Embedded Files
The Special Education Process
The Special Education Process
The special education process is the sequence of steps every Alabama Local Education Agency (LEA) must follow to identify, evaluate, and serve a student with a disability. The process is governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Alabama Administrative Code, Chapter 290-8-9, and is documented step by step through the forms in Mastering the Maze, the Alabama State Department of Education's procedural guide for special education.
The special education process is the sequence of steps every Alabama Local Education Agency (LEA) must follow to identify, evaluate, and serve a student with a disability. The process is governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Alabama Administrative Code, Chapter 290-8-9, and is documented step by step through the forms in Mastering the Maze, the Alabama State Department of Education's procedural guide for special education.
The pages below walk through the process in order — from referral through reevaluation and exit. Each page provides a plain-language overview, the applicable legal citations, practical guidance for completing the required documentation, and common errors identified through monitoring. For the IEP stage of the process, detailed guidance is provided in the IEP Development and Implementation section of this site.
The pages below walk through the process in order — from referral through reevaluation and exit. Each page provides a plain-language overview, the applicable legal citations, practical guidance for completing the required documentation, and common errors identified through monitoring. For the IEP stage of the process, detailed guidance is provided in the IEP Development and Implementation section of this site.
Child Find and Referral for Evaluation
Child Find and Referral for Evaluation
How a student with a suspected disability enters the process: the referral for evaluation, required intervention documentation, historical information, and the exclusionary factors the IEP Team must consider before evaluating.
How a student with a suspected disability enters the process: the referral for evaluation, required intervention documentation, historical information, and the exclusionary factors the IEP Team must consider before evaluating.
Evaluation: Consent, Planning, and the 60-Day Timeline
Evaluation: Consent, Planning, and the 60-Day Timeline
Written parental consent for the initial evaluation, what must be documented on the notice, and the 60-calendar-day timeline for completing the evaluation
Written parental consent for the initial evaluation, what must be documented on the notice, and the 60-calendar-day timeline for completing the evaluation
Eligibility Determination
Eligibility Determination
How the IEP Team determines whether a student meets Alabama Administrative Code criteria for a disability area, using the required assessments and the full body of evidence.
How the IEP Team determines whether a student meets Alabama Administrative Code criteria for a disability area, using the required assessments and the full body of evidence.
The IEP: Placement, Implementation, and Least Restrictive Environment
The IEP: Placement, Implementation, and Least Restrictive Environment
Where the process moves to IEP development, placement, and implementation — the gateway to the six detailed pages in the IEP Development and Implementation section.
Where the process moves to IEP development, placement, and implementation — the gateway to the six detailed pages in the IEP Development and Implementation section.
Reevaluation and Exit
Reevaluation and Exit
Determining continued eligibility through reevaluation, and the documentation required when a student exits special education — including the Summary of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (SAAFP).
Determining continued eligibility through reevaluation, and the documentation required when a student exits special education — including the Summary of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (SAAFP).
Report abuse