Evaluations: Initial & Reevaluation

A request for an initial special education evaluation can come from a parent or guardian, or individual with interest or involvement in the student’s education.  

• Parent request: When a request for an evaluation is verbally made, the district must support the parent or guardian in documenting this request. A failure to acknowledge a verbal request could result in a violation of a district’s child find obligation to identify, locate and evaluate students who need special education and related services. 
• School personnel request: When a staff member whose training and relationship to the student provides knowledge to reasonably suspect that the student has a disability, the staff member must present their data to the district’s Student Assistance Team (SAT) or intervention specialist.  

Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED) 

Timeline: 10 School Days  

1. When a district receives a request for an evaluation, the district has 10 school days to complete a REED, provide notice, procedural safeguards and request consent from a parent to evaluate a student. 
   • The district must provide notice addressing whether the district will conduct an evaluation.
   • When the district proposes to conduct an evaluation, the district must request parental consent to evaluate the student. 
     • A district must make reasonable efforts to obtain parent consent for an initial evaluation. Document all attempts to obtain consent.  
     • If there is no parental response or the parent declines consent, provide notice indicating the district will not proceed with the initial evaluation process. Include documentation of the reasonable attempts to gain consent and state that the parent has declined consent to evaluate.  
2. The purpose of the REED is to determine if the existing evaluation data are sufficient or if additional data are needed to determine eligibility.  
   • If additional data are needed, the REED process determines what evaluations are needed to ensure a comprehensive evaluation in all suspected disability areas.  
3. REED data includes, but not limited to, a review of: 
   • Evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child. 
   • Current classroom-based, local, or state assessments and classroom-based observations.  
   • Observations by teachers and related service providers. 
4. No additional data may be needed if the data in the REED is sufficient for the multidisciplinary evaluation team (MET) to make an eligibility recommendation. For example:  
   • A student whose disability is primarily medical, and the district has evaluations from qualified medical personnel and sufficient performance and observational educational data to support an eligibility determination. 
   • The IEP team has reviewed and concurred with a report received from an external agency, ensuring it is in compliance with special education regulations and it accurately reflects the educational needs identified by the school. The individuals who created the report must meet the state's qualifications for providing evaluations, and there is enough information for the team to create a present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) and determine the appropriate programs and services to support the decision to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE). 
   • A student moves into the district from another state and staff determine that no additional information is necessary after review of the previous state’s evaluations and eligibility determination. The current information is used by the MET to determine the student’s special education eligibility in Michigan. 
   • If the team determines, with supported evidence collected in REED data, that the student is not suspected of a disability or needs special education and related services provide notice stating no additional information is necessary including reasons for the decision not to evaluate the student and provide the parents a copy of the procedural safeguards. 

A student’s special education needs may change throughout the course of their educational career. The reevaluation process is intended and used to assess these evolving needs, as described in the IDEA.  

A reevaluation:  

• Must occur at least once every three years, unless the parents and the district agree that a reevaluation is unnecessary.  
  • The three-year date for conducting a reevaluation is not reset based on an evaluation to add or remove a service. 
• May occur not more than once a year unless the parent and the district agree otherwise. 
• A district must ensure that a reevaluation of each student with a disability is conducted if:  
  • The district determines that the educational or related service needs, including improved academic achievement and functional performance, of the student warrant a reevaluation. 
  • The child’s parent or teacher requests a reevaluation.  

When the Parent and District Agree a Reevaluation Is Unnecessary 

The parent and the district may agree a reevaluation is unnecessary to determine whether the child continues to have a disability and to determine the educational needs of the child. In order to do so, a REED should be conducted to guide parents and districts through the process of determining whether any additional information or evaluations are necessary to determine continued eligibility or the educational needs of the child.  

Parents who agree to waive the reevaluation may change their mind at any time and request a reevaluation. The district must then either conduct the reevaluation or provide notice to the parent as to why the district believes the reevaluation is unnecessary. The district is reminded of its ongoing child find obligations to request parental consent to evaluate if the district determines the child’s educational or related service needs warrant a reevaluation. 

A REED is the first step of a reevaluation and includes a review of:  

1. Evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child. 
2. Current classroom-based, local, or state assessments and classroom-based observations. 
3. Observations by teachers and related service providers.  

Based on the REED, the team determines any additional data needed: 

• Whether the student continues to have such a disability and the educational needs of the student. 
• The PLAAFP and related developmental needs of the student. 
• Whether the student continues to need special education or related services. 
• Whether any additions or modifications to the special education and related services are needed to enable the student to meet their IEP goals and to participate, as appropriate, in the general education curriculum. 

When completing the REED, the data reviewed is to be summarized in a thorough yet concise manner, so it is clear why the team determined why additional data are or are not needed.  

• All data used to make the determination of whether additional data are needed should be contained within the REED document. 
• The REED is a legal document and therefore should not contain references to “see” or “refer to” other documents for the data that is required to be reviewed.  

When Additional Data are Needed  

When the team agrees additional data are needed to determine whether the student continues to be a student with a disability and their educational needs, the district must: 

1. Develop an evaluation plan. 
2. Obtain parental consent to implement the evaluation plan and document attempts.  
3. Administer assessments and evaluation measures as indicated on the REED’s evaluation plan.  

When No Additional Data are Needed  

When the team agrees no additional data are needed to determine whether the student continues to be a student with a disability and their educational needs, the district must notify the parent of the determination of no additional data needed and the reasons. Districts must notify parents of their right to request an assessment to determine whether the student continues to be a student with a disability, and to determine the student’s educational needs. 

Obtain parental consent to implement the evaluation plan 

The district must provide notice regarding the REED process and provide the parent with the procedural safeguards. 

1. A district must make reasonable attempts to obtain parent consent for reevaluation process evaluation.  
2. A district may proceed with the reevaluation without parental consent but must document reasonable attempts to gain consent.