Special Education Referral for Initial Evaluation Process-Guidance for Establishing Local Education Agency Procedures

This resource is currently being updated to align with the revision of new rules and statutes adopted in the 24-25 school year. Thank you for your patience. Please review the most recent rule changes at the TEA Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules or the TEA Back to School Updates for Special Educators, Administrators, and Other Professionals for more information.

This is a video regarding federal and state regulations pertaining to Referrals for Initial Evaluation and guidance for local education agencies (LEAs) to consider when establishing procedures for receiving referrals for special education evaluation. It covers the legal requirements and responsibilities of a local education agency (in other words, a public district or charter school) for responding to parent written requests for evaluation based on the federal and state rules and regulations regarding a referral for a Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE), as well as best practice for addressing parent verbal requests and staff/campus referrals for evaluation. It also explores important questions for an LEA to consider when creating or updating procedures for receiving a referral for an initial special education evaluation.