Evaluations, parental consent, and reevaluations
Initial evaluations
In general
A State educational agency, other State agency, or local educational agency shall conduct a full and individual initial evaluation in accordance with this paragraph and subsection (b), before the initial provision of special education and related services to a child with a disability under this subchapter.
Request for initial evaluation
Consistent with subparagraph (D), either a parent of a child, or a State educational agency, other State agency, or local educational agency may initiate a request for an initial evaluation to determine if the child is a child with a disability.
Procedures
In general
Exception
Parental consent
In general
Consent for initial evaluation
section 1401 of this titleThe agency proposing to conduct an initial evaluation to determine if the child qualifies as a child with a disability as defined in shall obtain informed consent from the parent of such child before conducting the evaluation. Parental consent for evaluation shall not be construed as consent for placement for receipt of special education and related services.
Consent for services
An agency that is responsible for making a free appropriate public education available to a child with a disability under this subchapter shall seek to obtain informed consent from the parent of such child before providing special education and related services to the child.
Absence of consent
For initial evaluation
section 1415 of this titleIf the parent of such child does not provide consent for an initial evaluation under clause (i)(I), or the parent fails to respond to a request to provide the consent, the local educational agency may pursue the initial evaluation of the child by utilizing the procedures described in , except to the extent inconsistent with State law relating to such parental consent.
For services
section 1415 of this titleIf the parent of such child refuses to consent to services under clause (i)(II), the local educational agency shall not provide special education and related services to the child by utilizing the procedures described in .
Effect on agency obligations
Consent for wards of the State
In general
section 1401 of this titleIf the child is a ward of the State and is not residing with the child’s parent, the agency shall make reasonable efforts to obtain the informed consent from the parent (as defined in ) of the child for an initial evaluation to determine whether the child is a child with a disability.
Exception
Rule of construction
The screening of a student by a teacher or specialist to determine appropriate instructional strategies for curriculum implementation shall not be considered to be an evaluation for eligibility for special education and related services.
Reevaluations
In general
Limitation
Evaluation procedures
Notice
section 1415 of this titleThe local educational agency shall provide notice to the parents of a child with a disability, in accordance with subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), and (c) of , that describes any evaluation procedures such agency proposes to conduct.
Conduct of evaluation
Additional requirements
Determination of eligibility and educational need
Special rule for eligibility determination
Specific learning disabilities
In general
section 1406(b) of this titlesection 1401 of this titleNotwithstanding , when determining whether a child has a specific learning disability as defined in , a local educational agency shall not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, or mathematical reasoning.
Additional authority
In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as a part of the evaluation procedures described in paragraphs (2) and (3).
Additional requirements for evaluation and reevaluations
Review of existing evaluation data
Source of data
The local educational agency shall administer such assessments and other evaluation measures as may be needed to produce the data identified by the IEP Team under paragraph (1)(B).
Parental consent
Each local educational agency shall obtain informed parental consent, in accordance with subsection (a)(1)(D), prior to conducting any reevaluation of a child with a disability, except that such informed parental consent need not be obtained if the local educational agency can demonstrate that it had taken reasonable measures to obtain such consent and the child’s parent has failed to respond.
Requirements if additional data are not needed
Evaluations before change in eligibility
In general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a local educational agency shall evaluate a child with a disability in accordance with this section before determining that the child is no longer a child with a disability.
Exception
In general
The evaluation described in subparagraph (A) shall not be required before the termination of a child’s eligibility under this subchapter due to graduation from secondary school with a regular diploma, or due to exceeding the age eligibility for a free appropriate public education under State law.
Summary of performance
For a child whose eligibility under this subchapter terminates under circumstances described in clause (i), a local educational agency shall provide the child with a summary of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child’s postsecondary goals.
Individualized education programs
Definitions
Individualized education program
In general
Rule of construction
Individualized education program team
IEP Team attendance
Attendance not necessary
A member of the IEP Team shall not be required to attend an IEP meeting, in whole or in part, if the parent of a child with a disability and the local educational agency agree that the attendance of such member is not necessary because the member’s area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting.
Excusal
Written agreement and consent required
A parent’s agreement under clause (i) and consent under clause (ii) shall be in writing.
IEP Team transition
In the case of a child who was previously served under subchapter III, an invitation to the initial IEP meeting shall, at the request of the parent, be sent to the subchapter III service coordinator or other representatives of the subchapter III system to assist with the smooth transition of services.
Requirement that program be in effect
In general
At the beginning of each school year, each local educational agency, State educational agency, or other State agency, as the case may be, shall have in effect, for each child with a disability in the agency’s jurisdiction, an individualized education program, as defined in paragraph (1)(A).
Program for child aged 3 through 5
Program for children who transfer school districts
In general
Transfer within the same State
In the case of a child with a disability who transfers school districts within the same academic year, who enrolls in a new school, and who had an IEP that was in effect in the same State, the local educational agency shall provide such child with a free appropriate public education, including services comparable to those described in the previously held IEP, in consultation with the parents until such time as the local educational agency adopts the previously held IEP or develops, adopts, and implements a new IEP that is consistent with Federal and State law.
Transfer outside State
In the case of a child with a disability who transfers school districts within the same academic year, who enrolls in a new school, and who had an IEP that was in effect in another State, the local educational agency shall provide such child with a free appropriate public education, including services comparable to those described in the previously held IEP, in consultation with the parents until such time as the local educational agency conducts an evaluation pursuant to subsection (a)(1), if determined to be necessary by such agency, and develops a new IEP, if appropriate, that is consistent with Federal and State law.
Transmittal of records
Development of IEP
In general
Consideration of special factors
Requirement with respect to regular education teacher
A regular education teacher of the child, as a member of the IEP Team, shall, to the extent appropriate, participate in the development of the IEP of the child, including the determination of appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, and the determination of supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and support for school personnel consistent with paragraph (1)(A)(i)(IV).
Agreement
In making changes to a child’s IEP after the annual IEP meeting for a school year, the parent of a child with a disability and the local educational agency may agree not to convene an IEP meeting for the purposes of making such changes, and instead may develop a written document to amend or modify the child’s current IEP.
Consolidation of IEP Team meetings
To the extent possible, the local educational agency shall encourage the consolidation of reevaluation meetings for the child and other IEP Team meetings for the child.
Amendments
Changes to the IEP may be made either by the entire IEP Team or, as provided in subparagraph (D), by amending the IEP rather than by redrafting the entire IEP. Upon request, a parent shall be provided with a revised copy of the IEP with the amendments incorporated.
Review and revision of IEP
In general
Requirement with respect to regular education teacher
A regular education teacher of the child, as a member of the IEP Team, shall, consistent with paragraph (1)(C), participate in the review and revision of the IEP of the child.
Multi-year IEP demonstration
Pilot program
Purpose
The purpose of this paragraph is to provide an opportunity for States to allow parents and local educational agencies the opportunity for long-term planning by offering the option of developing a comprehensive multi-year IEP, not to exceed 3 years, that is designed to coincide with the natural transition points for the child.
Authorization
In order to carry out the purpose of this paragraph, the Secretary is authorized to approve not more than 15 proposals from States to carry out the activity described in clause (i).
Proposal
In general
A State desiring to participate in the program under this paragraph shall submit a proposal to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.
Content
Report
Definition
In this paragraph, the term “natural transition points” means those periods that are close in time to the transition of a child with a disability from preschool to elementary grades, from elementary grades to middle or junior high school grades, from middle or junior high school grades to secondary school grades, and from secondary school grades to post-secondary activities, but in no case a period longer than 3 years.
Failure to meet transition objectives
If a participating agency, other than the local educational agency, fails to provide the transition services described in the IEP in accordance with paragraph (1)(A)(i)(VIII), the local educational agency shall reconvene the IEP Team to identify alternative strategies to meet the transition objectives for the child set out in the IEP.
Children with disabilities in adult prisons
In general
Additional requirement
1
Educational placements
Each local educational agency or State educational agency shall ensure that the parents of each child with a disability are members of any group that makes decisions on the educational placement of their child.
Alternative means of meeting participation
2
Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 614Pub. L. 108–446, title I, § 101118 Stat. 2702Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(ss)(5)129 Stat. 2182(, as added , , ; amended , , .)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Section 6368(3) of this titlesection 6368(3) of this titlePub. L. 114–95, title I, § 1201129 Stat. 1879, as such section was in effect on the day before , referred to in subsec. (b)(5)(A), means prior to being omitted in the general amendment of part B of subchapter I of chapter 70 of this title by , , .
Prior Provisions
Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 614Pub. L. 105–17, title I, § 101111 Stat. 81Pub. L. 108–446A prior section 1414, , as added , , , related to evaluations, eligibility determinations, individualized education programs, and educational placements, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by .
Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 61484 Stat. 181Pub. L. 94–142, § 5(a)89 Stat. 784Pub. L. 98–199, § 3(b)97 Stat. 1358Pub. L. 100–630, title I, § 102(d)102 Stat. 3293Pub. L. 101–476, title IX, § 901(b)(59)104 Stat. 1144Pub. L. 102–119105 Stat. 591Pub. L. 105–17Another prior section 1414, , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; –(70), , , 1145; , §§ 6, 25(b), , , 607, related to requisite features of an application, approval of application by State educational agency, consolidated applications of local educational agencies, and provision of special education and related services directly to children with disabilities in areas not served by local educational agency, prior to the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by .
Pub. L. 91–230, title VI, § 614APub. L. 103–382, title III, § 312108 Stat. 3934Pub. L. 105–17A prior section 1414a, , as added , , , which related to treatment of State agencies that received funds for fiscal year 1994 under subpart 2 of part D of chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (as in existence on the day preceding ), was omitted in the general amendment of subchapters I to IV of this chapter by .
Amendments
Pub. L. 114–952015—Subsec. (b)(5)(A). inserted “, as such section was in effect on the day before ” after “of this title”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2015 Amendment
Pub. L. 114–95section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95section 6301 of this titleAmendment by effective , except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see , set out as a note under .