Timelines Self-Audit: A Coordinator's Master Checklist

Timelines Self-Audit: A Coordinator's Master Checklist

Most compliance findings in Alabama LEAs are not disagreements about the law — they are missed dates. This page consolidates the recurring timelines into one master checklist a coordinator can audit against, pulled from the procedures in Mastering the Maze and the requirements of IDEA and the Alabama Administrative Code.

Legal Citations

• IDEA — evaluation and IEP requirements (Section 1414)

• 34 CFR Part 300 — procedures and timelines throughout Part 300

• Alabama Administrative Code, Chapter 290-8-9

• ALSDE, Mastering the Maze — the special education process forms and timelines

Practical Guidance

Audit each timeline below against a sample of current student records at least quarterly:

Referral and Evaluation

• Two documented contact attempts whenever there is no response to a meeting invitation — the action and result of each attempt recorded on the form

• 60 calendar days from receipt of the signed Notice and Consent for Initial Evaluation to complete the initial evaluation

IEP and Services

• First IEP developed within 30 calendar days of the initial eligibility determination, and before any special education or related services are provided

• EP reviewed annually — set each review date by the signature date on the current IEP

• Notice and Invitation sent for every IEP Team meeting, checking every possible purpose

Reevaluation

• Reevaluation conducted when conditions warrant, or as required to determine continued eligibility

• convene the team before the three-year mark; do not let eligibility lapse

• Notice and Consent for Reevaluation obtained before additional evaluation components, or two documented attempts to obtain consent

Discipline and Dispute Resolution

• Manifestation determination review within ten school days of a decision to change placement for disciplinary reasons

• State complaint response and documentation completed within the required timeline

• Special Education Rights (procedural safeguards) provided at every required trigger point, including disciplinary change of placement and first complaint or hearing request

Fiscal and Monitoring

• Document of Assurance and Technical Assistance form submitted by September 15

• Monitoring findings corrected within 30 days of the desk audit report

Track each timeline in a system, not on memory: a simple spreadsheet of IEP due dates, evaluation windows, and consent dates, reviewed monthly by the coordinator, prevents nearly every finding in this category. 

Common Errors Identified Through Monitoring

• Initial evaluations exceeding 60 calendar days because the clock was counted from the meeting rather than receipt of signed consent

• Annual reviews scheduled after the IEP's expiration

• Reevaluations lapsing past the three-year eligibility window

• No systematic tracking of the calendar-year deadlines — the errors above are almost always tracking failures, not knowledge failures

Alabama State Department of Education — Special Education Services (SES)

Materials are provided for technical assistance purposes and do not constitute legal advice.