How to Request a Special Education Evaluation in Arizona

You've decided to request an evaluation. You're not sure what to write, who to send it to, or what happens next. The good news: the request itself is simple. The critical part is getting the timing right and understanding what the school is required to do after you submit it. Here is the Arizona-specific process.

Who Has the Right to Request an Evaluation

Any parent or guardian of a child enrolled in an Arizona public school (including charter schools) can request a special education evaluation at any time. You do not need a diagnosis first. You do not need the teacher's recommendation. You do not need to have completed a general education intervention program, though the school may reference RTI data in the evaluation.

The district can also initiate an evaluation if it has reason to suspect a child has a disability. But the school's willingness to act without a formal parent request is inconsistent — in practice, a written parent request moves the process faster and more reliably than waiting for the school to act.

The Request: What to Write and Who to Send It To

The request should be in writing. An email works. You do not need a formal letter. The request should state:

• Your child's name and school
• That you are requesting a comprehensive evaluation for special education eligibility
• The areas of concern (reading, behavior, speech, attention, social skills — describe what you observe; you don't need diagnostic language)
• Your contact information

Send it to two people: the principal and the special education coordinator (sometimes called the Exceptional Student Services coordinator at the school). CC both on the same email. Keep a copy. This email, and the date it is sent, starts the formal clock.

Arizona Timelines After Your Request

15 school days. After receiving your request, the school must respond with either a written evaluation plan or a written explanation of why it is refusing to evaluate. Fifteen school days means school days — weekdays when school is in session. Track this from the date of your email.

If the school does not respond within 15 school days, document the non-response in writing and contact ADE Exceptional Student Services. Non-response to an evaluation request is a procedural violation.

If the school refuses to evaluate, it must provide the refusal in writing with reasons. You have the right to challenge that refusal through ADE complaint or due process. A refusal to evaluate does not end your options — it starts a different enforcement pathway.

60 calendar days. After you sign the evaluation consent form (the written evaluation plan the district sends), the district has 60 calendar days to complete all assessments and hold the eligibility meeting. This 60-day clock runs continuously — it does not pause for summer break, winter break, spring break, or any school closure. If you sign consent on June 1, the evaluation must be complete by July 31.

This continuous clock is particularly important for families who request evaluations in the spring. Many Arizona districts know about the 60-day rule and will try to get consent signed before a school break rather than after, to extend the practical timeline. Signing before summer break means the evaluation must be completed by late summer.

What the Evaluation Must Cover

The evaluation must be comprehensive — conducted in all areas of suspected disability. The district cannot evaluate only in the area of the presenting concern if your description of concerns suggests multiple areas. If you mention reading difficulties AND behavioral concerns AND trouble focusing, the evaluation should address all three.

The evaluation must be conducted in your child's dominant language. Arizona's large Spanish-speaking population makes this requirement critical — and frequently violated. If your child's primary language is not English, the evaluation must be conducted in Spanish (or another appropriate language) or with a qualified interpreter. An evaluation conducted only in English for a Spanish-dominant child is not valid.

The evaluation cannot rely on any single test or criterion. It must use a variety of technically sound assessment tools. In practice, a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation typically includes:

• Cognitive ability assessment (WISC, DAS, KABC, or equivalent)
• Academic achievement testing (Woodcock-Johnson, WIAT, or equivalent)
• Behavior rating scales from parents and teachers
• Observations in the educational setting
• Review of records (grades, attendance, work samples)
• Interviews with parents and teachers

For specific areas (speech, OT, PT, autism, vision, hearing), specialists in those areas conduct the relevant assessments.

The MET Meeting

After the evaluation, the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) meets to review results and determine eligibility. You are a required member of this team. The MET must:

1. Review all evaluation data
2. Determine whether the child meets eligibility criteria for one or more disability categories
3. Determine whether the disability adversely affects educational performance and requires specially designed instruction
4. Document the eligibility decision in writing

If the MET finds your child eligible, the team has 30 calendar days to develop the initial IEP.

If the MET finds your child ineligible and you disagree with the evaluation results, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense. The district must either fund the IEE or file for due process to defend its evaluation.

Charter School Evaluation Obligations

Arizona charter schools must evaluate students for special education just as district schools do. If a charter school tells you it cannot conduct evaluations and refers you to the "home district," that is incorrect. The charter school must either conduct the evaluation itself or coordinate with the district of residence. The child does not need to leave the charter school to be evaluated.

What to Do If the School Delays

If you have sent the request and the school has not responded with a written evaluation plan within 15 school days, send a follow-up email referencing the A.A.C. R7-2-401 timeline and stating the number of school days that have passed. If no response after 20 school days, file an ADE state complaint with the Dispute Resolution unit — this is free, fast (60 days to resolution), and produces a binding order if a violation is found.

The Arizona IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a ready-to-use evaluation request email template, a timeline tracking worksheet, and an evaluation consent review checklist so you know what to look for before you sign.

See more United States homeschool guides →