence, learning abilities, and fine motor abilities for a child who struggles with writing.

During the planning stage, a member of the school's evaluation team may contact you to talk about the different ways the school will evaluate your child. The school will also give you a list of the different people who will be completing evaluations using the ETR School-Age Planning Form.

Evaluation Team Members

Evaluation teams often include many different experts, depending on your child's needs. Examples of evaluation team members may include:

• Parents/guardians
  
• Special education teachers
• General education teachers
• School psychologist
• School social worker
• Occupational therapist
• Physical therapist
• Speech and language pathologist
• School nurse

This list may include other specialists too. If you're not sure about someone's role, you can ask your child's teacher.

Step 3: Evaluation

During the evaluation, experts complete testing and write reports about what they learn.

Evaluation teams can include many different experts, depending on your child's needs. If many experts are involved, the evaluation may take several weeks. You may also be asked to participate by filling out questionnaires and collecting observations of your child.

Step 4: Invitation to Meet

As the evaluation team completes your child's evaluation, you will receive an invitation to meet.

The Parent Invitation form (PR-02) gives you spaces to ask for a different date/time, list other people you plan to invite and request an interpreter.

Step 5: ETR Review Meeting

At the ETR review meeting, the experts will share what they found during your child's evaluation. This information will be written in an Evaluation Team Report (ETR) form (PR-06). Each expert who evaluates your child has their own page (see ETR PR-O6: Individual Evaluator's Assessment) in the ETR so you can see how they measured and what they found.

During this meeting you can ask questions and share what you know about your child to make sure the ETR is complete.

Step 6: Eligibility Determination

The final step in the evaluation process is the eligibility determination. Using information from the ETR, you and the evaluation team will decide whether your child should receive special education services.

If the answer is yes, you will decide together which disability category best describes your child. The next part of this process is to write your child's individualized education program (IEP).

If the answer is no, the team may discuss other ways to help your child succeed. Sometimes children who have a disability but who do not need special education can use a 504 plan to meet education needs.

In some cases, families may request an independent evaluation by an outside provider. For more information on independent educational evaluations (IEE), see this article by Understood.

IDEA Disability Categories

There are 13 disability categories used to identify children who receive special education services.

For many families, learning that your child has a disability can be difficult. it can help to think of your child's disability category on the ETR as a key to unlocking services. It does not change your child.

Families who are struggling with a new diagnosis can connect with Family Resource Specialists or meet with other parents of children with similar diagnoses to get more support.