The Georgia IEP Process: Step-by-Step From Referral to Annual Review

The national version of the IEP process you find on most websites leaves out the parts that matter most in Georgia: the SST bottleneck that can delay evaluation by months, the bypass rule most parents never hear about, and the specific timelines under Chapter 160-4-7 that hold districts accountable. Here is how the process actually works in Georgia schools.

Step 1: Referral

The IEP process begins with a referral for a special education evaluation. This can be initiated by:

• A teacher or school staff member who suspects a disability
• A parent submitting a written request for evaluation
• A doctor, therapist, or outside professional (which the school must consider but is not bound by)

The most effective referral comes from the parent in writing. Address it to both the principal and the special education director. Include your child's name, grade, the areas of concern, and a formal request for a comprehensive evaluation under IDEA and Georgia's Child Find mandate (Rule 160-4-7-.03). Put the date on it and keep a copy.

Step 2: The SST Trap — and How to Avoid It

Here is where Georgia diverges from the national process in a way that catches most parents off guard.

Georgia schools use a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, and at Tier 3, students enter the Student Support Team (SST) process. Schools frequently tell parents that a child must go through SST — sometimes for a full school year or longer — before they can be referred for special education evaluation.

This is legally incorrect for many students, and Georgia's own rules say so.

Rule 160-4-2-.32 (3)(a) explicitly states that school personnel and parents/guardians may determine there is "reasonable cause to bypass the SST process for an individual student" when the necessity for special education is clear. If your child has a confirmed medical diagnosis, a documented history of academic struggles despite interventions, or a disability that is clearly evident, put a bypass request in writing along with your evaluation request. The SST data can be gathered during the 60-day evaluation period — it does not have to be a prerequisite.

Step 3: Consent to Evaluate

Once the school agrees to evaluate (or you win the SST bypass request), they must send you a Prior Written Notice explaining what they propose to evaluate and consent paperwork. The moment you sign and return the consent form, a critical clock starts.

Step 4: The 60-Calendar-Day Evaluation Clock

Under Georgia Rule 160-4-7-.04, the district has exactly 60 calendar days from the date of your signed consent to complete the evaluation report. Not 60 school days — 60 calendar days.

Exceptions are narrow: holiday periods where students are out for five or more consecutive school days (Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break) do not count. Summer vacation does not count if consent is received fewer than 30 days before the end of the school year. But if consent is received 30 or more days before the last day of school, the clock runs through summer.

Track this date from the moment you sign. Write it on your calendar. If the evaluation is not complete by day 60, the district is in violation — and you can document that in a formal GaDOE complaint.

The evaluation must be comprehensive — covering all areas of suspected disability. For a student with ADHD, that includes academic achievement, cognitive ability, and behavioral rating scales. For a student with autism, it includes communication, adaptive behavior, social skills, and cognitive testing. For a student with a suspected learning disability, it includes reading, writing, and math achievement testing. A single observation by a school psychologist is not a comprehensive evaluation.

Step 5: Eligibility Determination

After the evaluation is complete, the IEP team holds an eligibility meeting. Best practice is within 10 days of the completed evaluation report; the IEP must be developed within 30 days of the eligibility determination if the student qualifies.

At the eligibility meeting, the team reviews the evaluation data and determines:

1. Does the student meet eligibility criteria under one of Georgia's 13 disability categories?
2. Does the disability adversely affect educational performance?
3. Does the student need specially designed instruction?

All three must be true for IEP eligibility. If the team says yes, you move to IEP development. If they say no and you disagree, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense.

Step 6: IEP Development

The IEP is developed at a separate meeting (or sometimes the same meeting, if you agree). A compliant Georgia IEP under Rule 160-4-7 must include:

• Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP): A current description of how the disability affects the child's educational performance, written in specific, measurable language
• Measurable Annual Goals: Skill targets tied directly to the needs identified in the PLAAFP
• Special Education and Related Services: Every service must specify the type, frequency, duration, and provider — not just "speech therapy twice a week" but where, in what group size, and starting when
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) statement: How much time the student spends in general education and the justification for any time outside it
• Accommodations and modifications for instruction and state assessments
• Transition planning beginning at age 16 (earlier for some students)

Review every section before you sign. If anything is vague, missing, or inaccurate, request revisions. You are not required to sign on the day of the meeting.

Step 7: IEP Implementation

Once the IEP is in effect, every service written into it must be delivered as specified. This is where many Georgia IEPs break down — particularly in large metro districts with high caseloads and in rural districts with staff shortages.

Track IEP service delivery by asking for monthly progress reports, keeping communication logs with teachers, and reviewing whether service minutes are actually being provided. In rural Georgia especially, services like occupational therapy or speech therapy are sometimes delivered via teletherapy — which can be appropriate, but the IEP must reflect this.

If services are not being delivered as written, document the gap in writing to the special education director. If it continues, that is grounds for a formal GaDOE complaint citing Rule 160-4-7.

Step 8: Annual Review

Every IEP must be reviewed at least once per year — typically at the "annual IEP meeting." The team reviews progress on goals, updates the PLAAFP, revises services, and creates new goals for the coming year.

You can request an IEP meeting at any time — not just at the annual review — if you believe your child's needs have changed or the current IEP is not working.

Step 9: Three-Year Reevaluation

Every three years, the school must conduct a full reevaluation to determine whether the student still qualifies for special education and whether the current IEP reflects current needs. You can request a reevaluation sooner if circumstances change significantly.

When the Process Goes Wrong

Georgia gives you four formal dispute resolution options under Rule 160-4-7-.12 when the school violates these procedures:

1. Formal GaDOE Complaint (free, investigated within 60 days)
2. Mediation (voluntary, free, binding if both parties agree)
3. Due Process Hearing at OSAH (formal, adversarial, binding ruling from an ALJ)
4. Resolution Session (mandatory pre-hearing meeting within 15 days of a due process filing)

For most procedural violations — missed timelines, inadequate evaluations, IEP services not delivered — a formal GaDOE complaint is the fastest and least expensive first step.

The Full Roadmap

The Georgia IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook covers every step of this process with Georgia-specific letter templates, rule citations, and checklists — from the initial evaluation request through annual review and dispute resolution. If you are at any point in this process and feel like the school is not following it correctly, the playbook shows you exactly what to do next.

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