Community Resources

Request an evaluation in writing to your District’s Administration (School Principal or Special Education Director). Date the letter and state the concerns you have, along with a specific request for an evaluation. If you hand deliver the letter, have the letter date stamped as received. Receiving this letter starts an official timeline for consent and testing to begin. You will be sent a consent form within 5 school days. Testing will be completed within 30 school days. You will have an “Eligibility Meeting” within 45 school days. You should request the reports used to determine eligibility be sent to you at least 2 days before the meeting so you can review them. 

See more on this here:

https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr28.html?section=04

An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. It is a customized plan designed to enable your child to make educational progress, including social and emotional progress. The IEP describes the services the district will provide to meet the child’s needs.

Here is more information on IEP development:

https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr28.html?section=05

Within 45 school days, after receipt of consent to evaluation, the Team will convene to review evaluations, determine eligibility, and if found eligible, develop an IEP. 

https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr28.html?section=05

MA Dept of Ed, IEP Process Guide:

https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/proguide.pdf

DOE Guide to Special Education:

https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/videos/parents-guide/index.html#/

You should receive this Notice of Procedural Safeguards document, when your student has been referred for an evaluation or is currently receiving special education services.

https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/pnps.docx

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (the precursor of ADA) protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities, including schools, that receive federal funds. Section 504 provides that: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . .” 

https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/links/sec504.html

These are the forms that are used in the process. You can get a preview of what you’ll see when the school sends you correspondence. 

Link to blank forms:

https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/forms/english/

This is a good example of what should be in each section, although it’s an older version from 2008, it has useful information to help understand the sections of the IEP.

DOE IEP Implementation Guide 2008 iep_guideupdt