Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan

The purpose of this notice is to inform parents of a proposed evaluation/reevaluation plan. A parent’s written consent must be obtained before the district proceeds with an initial evaluation. For a reevaluation, the district may proceed if it can demonstrate and document that it has taken reasonable measures to obtain parent consent and the parent has failed to respond. Reasonable measures means at least two attempts to obtain the consent.  Attempts to obtain consent could include calling the parent, sending the parent a note through the student or in the U.S mail, emailing the parent, etc.  All attempts must be documented in the Log of Contacts on Campus.

Prior to beginning the process for evaluation/reevaluation, a group of individuals that includes the parent, special education teacher, general education teacher, district representative, and other qualified professionals reviews existing data to determine what, if any, additional data are needed to identify that a student has a disability and is in need of special education service. The review of existing data includes evaluations and information provided by the student’s parent(s), current classroom-based assessments and observations, observations by teachers and related service providers, and the student’s school records.

If this is an initial evaluation, the group uses the review data, plans an evaluation, and then conducts a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation.

When this is a reevaluation, the group may decide that there is insufficient data to make the determination of continuing need for special education services.  The group will proceed
to conduct the necessary evaluative procedures to gather the necessary additional information. If there is sufficient data then no further evaluation procedures are necessary.

Initial evaluation: Check this box if this is the first time the student is being evaluated in order to determine eligibility for special education services.  For a student who was previously evaluated and determined not eligible for special education or related services, an evaluation at a later date is considered an initial evaluation. For a student who was determined eligible in another Minnesota district or another state, the first evaluation of this student is considered a reevaluation.

Reevaluation: Based on a review of existing data, there is a continuum of options for reevaluation, ranging from full evaluation to a determination that no additional data are needed. Check this box if the student is being reevaluated to determine if the student continues to have a disability and continues to need special education and related services.

The group should consider the need for a reevaluation when a student enrolls in the district with a current IEP from another state, is being evaluated in a new disability area and is already in special education, or is transitioning from Developmental Delay category to a different disability category.

Additional data are not needed:  This box is checked to notify the parent that additional evaluation data are not needed to determine whether or not the student continues to have a disability and needs special education and related services. “Additional data are not needed” means that current student data such as work samples, informal assessment measures, school records, on-going observations already exist that can be used to determine continued eligibility and the need for special education. The existing data must be available to address all required components of eligibility.

Reason(s), basis, other options and factors:  Describe why this initial evaluation or reevaluation is being conducted.  Interventions tried and found unsuccessful may be stated here, along with other reasons the group believes evaluation is needed for this student.

Describe (1) the information used by the group as a basis for the decision whether to conduct an evaluation and explain how it impacted the group’s decision; (2) options other than a referral for special education evaluation that were considered by the group and (3)the reasons why those options were rejected; and any factors relevant to the group’s decision to conduct this evaluation.

IDEA ’97 identifies five special factors that must be addressed on the IEP: behavior, limited English proficiency, blindness, communication, and assistive technology. The group should incorporate consideration for these special factors into the evaluation/reevaluation plan.

For students who are legally blind, Minnesota Statutes 125A.06 also requires evaluation of the student’s reading and writing skills, needs and appropriate reading and writing media, including the current or future need for instruction in Braille. For students who can read and write Braille, the evaluation plan must include a Braille inventory such as the Minnesota Braille Skills Inventory. See Appendix B for additional information.

Describe any specific adaptations needed in conducting the evaluation (e.g., interpreter, Braille, assistive technology). For students of another race, culture or language, IDEA ’97 places the following requirements that may require adaptations to standard evaluation procedures:

Tests and other evaluation materials:
1. Are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis; and
2. Are provided and administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. 

Materials and procedures used to assess a child with limited English proficiency are selected and administered to ensure that they measure the extent to which the child has a disability and needs special education, rather than measuring the child’s English language skills. Tests are selected and administered so as best to ensure that if a test is administered to a child with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the child’s aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factors the test purports to measure, rather than reflecting the child's impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills.

For additional information, refer to Reducing Bias in the Assessment of American Indian and African American Students (Fall, 1998) and A Resource Handbook for the Assessment and Identification if LEP Students with Special Education Needs. (A revised manual combining recommendations for American Indian, African American and LEP students is planned for 2000.)

Area(s) to be evaluated:  Identify each area related to the suspected disability including, by grade 9 or age 14 or older and thereafter, areas of transition (work, recreation and leisure, home living, community participation, and post-secondary training and learning opportunities).

For infants and toddlers who are referred for a special education evaluation, the child and family shall receive:

(1)  A multidisciplinary evaluation of the unique strengths and needs of the infant or toddler and the identification of services appropriate to meet such needs. The evaluation of the child must include the child’s level of functioning in each of the following developmental areas:
- cognitive development
- communication development
- adaptive development
- social or emotional development
- physical development, including vision and hearing

(2) A family-directed evaluation of the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family and the identification of the supports and services necessary to enhance the family’s capacity to meet the developmental needs of their infant or toddler with a disability. A family may choose not to participate.

Materials and Procedures: Identify the evaluation instrument(s) and procedures to be used in the evaluation/reevaluation. Some test instrument titles provide both the name and a description of the type of instrument (e.g., Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – III). Recommendation: Do not use acronyms, abbreviations, or jargon (e.g., WISC-III).

Evaluators: List the names of the individuals who will conduct each of the evaluation components.

For children age birth to seven who are suspected of having a sensory impairment, the group conducting the evaluation must include a licensed teacher in each area of suspected sensory impairment, such as a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing or a teacher of the blind/vision impaired.

Location: Enter the name of the building or facility at which the evaluation/reevaluation will be conducted. State all buildings or sites if more than one location is to be used for the evaluation. List all sites for infant and toddler evaluations, such as home, child care setting, nursery school, etc.

For an initial evaluation or reevaluation, attach a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards.

Parent Action: For both initial evaluation and reevaluation, a parent or a student if age 18 or older should indicate a response on this form to the group’s decision and return the form to the school with a signature, date, address, and phone number. When this is a reevaluation, if a parent or student age 18 or older does not respond within fourteen (14) calendar days and two documented attempts have been made, it is assumed the parent or student if age 18 or older agrees with the decision and the team may proceed. Record the 15th day in the box “Date Received by District” at the bottom of the Notice of Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation. This date is then the date used to determine the 30 school days and the due date of the reevaluation.

 Eval Reeval Plan.doc