Chesapeake explains ECSE referral, evaluation and timelines under IDEA
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Summary
Chesapeake Public Schools' early childhood special education coordinator reviewed referral steps, stated the district schedules a child study committee within 10 days, said the referral-to-eligibility timeline is 65 business days under federal requirements and that an IEP will be written within 30 days of eligibility.
Christine Starkey, the district’s early childhood special education coordinator, walked families through how to begin an ECSE referral and what to expect from evaluations and eligibility meetings.
"We do by law have 65 business days to complete the process," Starkey said, describing the time frame from referral to eligibility determination under federal special-education requirements. She said the first in-person (or virtual) child study committee meeting will be scheduled within 10 days of the referral; that meeting collects observational and family information and typically includes a chairperson, an ECSE teacher and an evaluator.
Starkey explained that evaluations are conducted through play and may involve a school psychologist and speech-language pathologist; written evaluation reports are provided about two weeks after the evaluation session, followed by an eligibility meeting (often virtual) where the team reviews requested evaluations and determines eligibility under the Virginia Department of Education eligibility categories.
If a child is found eligible, Starkey said the team will write an individualized education program (IEP) within 30 days of the eligibility decision. "Because we do fall under the scope of special education, we do have to follow the regulations for special education, including child find," she added, advising parents to contact the ECSE secretary, Linda Nichols, to start the referral.
Starkey also described the Reverse Mainstream program, which places typically developing peers into half-day special-education classrooms so students with special needs have access to general-education peers. Applicants for Reverse Mainstream must be age 3 (by Sept. 30) or 4, may not have an IEP, and the program uses a Google Forms application that Starkey said is first-come, first-served with spots assigned beginning April 13; she cautioned the program is not available in every classroom and some spots carry a fee.
