La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § LV-503

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 12, December 20, 2024

Section LV-503 - Timelines

A. An initial evaluation is considered "completed" when the written report has been disseminated by the pupil appraisal staff to the administrator of special education programs. A LEA has a maximum of 30 calendar days after the completion of the evaluation to complete the IEP/placement document for an eligible student. During this time, two activities must take place and be documented.

1. Written Notice(s) that the LEA proposes to provide FAPE through the IEP process must be given to the parents. The notice(s) must be provided in the parents' native language or must be given using other means of communication, whenever necessary, to assure parental understanding.

2. The notice(s) must indicate the purpose, time, and location of the IEP meeting; who will be in attendance; the parents' right to take other participants to the meeting; the student's right to participate (when appropriate); and the name of the person in the LEA the parents can contact if and when they have questions or concerns.

3. The notice(s) must explain the procedural safeguards available to the parents: that they can negotiate the time and place of the IEP meeting, that they have the right to full and meaningful participation in the IEP decision-making process, that their consent is required before initial placement will be made, and that all information about the student shall be kept confidential.

4. Additionally, if the LEA has not already done so, the system must inform the parents of their right to an oral explanation of the evaluation report and of their right to an independent education evaluation (IEE) if the parents disagree with the current evaluation.

B. An IEP meeting(s) that results in a completed IEP/placement document must be held. The IEP meeting(s) should be a vehicle for communication between parents and school personnel to share formal and informal information about the student's needs, educational projections, and services that will be provided to meet the student's needs. The completed IEP/placement document is a formal record of the IEP team's decisions. The timeline for completion of the document is intended to ensure that there is no undue delay in providing a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for the student. The document is "completed" when the form has been completed and signed by the LEA's officially designated representative.

Additional Notes About Timelines

Summer Recess. When an initial evaluation report has been completed within the 30 days prior to the summer recess or during the recess, the LEA may request, through written documentation, parental approval to delay the initial IEP meeting until the first week of the next school session. However, if the parents wish to meet during the summer recess, the LEA must ensure that the appropriate IEP team members are present.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § LV-503

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 28:767 (April 2002).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:1941 et seq.