How to write a request for an IEP evaluation in Florida (with the exact wording)

Most parents don’t know this, but the single most important advocacy move you can make is a one-paragraph email.

A written request for an IEP evaluation triggers a legal clock. In Florida, the school district has 60 calendar days from receiving your request to complete a full evaluation. Not “we’ll start the process.” Not “we’ll schedule a meeting.” A complete evaluation, finished, with results delivered.

That timeline is in federal law (IDEA at 34 CFR 300.301) and Florida State Board Rule 6A-6.0331. The school must comply. But they only have to comply if you put it in writing.

I’ve watched many families spend months in “we’ll get to it” purgatory because they asked verbally and the school never started the clock. Don’t do that. Send the email.

What the request needs to include

The legal requirement is minimal. The request must:

1. Be in writing
2. Identify your child
3. State that you are requesting an evaluation for special education services

That’s it. Anything beyond that is optional but helpful.

Here is the exact template I give families:

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Subject: Request for IEP Evaluation – [Child’s Full Name], [Grade] at [School Name]

Dear [IEP Coordinator / Principal / Director of Exceptional Student Education],

I am writing to formally request a full evaluation of my child, [Child’s Full Name, DOB MM/DD/YYYY], who is currently in [grade] at [school name], for eligibility for special education services under IDEA.

The areas of concern I have observed include: [list 3-5 specific concerns, for example: significant delays in reading, difficulty with classroom transitions, sensory regulation challenges, repeated requests from the teacher for parent-teacher conferences about behavior].

I understand that under IDEA and Florida rules, the school district has 60 calendar days from receipt of this request to complete the evaluation. Please confirm receipt of this request and provide written notice of the next steps within 10 business days.

I am happy to meet to discuss this request. Please let me know what additional information or consent forms you need from me to proceed.

Thank you, [Your name] [Your phone number] [Your email address]

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That’s the entire email. Send it to the IEP coordinator if you know who that is. If you don’t, send it to the principal and the school’s Director of Exceptional Student Education (or equivalent — every Florida district has one). CC yourself, and consider CC’ing your child’s teacher so they’re not blindsided.

What happens after you send it

Within 10 business days, the school is required to respond with:

1. Prior Written Notice either accepting the request or refusing it (with reasons)
2. Consent forms for the specific evaluations they intend to conduct (psychoeducational, speech, OT, etc.)
3. A clear timeline for the 60-day evaluation window

You sign the consent forms. The clock starts the day they receive your signed consent (not the day you signed). Get the date stamped or send via email so there’s a record.

Common stall tactics, and how to handle each

Schools rarely refuse outright. They stall. Here are the most common stall tactics I see, and what to do about each.

”Let’s try some interventions first and see how it goes.”

This is the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. Schools sometimes use it to delay evaluations. Your right to request an evaluation is independent of MTSS. You can have both happening at once. Tell them: “I appreciate the interventions. I’d still like the evaluation to proceed in parallel."

"We need to do more data collection before we evaluate.”

Federal law allows the school to use existing data as part of the evaluation, but it does not allow them to refuse the evaluation entirely on the grounds that they want more data first. If they’re delaying, ask them to put that in writing as a refusal. Most won’t, because the refusal would be hard to justify.

”We don’t think your child meets eligibility.”

That’s the conclusion of the evaluation, not the input. They cannot pre-judge eligibility without doing the evaluation. Request the evaluation anyway. If they still refuse, ask for a written Notice of Refusal so you have it on record.

”The teachers say [child] is doing fine.”

Doing fine compared to what? You’re the parent. You’re observing things they don’t see. The evaluation exists to gather data, not to confirm the teacher’s impression. Request it anyway.

If they refuse

You have three options, in order of escalation. (I have a whole separate post on what to do when your school refuses to evaluate, which goes deeper on each path.)

1. Ask for the refusal in writing. The Notice of Refusal must include the data they relied on and the reason they’re declining. Sometimes seeing this in writing changes their mind.
2. File a State Complaint with the Florida Department of Education. It’s free, you don’t need an attorney, and the FDOE will investigate within 60 days.
3. File for Due Process. This is a more formal legal process. You can file yourself, but most families work with an attorney at this point.

If you reach the State Complaint stage, the Coaching Session is a useful next step. We talk through whether you have a strong case and what to file.

When to involve an advocate

You don’t need an advocate to request an evaluation. The email above works on its own.

You might want an advocate when:

• The school has already refused once
• Your child has been in MTSS or RTI for more than a year with no evaluation
• The school is offering a 504 plan when you suspect an IEP is warranted
• You’re heading into the actual IEP meeting after the evaluation completes

For the last one in particular, the Red Flag Audit reads the draft IEP that comes out of the evaluation and tells you exactly where it falls short of what the evaluation called for. That gap analysis is the single highest-leverage piece of work I do.

But for the initial request, you don’t need any of that. You need to send the email.

Today. Tonight. Now.

The 60-day clock doesn’t start until you do.