Office of Special Education

Special Education Procedures

Updated January 2016

Determining Eligibility for Special Education and Related Services

When determining a students eligibility for special education services, the IEP team must follow the steps
outlined below.
Initial Eligibility
A. Following the completion of the evaluation process, members of the evaluation team and other
members constituting an IEP Team, will meet to report/review the results of the evaluation
components.
B. The school psychologist/speech therapist will serve as the lead for the initial eligibility process by
finalizing the Evaluation Report; scheduling the eligibility team meeting; sending meeting invitations;
and documenting all actions proposed/refused by the team using the Enrich software.
C. After discussing the results of the comprehensive evaluation, the Eligibility/IEP team will determine if
the student meets the eligibility criteria for special education and related services, as outlined in The
Standards for Evaluation and Eligibility Determination (SEED).
a. Beginning January 2016, when a student is also determined eligible as a student with
Speech/Language Impairment in addition to another category of disability as defined in the
SEED document, the Eligibility/IEP Team will document this impairment as a secondary
disability in the Enrich Eligibility Determination template.
D. After completing the Eligibility Determination template using the Enrich software, the school
psychologist/speech therapist will document the date (End Date) the eligibility decision was made and
choose the appropriate Recommendation as follows:
a. If the student does not meet the eligibility criteria for special education, select Not Eligible
(Initial) End Special Education>Not Eligible.
b. If the student does meet the eligibility criteria for special education, select Eligible; Initial.
E. Regardless of the eligibility determination made, the school psychologist/speech therapist will complete
the prior written notice from the meeting; will obtain signatures of all team members in attendance at
the eligibility meeting; and obtain parent consent for placement using the Consent for Initial Provision
of Services template in Enrich.
a. If the parent grants consent for the provision of special education and related services, consent
will be documented on the Consent form and the Recommendation to be selected will be
consent received. The end date of the Outcome will be the date consent was received by
the school psychologist/speech therapist.
b. If the parent refuses to consent to the provision of special education and related services,
refusal will be documented on the Consent form and the Recommendation to be selected will
be consent refused end special education.
c. If the parent fails to respond to the request for consent to the provision of special education and
related services, this failure will be documented on the Consent form and the
Recommendation to be selected will be consent refused end special education. At this
point, the District is not required to develop an IEP. (CFR 300.300 (b)(4)(i)(ii)).
F. All signature pages will be scanned/uploaded into the students electronic Enrich file and originals will
be sent to the DO Records Center by the school psychologist/speech therapist within 48 hours of the
meeting.
G. If the student is eligible and an IEP will be developed, but not at this time, a meeting must be
reconvened within thirty (30) calendar days. Special education and related services will not begin until
the IEP is developed and reviewed at an IEP meeting.

2
H. If the student is eligible and an IEP will be developed at this time, the procedures and applicable training
materials will be followed for developing an IEP and conducting an IEP meeting.
a. If the parent is not in attendance at the initial eligibility meeting, IEP services will not begin until
consent is obtained. The applicable school psychologist/speech therapist is responsible for tracking
and obtaining this consent.
Eligibility at Reevaluation
A. Following the completion of the reevaluation review process, members of the evaluation team and other
members constituting an IEP Team, will meet to report/review the results of the evaluation components.
B. The school psychologist/speech therapist will serve as the lead for the three (3) year reevaluation
process by ensuring that the Reevaluation Review team meeting is scheduled; meeting invitations are
sent to the parent and all invited team members; and, the Reevaluation Review process is completed.
a. The school psychologist/speech therapist will ensure that all actions proposed/refused by the team
are documented in the Enrich software and all relevant team members are notified of their portion of
the reevaluation.
b. The school psychologist/speech therapist is responsible for ensuring that the Evaluation Report (if
applicable) is finalized and that any follow-up meetings (i.e. Eligibility Determination) are scheduled (if
applicable).
C. After discussing the results of the reevaluation review, the Eligibility/IEP team will determine:
a. whether the child continues to be a student with a disability;
b. whether the child continues to need special education and related services;
c. the educational needs of the child;
d. the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (related developmental
needs) of the child; and
e. whether any additions or modifications to the special education and related services are needed to
enable the student to meet the measurable annual goals as defined in the IEP and to participate, as
appropriate, in the general education curriculum (C.F.R. 300.305).
D. After completing the Eligibility Determination template using the Enrich software, the school
psychologist/speech therapist will document the date (End Date) the eligibility decision was made and
choose the appropriate Recommendation as follows:
a. If the student does not meet the eligibility criteria for special education, select Not Eligible (Reeval)
End Special Education>Transfer to General Ed; or,
b. If the student does meet the eligibility criteria for special education, select Eligible; Reeval.
i. Beginning January 2016, when a student is also determined eligible as a student with
speech/language impairments in addition to another area of disability as defined in the SEED
document, the Eligibility/IEP Team will document this impairment as a secondary disability in the
Enrich Eligibility Determination template.
E. Regardless of the eligibility determination made, the school psychologist/speech therapist will complete
the prior written notice from the meeting and will obtain signatures of all team members in attendance at
the meeting.
F. If additional information is recommended for instructional purposes only (see HCS Evaluation and
Reevaluation: D (c) (ii)) and a school psychologist/speech therapist is not present at the follow-up IEP
team meeting, the students Team Lead will serve as the lead for the follow-up meeting by ensuring
that the IEP meeting is scheduled; meeting invitations are sent to the parent and all invited team
members; and, in collaboration with the person(s) completing the evaluation components, that the
Evaluation Report is finalized.
G. If additional information was gathered through the reevaluation review process, the students Team Lead
will amend the IEP in all appropriate areas (i.e. present levels of performance, etc.). Regardless if
changes are/are not needed to the IEP as a result of the reevaluation review, an IEP Amendment cover

3
page will be completed documenting the changes being made to the IEP as a result of the three (3) year
reevaluation review process.
H. All signature pages (and any evaluation report components not contained within the Evaluation Report
template) will be scanned/uploaded into the students electronic Enrich file and originals will be sent to
the DO Records Center by the school psychologist/speech therapist (or Team Lead see F. above)
within 48 hours of the meeting.