653
Components of the initial evaluation process:
- Referral process
- Parent rescinds consent prior to meeting
- Parental consent obtained
- Report Pending As Of MEET record
- Holding initial evaluation
- SIRAS District Enrollment Date
- Special Ed. Initial Entry Start Date
- Meeting delay reason
- Closing initial evaluation
- Parent response options
- Initial evaluation outcomes
- Reporting the Initial Evaluation
Quick links
- Preschool and Tk assessment enrollment guidelines
- Transition IFSP to IEP meeting checklist
- Starting another initial evaluation checklist
- Reporting Initial IEPs
- General help for private school referrals.
Is the Initial evaluation a part C to B transition?
Is the student record remaining at the IFSP district when the IEP district will do their initial evaluation?
If so, the IFSP district needs to set the IEP district as 'Next Year's District'
Referral Process
Active Status = Pending
Do Not Fill In District Enrollment Date on MIS page until date participation will start is known!
Yes this means waiting to know if they will even start participating.
We want the correct district enrollment date filled out prior to finalizing the IEP, if the student is eligible and will start participating.
If they will not participate, we do not fill out the district enrollment date. Blank it out if you see a date in there!
If a student has been referred, we need a record in Siras.
Create an Initial Evaluation meeting in the IEP or Forms manager. (this is also the 504 or SST 'Manager' area)
Enter the referral date, referral by, parental consent information in the IEP manager area, not the MIS Summary page.
It is designed to let the IEP team capture data there, not the MIS page.
If you can't open an Initial, it's for reason. Please contact [email protected] to get assistance with resolving.
Does a record exist somewhere due to the student currently having SWDS = 4?
Then having the record in that same inactive state in Siras will allow the creation of an Initial Evaluation.
If a new record is to be created, be mindful if student already has an established special ed. initial entry start date, to preserve that date in SIRAS once the new record has been created.
Once the record is at your district or a new record is created, we update LEA info, demographics, contacts and providers only.
Active Status = Pending for new records with no history, or if record already was inactive as not eligible, then keep the inactive status in place prior to creating the Initial Evaluation in SIRAS
The preferred method of capturing referral data is in the IEP Manager after the initial IEP meeting has been created.
Record when the assessment plan (AP) has been sent.
When it is received back signed, and what the permission response is.
Parent rescinds consent prior to meeting
If the permission to assess is denied by the parents, we can use the meeting to document everything that happened, and force finalize the meeting as parents denied permission.
- Delete the Pending As Of (parental consent date) MEET record in CALPADS.
- Remove the Parent Consent date from the current record on the MIS Summary page.
- Use meeting event that generated the AP in the IEP/Forms manager to document per local procedures. Force finalize meeting with appropriate description.
Parental consent obtained
Active status stays = Pending
If no enrollment in CALPADS yet, enroll as of parental consent date. If student does not participate, this enrollment is closed as of same day with N470 Exit Reason.
If the permission to assess is granted, receipt of that permission in the district office becomes what is known as the Parent Consent Date.
If the student does not yet have an SSID, then at this time an SSID is required, even if it is used as a one day enrollment with sole purpose of reporting the meeting that took place and the result of the meeting.
For students that don't have SSIDs yet, we suggest enrolling on parent consent date, having the meeting, then closing the enrollment as of the same date if the student will not be participating immediately.
Report Pending As Of MEET record
SIRAS recommends always archiving a pending as of (Parental Consent).
This must be done on the MIS page prior to the meeting date!
If the parental consent date falls prior to a report date like first Wed. in October or 6/30 and the initial IEP won't be happening until after the report date. The LEA is required by CALPADS to turn in a 'pending as of' MEET record with pending as of date = parent consent date.
Holding initial evaluation
Staff have 60 calendar days from the parental consent date to schedule the meeting date for the initial evaluation.
If the meeting won't be until after census or will be late, or both, the pending as of archive can report the meeting delay reason ahead of time to avoid DINC errors.
SIRAS District Enrollment Date
Please leave this date blank until we know when the student will start participating. This will be the plan effective date, so align the SIRAS district enrollment date with the plan effective date once known, before the initial IEP meeting is closed. If the student will not start participating, we don't enter the district enrollment.
Special Ed. Initial Entry Start Date
DO NOT CHANGE THIS DATE. If it needs to be adjusted, SIRAS will automatically do that for you as needed.
If the student was already once found eligible for SPED and then exited, and then has another Initial Evaluation, only the referral dates get reset. The original older Special Ed. Initial Entry Start date will remain the historical date. If this is an IFSP to IEP transition, the special ed. initial entry start date set by being found eligible for IFSP should remain. If your district created a new record for this purpose, please don't forget to set that date manually on the MIS page when creating the new record in SIRAS.
Meeting delay reason
If this is an IFSP to IEP transition, then the initial IEP meeting needs to be held prior to the students third birthday. Be sure plan effective date is no earlier than third birthdate. If the date of the meeting goes beyond 60 days of the parental consent date, we need a meeting delay reason like school break. If the meeting delay reason is not self evident, please upload supporting documentation into SIRAS. Be sure staff didn't change original meeting date to a continued meeting date!
When service start dates are being determined, use the Plan Effective date to set the service start dates, even if the start date is in the future.
Closing initial evaluation
When closing an Initial Evaluation there are a few outcomes.
Initial Evaluation Possible Scenarios
(Click here for SPED reporting scenarios from CDE)
The first scenario is Did Not Qualify.
In this case we report SWDS = 4 Not Eligible and Non Participation reason 21 Not Eligible in the SWDS file the effective as of date would be the meeting date.
We would also report a MEET record with the meeting date, meeting type 10/15 and not eligible outcome of the DNQ meeting.
If parents do not agree, or will not sign the IEP, we can finalize as Does Not Accept the plan.
If parents want to persue what they believe is an eligibility through an IEEE, we would open another Initial Evaluation in Siras and reset referral data.
When IEP team goes to finalize the meeting they see this dialog box:
The second scenario is Eligible but there is unknown delay in determining IEP plan
2a)Student found eligible but parent hasn't approved the IEP
Files to report
SWDS = 2 eligible not participating, non participation reason 12 Other reason, future start
SWDS status effective as of meeting date
MEET, but no PLAN or SERV
2b) Parents later agree for participation to start (we need to know as of what date)
New SWDS = 1, status effective = Plan effective date
No need to report MEET, it was already reported
The third scenario is Eligible and Not Participating due to parents declining FAPE
3) Student found eligible but for sure won't be participating due to FAPE not agreed to
Files to report
SWDS = 2 eligible not participating, non participation reason 11 declining FAPE
SWDS status effective as of meeting date
MEET, but no PLAN or SERV
The fourth scenario is when student found Not Eligible and IEE is requested
4a) Student is evaluated and found not Eligible. On a later date parent request an IEE and the student is again found ineligible.
Files to report
SWDS, none as the status has not changed.
MEET, report the new meeting date
No PLAN or SERV
4b) Student is found not eligible. On a later date parent request an IEE and the student is found eligible.
Files to report
SWDS = 1 status
MEET, report new meeting date
PLAN and SERV, plan effective date = date of initial evaluation
The fifth scenario is end of year initial prior to TK.
5a) Student is found eligible at end of year but is too young to start. Student will start participation in Fall.
Files to report
SWDS = 2 eligible and not participating, non participation reason 12 future start date.
MEET, report new meeting date
No PLAN or SERV, those get reported with new SWDS as of plan effective date in fall.
5b) Once student begins TK in fall
Files to report
SWDS = 1, status start date is first day of school
MEET was already reported
PLAN and SERV, plan effective date is first day of school
The sixth scenario is student found eligible but reported as not eligible
6) Student is found eligible but parent does not consent to special education and related services before the offer of FAPE is made. This means the student is now Not Eligible
Files to report
SWDS = 4 Not Eligible, Non participation reason is 27 No parental consent for provision of SPED
MEET, report new meeting date, outcome must be 25 not eligible
No PLAN or SERV
The seventh scenario is student is found eligible and will start immediately
7) Student is found eligible and will start right away
Files to report
SWDS 1
Status start date = date parent agreed to plan or meeting date
MEET, report new meeting date
PLAN, SERV plan effective date = status start date
The eighth scenario, re-entry into SPED
8) After revoking consent for SPED, parent or adult age student requests re-entry into Special Education.
An initial IEP was held and student was found eligible
Files to report
SWDS 1
Status start date = date parent agreed to plan or meeting date
MEET, report new meeting date
PLAN, SERV plan effective date = date plan was signed
