The New Brunswick PLP Process: How to Request a Special Education Evaluation

If you're trying to navigate special education in New Brunswick and searching for "how to request an IEP," you're looking for the right thing with the wrong vocabulary. New Brunswick uses Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs), not IEPs. The process to request one — and to get the assessments that inform it — works differently than it does in the United States or Ontario.

Here is the full process, from first concern to signed plan, without the bureaucratic jargon.

Step 1: Recognize the Threshold

Under Section 12 of the New Brunswick Education Act, a PLP is legally required when a student's physical, cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, or other needs require individualized strategies and supports beyond what the standard classroom provides.

You don't need to wait for a crisis. If your child is:

• Consistently falling behind their peers despite additional classroom support
• Experiencing significant emotional or behavioral challenges that affect their learning
• Working much harder than peers to achieve at the same level
• Regularly distressed about school in ways that seem tied to learning difficulties

...these are signals that an ESS team review is warranted.

Parents can initiate this process. You do not have to wait for the teacher to suggest it.

Step 2: Submit a Written Request to the School Principal

Send a written request — email is fine, but print and keep a copy — to the school principal asking for a formal ESS (Education Support Services) team review under Section 12 of the Education Act.

Your request should:

• Describe specifically what you're observing (academic difficulties, behavioural concerns, emotional dysregulation, etc.)
• Mention any relevant medical or clinical information you have
• Ask that the review be scheduled and that you be informed of the date
• Keep the tone factual and direct

This written request creates a formal record. It prevents a school from claiming they "weren't aware" of your concerns, and it starts the documentation trail you'll need if you have to escalate later.

Step 3: The ESS Team Review

The school's Education Support Services team is a multidisciplinary group that typically includes the school administrator, resource teacher(s), guidance counselor, and — when available — itinerant specialists such as speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, or school psychologists.

At the ESS review meeting, the team will discuss your child's current performance, the classroom interventions already in place, and whether additional assessment is needed. The classroom teacher holds primary responsibility for the student's educational progress under Section 27 of the Education Act, so they should be present or represented.

At this stage, the team may:

• Decide that existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 classroom supports are sufficient and agree to monitor progress
• Recommend proceeding to a formal assessment
• Begin developing an initial PLP based on existing information

If the team recommends assessment but the school psychologist queue is long (18 to 24 months in the Anglophone sector), you have options — see Step 4.

Step 4: Assessment — Public vs. Private

A psychoeducational assessment provides the diagnostic foundation for a meaningful PLP. It identifies cognitive strengths and weaknesses, academic performance levels, and any specific learning disabilities, ADHD presentations, or other conditions that should inform the plan.

Public assessment: Conducted by a school psychologist. In the Anglophone system, with only six psychologists serving approximately 70,000 students, waits can be 18 to 24 months. The Francophone system is better resourced with faster turnarounds.

Private assessment: Conducted by a registered psychologist in private practice. Cost is approximately $225/hour; a comprehensive assessment typically takes 12 to 15 hours of clinical time, for a total of $2,700 to $3,400. Once submitted to the school, the district is legally required to fully consider the findings.

During the wait for a public assessment, you can — and should — request an interim PLP based on existing teacher observation and any available clinical information. Your child does not have to be in limbo simply because the psychologist queue is long.

Step 5: PLP Development

Once assessment information is available (or sufficient information exists from teacher observation and any external documentation), the ESS team convenes to develop the PLP. You must be included in this meeting.

The PLP must contain:

1. The student's diagnosis (if applicable) and present level of function
2. Strengths, interests, and needs
3. Specific, measurable goals and targets for the academic year
4. Current supports in place (EA time, assistive technology, therapy schedule, etc.)
5. Team signatures, including your signature as the parent

At this meeting, you have the right to ask questions, request changes, and withhold your signature until you are satisfied with the plan. You can also bring a support person — a friend, family member, or representative from Inclusion NB.

Step 6: Review Your Child's PLP Tier

Make sure you understand which type of PLP is being proposed:

• Accommodated: Standard curriculum, adjusted delivery. Does not change graduation requirements.
• Adjusted: Curriculum outcomes modified. Affects high school transcripts and can limit university options.
• Individualized: Entirely distinct from the standard curriculum. Focused on functional life skills.

Before signing an adjusted PLP, ask specifically which course outcomes are being changed and how that will affect your child's Grade 10-12 options and university eligibility.

Step 7: Implementation and Monitoring

The PLP is a living document. Progress toward goals must be reported to you simultaneously with the regular report card. This is a legal requirement under Policy 322 — not a courtesy.

If goals are not being reviewed, if promised supports are not being delivered, or if you observe no meaningful progress over months without any plan revision, request an emergency PLP review meeting. You do not have to wait for the annual review cycle.

Step 8: If Things Break Down

If the school refuses to initiate a PLP, delays the process without explanation, or produces a plan that doesn't meaningfully address your child's needs:

1. File a written escalation to the district superintendent
2. Contact Inclusion NB for advocacy support
3. File a formal appeal under the Education Act if a placement or programming decision has been made that you disagree with (ten-day window)
4. Contact the Office of the Child, Youth and Senior Advocate if your child is being excluded from school

The full process moves faster when you know exactly what to request and when. The New Brunswick IEP & Support Plan Blueprint includes step-by-step guidance, the specific questions to ask at each stage, and ready-to-use email templates for requesting assessments, ESS meetings, and formal reviews.

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