How to Request a Special Education Evaluation in Colorado

Most parents who struggle to get their child evaluated for special education make the same mistake: they ask verbally. A written request — submitted to the right person, with the right language — starts the AU's response process under Colorado law, but the 60-day evaluation clock begins only when the AU receives written consent.

Here is how to do it correctly.

Who Gets the Request and What It Must Say

In Colorado, written evaluation requests go to the responsible Administrative Unit's Director of Special Education (or equivalent). If your child's school is served by a BOCES that is the AU, the request goes to the BOCES Special Education Director — not the school principal, not your child's teacher. Sending to the wrong person can delay the process.

Your written request does not need to use legal language or cite statutes. It needs to:

1. State clearly that you are requesting a comprehensive evaluation for special education eligibility
2. Describe the specific areas of concern (academic performance, behavior, communication, social-emotional, motor skills — whatever applies)
3. Specify that you are requesting this under IDEA and ECEA
4. Be dated and sent in a way you can prove was received (email with read receipt, or certified mail)

A simple, direct letter works. One paragraph is enough:

"I am writing to request a comprehensive evaluation for my child, [child's name], date of birth [date], who attends [school name]. I am concerned about [describe specific areas: reading, attention, speech, behavior, etc.]. I am requesting this evaluation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA). Please provide written notice of the AU's response within the required timeline."

Keep a copy of everything you send.

The Colorado Evaluation Timeline

Once you submit a written evaluation request, the AU should respond with either consent to evaluate and a Prior Written Notice or a refusal with a Prior Written Notice explaining the reasons. The evaluation clock under ECEA Rule 4.02(3)(c)(ii) does not begin until the AU receives written consent.

If the AU agrees to evaluate, you then sign consent for the evaluation to proceed.

From the date the AU receives written consent, the AU has 60 calendar days to complete the evaluation. The clock pauses only for school vacations exceeding five consecutive school days. This is Colorado's statutory timeline under ECEA.

After the evaluation is complete and the child is found eligible, the AU has an additional 30 calendar days to hold the initial IEP meeting and finalize the IEP.

Total timeline from receipt of written consent to the initial IEP: 90 calendar days, subject to the permitted evaluation-clock pause.

Common district delay tactic: Confirm in writing when the AU received your consent. If the AU received written consent on March 1 and no permitted pause applies, the evaluation must be complete by April 30.

If the District Refuses to Evaluate

The AU can refuse your request — but it must give you a written Prior Written Notice (PWN) explaining:

• The action proposed or refused
• The reason for the refusal
• The evaluation procedures, tests, records, and reports used to reach this decision
• A description of other options the team considered and why they were rejected
• Sources of information for your parental rights

A refusal without a written PWN is itself a procedural violation you can report to CDE.

If the AU refuses and you disagree, you have two options:

Option 1: File a state complaint with CDE. If the AU refused without a proper PWN, or refused without adequate justification, a CDE state complaint is often the fastest route. CDE issues a written decision within 60 calendar days, subject to permitted pauses or extensions. There is no cost.

Option 2: Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). If the AU evaluated and found your child ineligible (or you disagree with any part of the evaluation it completed), you can request an IEE at public expense. Without unnecessary delay, the AU must fund the IEE, provide information about where an IEE may be obtained, or file for due process to defend its own evaluation.

What Happens During the Evaluation

A comprehensive evaluation in Colorado must assess all areas related to the suspected disability. An AU cannot limit the evaluation to one domain if you have raised concerns in multiple areas. You should ask in writing which assessments will be conducted, by whom, and what the purpose of each is.

The evaluation must include:

• A variety of assessment tools — no single score can be the sole basis for eligibility or ineligibility
• Input from parents and teachers
• Review of existing data
• Observation of the child in the current educational setting

You have the right to provide information to the evaluation team, submit outside reports, and request that specific areas be assessed. Do this in writing before the evaluation begins.

If the Evaluation Finds Your Child Ineligible

An ineligibility determination is not final. You can:

• Request a copy of all evaluation reports and review them carefully
• Request an IEE at public expense if you disagree with the methodology or conclusions
• File a state complaint if the evaluation was not comprehensive or did not follow required procedures
• Re-refer in the future if your child's needs change or new information emerges

Funding and staffing constraints can affect how services are arranged, but they do not override your child's rights under IDEA and ECEA. If an AU cites resources when resisting an evaluation or service, document the statement and request the AU's written response.

Charter Schools

Charter schools in Colorado are public schools and are fully bound by IDEA and ECEA. A charter school cannot refuse to evaluate, cannot counsel a student out to avoid providing services, and cannot tell you that evaluations must go through the home district. The Charter School Institute (CSI) operates as an independent Administrative Unit for CSI-authorized charters — if your child attends a CSI charter, evaluation requests go to CSI's special education office, not the local district.

The Colorado IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook includes independent evaluation request letters, ECEA navigation guides with Colorado Education Code citations, and dispute resolution templates if the AU refuses or delays your evaluation request.

See more Colorado guides →