Finally mailed the evaluation request to school today...

[gcvmom]

via Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested

The counselor should receive it tomorrow. That means they will have until March 25th or 26th to respond to me with their plan of action. I sure hope they are able to complete the testing before the school year ends. I do NOT want this to wait until next year. Our last day of school is June 11th.

Our meeting to discuss difficult child 1's current 504 and his grades is next Friday the 13th. Yeesh. What a day to have the meeting!

 

[Sheila]

Unless your state regs state differently, the sd has 60 days from their receipt of the letter to complete the evaluation.

Fingers crossed that all goes smoothly.

 

[gcvmom]

Yes, you are right. It is 60 days. I haven't checked the calendar to see when exactly, with holidays, etc., that would fall. I'm hoping they act sooner than the 60 days!

Okay, looks like it puts them at June 4th (assuming I don't count Spring Break or Memorial Day). That's cutting it close!

 

[Sheila]

It's not 60 classroom days; it's 60 calender days.

Section 614(a)(1)(C) of the Act
requires that an initial evaluation be
conducted within 60 days of receiving
parental consent for the evaluation, or
within the timeframe established by the
State.

The 60-day time frame
refers to 60 calendar days and would
include school breaks.

The sd has some latitude in this, however, state and sd law, rules, regulations or policies may not circumvent the intent of the law. Not completing the evaluation until June would not sit well with-OSEP.

 

[gcvmom]

Well that's a relief to know! That puts it at May 4th (although Spring Break is in there, so even if that is counted, it's still by mid-May).

Our meeting with the teachers is a week from Friday to discuss his current 504 plan and grade issues.

I'm anxious to see how the school counselor reacts -- I verbally asked about an evaluation last year and she totally blew me off. Acted as if I wasn't serious and then changed the subject. I guess she'll see that I'm serious now.

 

[gcvmom]

Today the counselor called husband at work because our answering machine wouldn't pick up (our power was out today). Sounds like they got the letter yesterday and are moving forward with putting together the plan for the assessment. husband said the counselor is going to poll all of difficult child 1's teachers and she is pulling the school psychologist in to start work on things. husband was a little sketchy in what he was telling me. This is all new territory for him and he has no idea what's involved or what questions to ask. This will be a good experience for him!

Anyway, our meeting for the 13th is now being rescheduled (I'm assuming now it's going to be assessment-focused). The counselor will supposedly call me back on Monday after she has a chance to talk to the school psychologist -- he's only there M, T, W.

Hopefully I'll get more info when I talk to her next week.

I feel good that the gears are moving finally! I should have done this for difficult child 1 a long time ago. Better late than never.