How to Request an IEP Evaluation in Louisiana: The Letter That Starts the Clock

The single most important action you can take as a Louisiana parent who suspects your child has a disability is to submit a written evaluation request. Not a verbal request at a parent-teacher conference. Not a question in a school app message. A written, dated request that cites your legal rights and starts a statutory clock.

Here is exactly how to do it in Louisiana.

Why Written Matters in Louisiana

Louisiana's special education law under Bulletin 1508 and the IDEA grants parents the right to request a comprehensive evaluation. But that right only has teeth when the request is in writing. A verbal request at a conference creates no legal timeline. An email or letter with a clear date starts the clock on a specific statutory obligation.

Under Act 198 (2024), when a parent submits a written evaluation request, the LEA must respond within 15 days — either with consent forms to proceed with the evaluation, or with a written Prior Written Notice (PWN) explaining why the district is declining. The 15-day response requirement replaced the previous vague "reasonable time" standard that allowed districts to delay evaluation responses for months.

Once you provide signed written consent, the evaluation clock starts: the Pupil Appraisal team has 60 business days to complete the comprehensive evaluation.

Who to Send the Request To

Send your evaluation request to two recipients simultaneously:

1. The school principal (to document it went to the school of record)
2. The Special Education Director or Pupil Appraisal Director of your parish school system (to reach the person with actual authority to initiate the evaluation)

You can find the Special Education Director's contact information on your parish school board's website, or call the central office and ask specifically for the Director of Special Education or Director of Pupil Appraisal.

In New Orleans, where most schools are Type 2 or Type 5 charter schools acting as independent LEAs, send the request to the principal and special education coordinator at your specific school — not to the Orleans Parish School Board.

Send by email and keep a copy with the timestamp. For critical requests, follow up with a certified mail copy so you have documentation of receipt.

What the Letter Must Say

Your letter does not need to be formal or use complex legal language. It needs to accomplish several things:

1. Identify your child clearly
2. State that you are requesting a comprehensive special education evaluation
3. Cite the relevant legal authority (IDEA and Louisiana Bulletin 1508)
4. List the areas you want evaluated based on your observations
5. Invoke Act 198's 15-day response requirement
6. Request the PWN if the evaluation is refused

Template structure:

[Date]

[Your name] [Address/contact]

To: [Principal's name] and [Special Education Director's name] [School name] and [Parish Special Education Office]

Re: Written Request for Comprehensive Special Education Evaluation — [Child's Full Name], DOB [date], Grade [grade]

I am writing to formally request a comprehensive initial evaluation for my child, [Child's Name], under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Louisiana Bulletin 1508.

I have observed the following concerns that suggest [Child's Name] may have a disability that is affecting their educational performance: [describe specific academic, behavioral, communication, or functional concerns — be specific and concrete].

I am requesting that the evaluation be comprehensive and cover all areas of suspected disability, including: [list specific areas — academic achievement, cognitive processing, speech/language, behavioral/social-emotional, motor, etc.].

Under Louisiana Act 198 (2024), I understand the LEA has 15 days to respond to this request. If the LEA intends to decline this evaluation, please provide Prior Written Notice of that decision within 10 days, as required under Bulletin 1706.

Please contact me at [phone/email] to provide the consent forms and schedule the evaluation.

Sincerely, [Your name]

Keep this letter simple and direct. You are not making a legal argument — you are triggering a statutory obligation.

The SBLC Bypass: What to Do When the School Delays

Louisiana schools frequently respond to an evaluation request by saying the student must first complete the SBLC (School Building Level Committee) process and go through RTI tiers before a Pupil Appraisal evaluation can be initiated.

This is a misapplication of Louisiana policy. Louisiana's revised Bulletin 1508 contains an explicit no-delay rule: a special education evaluation referral cannot be delayed due to ongoing RTI requirements or a lack of intervention data. RTI and SBLC interventions can continue simultaneously with the evaluation process.

If the school responds to your written request by saying you need to wait for the SBLC process to run its course, add this to your follow-up communication:

"I am aware that Louisiana's revised Bulletin 1508 contains an explicit no-delay rule providing that special education referrals cannot be delayed due to ongoing RTI requirements. I am requesting the evaluation to proceed concurrently with any SBLC interventions. Please provide consent forms for the evaluation within the Act 198 15-day timeline, or provide Prior Written Notice of any refusal."

For suspected low-incidence disabilities — significant autism, deafness, blindness, traumatic brain injury — cite additionally that Bulletin 1508 requires immediate evaluation referral bypassing the SBLC entirely.

After You Submit: What to Expect

Within 15 days, the LEA must either:

• Send you evaluation consent forms (technically called "permission to evaluate" or "assessment plan"), or
• Send you a Prior Written Notice (PWN) explaining in writing why they are declining

If they send consent forms: read them carefully, sign, date, and return them promptly. The 60-business-day evaluation clock starts on the date the signed consent is received by the school — not when you mailed it. Deliver or send your signed consent via trackable method.

If they send a PWN declining the evaluation: review the reasons stated. If the refusal is not adequately justified, you have grounds to file a formal state complaint with the LDOE. The complaint is free and the LDOE can order the LEA to conduct the evaluation.

If they do not respond at all within 15 days: that is a procedural violation. Send a follow-up written communication noting the missed deadline and file a formal state complaint if the non-response continues.

The Louisiana IEP & 504 Blueprint includes complete evaluation request templates, the Act 198 response tracking checklist, and step-by-step guidance for filing an LDOE complaint if the evaluation is improperly delayed or denied.

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