Transfer Procedures for Students with IEPs

The IEP must be in place BEFORE the start of the school year.  This includes holding and completing the IEP BEFORE the start of the school year if the IEP team cannot adopt the IEP from the previous district.

Note:  This means that the school should make efforts to locate such students during the summer.

The first day of enrollment is the first day a student attends the new school and attendance is taken for the student. It is Day 1 of  the transfer process. The new public agency shall immediately provide FAPE upon enrollment including services comparable to those  in the student’s IEP from the previous public agency.  

The District MUST hold, develop AND implement (“publish”) within 30 SCHOOL DAYS OF ENROLLMENT.  

The District MUST complete a REED, culminating in an IEP meeting to develop and implement a NEW IEP within 30 SCHOOL DAYS OF ENROLLMENT.

• OBTAIN AND REVIEW RECORDS (before or same day as enrollment)
  • Consider a call to request the previous public agency fax special education records rather than waiting on the CA60 to arrive in the mail
• DETERMINE COMPARABLE SERVICES & PROVIDE FAPE (before or same day as enrollment)
  • IDEA does not define comparable but guides IEP teams to interpret “comparable” as services that are “similar” or “equivalent.”  For example, if a student’s IEP states they are in a “learning center” for math, they may be placed in “resource room” for math if the services and programming received in both placements are the same.  This same student may not be placed in “study skills” for all subjects because the services and programming received in both placements is different (math-specific instruction vs. general support for all subjects)
  • Comparable services should be based on needs, programming, and the professional judgment of the IEP Team rather than the eligibility category.
• CONSULT WITH PARENTS (before or same day as enrollment)
  • Consult about the transfer process and provide copies of all relevant forms and records.  
  • Follow standard procedures for IEPs & evaluations including obtaining consent & providing a copy of Procedural Safeguards
• COMPLETE A PERMISSION TO PLACE (before or same day as enrollment)
  • Select OUT OF STATE OPTION in response to Student Transferred From?
  • For additional assistance in determining data needs, please go to Quick FYIs for Permission to Place Fields and Out of State Permission to Place
• NOTIFY ALL RECEIVING PROVIDERS (before or same day as enrollment)
  • Provide the permission to place and most recent IEP to all receiving providers as well as general education teachers
• COMPLETE A REED (complete REED, perform evaluation (if appropriate), complete MET Form, within 30 school days of enrollment)
  • An Initial REED (not a Reevaluation REED) must be completed as part of the transfer process for out-of-state students. The MET, in consultation with parents, may determine if additional assessment is required to establish eligibility per Michigan. Parent consent must be obtained for the REED regardless of the decision to conduct additional assessment. Available information and data from the most recent 12 months would be considered most relevant to the decision process as guided by the professional judgment of the IEP team. The MET should complete the MET form to indicate the student’s eligibility for special education services. 
• DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A NEW IEP (within 30 school days of enrollment)
  • The IEP team including the MET and parents should develop and implement a new IEP that integrates evaluation results with the student’s current educational strengths and needs as well as how to meet those needs best in the new educational setting. 
  • In instances of overdue IEPs (more than a year old), the new public agency must follow the same requirements of other transfer students even if the previous public agency failed to meet annual review requirements for the student’s IEP but the student continued to receive special education and related services under the IEP. Therefore, the initial REED & IEP should be completed as soon as possible upon enrollment. A Permission to Place form is still required and the student should receive special education services while the new IEP is in process.