Special Education Deadlines

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Special Programs deadline tracking calculates upcoming document deadlines directly from existing documents as they are completed. Below are documents and criteria used to calculate a student's deadlines for Special Education in Texas.

Initial Workflow Deadlines

Deadline	Placed When	Due	Requirements
1. PWN (indicating LEA proposes or refuses an initial evaluation) must be sent within 15 school days after referral. ^{4 ,5}	"Referral for Initial Evaluation" with "Date Received" populated	15 school days after referral ("Date Received") ⁴	"Prior Written Notice" "1. The purpose..." shows "propose" or "refuse", "initiate" and "The evaluation of the child" as checked "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date
2. Consent for Initial Evaluation must be sent within 15 school within days after referral. ^{4, 5}	"Referral for Initial Evaluation" with "Date Received" populated	15 school days after referral ("Date Received") ⁴	"Consent for Initial Evaluation" "Date" satisfies due date
3. FIE must be completed within 45 school days of receipt of consent.¹	"Consent for Initial Evaluation" with "Date Received" populated and "I give consent" selected.	45 school days after receipt of consent ¹ ("Date district received")	"Full and Individual Evaluation" "FIE DATE" satisfies due date "EVALUATION TYPE" is "INITIAL"
4. Notice of ARD Committee Meeting (Initial) must be sent within 30 calendar days of FIE completion. ^{2, 3, 4}	"Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	30 calendar days after FIE completed ^{2, 3, 4} ("FIE DATE")	"Notice of ARD Committee Meeting" "Date" satisfies due date
5. Determination of Eligibility must be completed within 30 calendar days of FIE completion. ^{2, 3}	"Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	30 calendar days after FIE completed ^{2, 3} ("FIE DATE")	"Determination of Eligibility" "DATE" satisfies due date
6. IEP (initial) meeting must be held within 30 calendar days of FIE completion. ^{2, 3}	"Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	30 calendar days after FIE completed ^{2, 3} ("FIE DATE")	"Individualized Education Program" "MEETING DATE" satisfies due date
7. PWN (indicating the LEA proposes to initiate the provision of FAPE) must be sent within 30 calendar days of FIE completion. ^{2, 3, 4}	"Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	30 calendar days after FIE completed ^{2, 3, 4} ("FIE DATE")	"Prior Written Notice" "1. The purpose..." shows "propose", "initiate" and "The provision of a free appropriate public education..." as checked "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date
8. Consent for Services must be sent within 30 calendar days of FIE completion. ^{2, 3, 4}	"Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	30 calendar days after FIE completed ^{2, 3, 4} ("FIE DATE")	"Consent for Services" "Date" satisfies due date

Recurring Workflow Deadlines

Deadline	Placed When	Due	Requirements
9. Notice of ARD Committee Meeting (Annual Review) must be sent within 1 year less one day of prior IEP. ⁴	"Individualized Education Program" with "MEETING DATE" populated	1 year less one day of prior IEP ("MEETING DATE") ⁴	"Notice of ARD Committee Meeting" "Date" satisfies due date
10. IEP (Annual Review) meeting must be held within 1 year less one day of prior IEP.	"Individualized Education Program" with "MEETING DATE" populated	1 year less one day of prior IEP ("MEETING DATE")	"Individualized Education Program" "MEETING DATE" satisfies due date
11. PWN (indicating the LEA proposes the provision of FAPE) must be sent within 1 year less one day of prior IEP. ⁴	"Individualized Education Program" with "MEETING DATE" populated	1 year less one day of prior IEP ("MEETING DATE") ⁴	"Prior Written Notice" "1. The purpose..." shows "propose" and "The provision of a free appropriate public education..." as checked "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date
12. REED must be completed within 3 years less one day of prior REED/FIE. ⁶	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" with "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No... REED becomes new FIE..." "Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	3 years less one day of either: REED ("REED DATE") when REED has "Are additional data needed?" is "No..." FIE ("FIE DATE")	"Review of Existing Evaluation Data" "REED DATE" satisfies due date
13. PWN (indicating LEA proposes the evaluation of the child) must be sent within 3 years less one day of prior REED/FIE. ^{4, 5, 6}	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" with "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No" "Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	3 years less one day ⁴ of either: REED ("REED DATE") when REED has "Are additional data needed?" is "No..." FIE ("FIE DATE")	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" in which "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No" "Prior Written Notice" in which "1. The purpose..." shows "propose" and "The evaluation of the child..." as checked and "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date
14. Consent for Reevaluation must be sent within 3 years less one day of prior REED/FIE. ^{4, 5, 6}	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" with "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No" "Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	3 years less one day ⁴ of either: REED ("REED DATE") when REED has "Are additional data needed?" is "No..." FIE ("FIE DATE")	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" in which "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No" "Consent for Reevaluation" in which "Date" satisfies due date
15. FIE must be completed within 3 years less one day of prior REED/FIE. ⁶	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" with "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No" "Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	3 years less one day of either: REED ("REED DATE") when REED has "Are additional data needed?" is "No..." FIE ("FIE DATE")	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" in which "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No" "Full and Individual Evaluation" in which "FIE DATE" satisfies due date
16. Determination of Eligibility must be completed within 3 years less one day of prior REED/FIE.	Either: "Review of Existing Evaluation Data" with "REED DATE" populated and "Are additional data needed?" is "No... REED becomes new FIE..." "Full and Individual Evaluation" with "FIE DATE" populated	3 years less one day of either: REED ("REED DATE") when REED has "Are additional data needed?" is "No..." FIE ("FIE DATE")	"Determination of Eligibility" "DATE" satisfies due date

Exiting Workflow Deadlines

Deadline	Placed When	Due	Requirements
17. PWN (indicating cessation of the provision of special education) must be sent within 5 school days after consent refused or revoked.	Either: "Consent for Initial Evaluation" is "I do not give consent" "Consent for Reevaluation" is "I do not give consent" "Consent for Services" is "I do not give consent"	5 school days after consent refused or revoked ("Date")	"Prior Written Notice" "1. The purpose..." includes "Cessation of the provision of special education..." "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date
18. PWN (indicating the LEA refuses to change the identification of the child) must be sent within 5 school days after a student is determined ineligible following an initial FIE.	"Determination of Eligibility" with "DATE:" populated, "Type of evaluation reviewed" is "Initial Evaluation" and "Child meets eligibility criteria..." is "No".	5 school days after determination ("DATE:")	"Prior Written Notice" "1. The purpose..." includes "refuses" to "change" "The identification of the child" "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date
19. PWN (indicating the LEA proposes to change the identification of the child) must be sent within 5 school days after a formerly special education student is determined ineligible.	"Determination of Eligibility" with "DATE:" populated, "Type of evaluation reviewed" is "Reevaluation" and "Child meets eligibility criteria..." is "No".	5 school days after determination ("DATE:")	"Prior Written Notice" "1. The purpose..." includes "proposes" to "change" "The identification of the child" "DATE OF NOTICE" satisfies due date

Timeline Exceptions/Additional Considerations

¹ Initial FIE is due within 45 school days of received consent, with certain exceptions based on number of school days remaining and days student is absent. See Initial FIE/IEP Timelines
² Initial ARD meeting to consider eligibility, IEP and placement is due within 30 calendar days, except when FIE is due June 30th (due to 36-44 school days remaining when consent received and student absent less than 3 days). Initial ARD committee meeting due the 15th school day of the following year. See Initial FIE/IEP Timelines
³ Initial ARD meeting should be held earlier that the 15th school day of the following year² when initial FIE indicates student will need ESY services.
⁴ "Prior Written Notice", consent and "Notice of ARD Committee Meeting" forms must be sent 5 school days before proposed action (eg evaluation, ARD meeting, implementing IEP), less time with signed waiver.

⁵ Notice and Consent for Evaluation

A single "Notice and Consent for Evaluation" can satisfy both the PWN (indicating LEA proposes or refuses an evaluation) and Consent for Evaluation deadlines.

Initial Workflow Requirements (deadlines 1 and 2)

Notice and Consent for Evaluation with
- "DATE OF NOTICE:" populated
- "2. Explanation of why the local education agency proposes evaluation:" with "Initial evaluation" selected
- "4. I grant my informed consent for an evaluation." populated
- "DATE DISTRICT RECEIVED:" populated

Recurring Workflow Requirements (deadlines 13 and 14)

Notice and Consent for Evaluation with
- "DATE OF NOTICE:" populated
- "2. Explanation of why the local education agency proposes evaluation:" with "Reevaluation (three year)" selected
- "4. I grant my informed consent for an evaluation." with "Yes" selected
- "DATE DISTRICT RECEIVED:" populated

⁶ Off-Cycle Reevaluations

A reevaluation may occur outside of the typical 3 year evaluation timeline. When a request for a reevaluation is made, the district must:

Conduct a Review of Existing Evaluation Data to determine whether additional data is needed to make a determination. For such off-cycle REEDs, the LEA must check Section 3: "REED was conducted for an additional/other evaluation and will not serve as triennial FIE."
- If additional data is not needed, this can be documented in section 3 and there will be no effect on deadlines.
- If additional data is needed, the LEA must populate the "Due by:" date in section 3 of the REED to create the appropriate PWN, consent, and additional data deadlines. This will not affect the existing triennial FIE deadline.
The "additional data needed" deadline can be cleared through an amendment to the existing FIE OR
Through a new Full and Individual Evaluation" in which "FIE DATE" satisfies due date
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Any time a formal evaluation is conducted, the district must also send a prior written notice and obtain consent to evaluate.

Initial FIE/IEP Timelines link

Initial FIE/IEP timelines vary based on the date the district receives consent to evaluate. The following cases apply:

34 or less school days remain: FIE due within 45 school days of received consent
- Student absent 0, 1 or 2 days: FIE due within 45 school days of received consent
- Student absent 3+ days: FIE due within 45 school days of received consent plus number days absent
35-44 school days remain
- Student absent 0, 1 or 2 days:
  - FIE due June 30th
  - Initial ARD committee meeting due not later than the 15th school day of the following school year.
- Student absent 3+ days: FIE due within 45 school days of received consent plus number days absent
45+ school days remain
- Student absent 0, 1 or 2 days: FIE due within 45 school days of received consent
- Student absent 3+ days: FIE due within 45 school days of received consent plus number days absent

^* In all cases, initial ARD committee meeting must be held within 30 calendar days of the FIE. If the 30th day falls during the summer and school is not in session, the ARD committee must meet not later than the 15th school day of the following school year.

Special Education Deadlines

5 Notice and Consent for Evaluation

6 Off-Cycle Reevaluations

Initial FIE/IEP Timelines link

Resources link

⁵ Notice and Consent for Evaluation

⁶ Off-Cycle Reevaluations