IEP Request Letter From a Parent: What to Write and What Clock It Starts

IEP request letter from parent: why it has to be in writing

A talk in the hallway or a phone call does not start the school's clock. There is no dated paper to point to later. A written, dated letter shows what you asked for, when you asked, and what worried you. That is what starts the process in a way you can prove.

You need no special words and no form from the school. A short letter in plain words is enough, as long as it clearly asks the school to test your child.

What your letter must contain

• Your child's full name, date of birth, school, and grade.
• Today's date, written on the letter itself.
• A clear sentence requesting an evaluation for special education and related services.
• Your concerns in plain words, with examples. Name reading, writing, math, speech, behavior, attention, or any other area that worries you.
• A request for a written answer, and for the consent form to sign if the school agrees to test.
• Your name, address, phone number, and email.
• A line asking the school to tell you in writing if it says no, and why.

Keep it to one page. Clear, dated, and specific is stronger than long.

The state clocks your letter starts

There is no single national clock for this first step. Your state sets how fast the school must answer, and states count days in different ways:

• Texas: the school has 15 school days to answer a written request, either by asking for your consent to test or by giving written notice that it refuses (Texas Education Code §29.004(c)).
• Illinois: the school has 14 school days to decide whether to evaluate and to notify you of that decision (23 Ill. Admin. Code §226.110(c)(3)).
• Florida: the school has 30 days to either get your consent for testing or give you written notice that it refuses (Florida Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(b)).
• California: the school must give you a proposed assessment plan within 15 countable days of your referral (California Education Code §56321). Days when school is not in session can change the count, so check the school calendar.
• New York: your written referral itself is the trigger that starts the evaluation process (8 NYCRR §200.4(a)).

In another state, ask the school in writing which rule applies and what date it counts as the deadline.

A short model letter

[Your name, address, phone, and email. Today's date.]

Dear [Principal or Special Education Director],

I am writing to request an evaluation of my child, [full name], born [date of birth], in [grade] at [school name]. I am concerned about [name the areas, for example reading, paying attention, and finishing written work]. I have noticed [one or two short examples, with dates].

Please let me know in writing what happens next, and please send me the consent form to sign if you agree to evaluate. If you decide not to evaluate, please tell me that decision and the reasons in writing. Thank you. [Your signature and printed name], parent of [child's full name].

Delivery proof: the part parents skip and later need

Send the letter in a way that proves the school received it. Hand-deliver it and ask for a date-stamped copy. Or email it and keep the sent email. Or use certified mail and keep the tracking receipt. Keep your copy, proof, and any reply in one folder, in date order. If the school answers by phone, follow up the same day with a short email confirming what was said. That creates the paper the call did not.

Practical next steps

• Write and date your letter today, using the model above.
• Deliver it in a way that gives you proof, and file that proof.
• Write your state's deadline on a calendar, counted from the day the school received your letter.
• If no written answer arrives by that date, send a short written follow-up naming the delivery date and asking for the answer in writing.

Go to the checker: The school said no

Rules checked October 2026 — every rule on this page is cited to its source. Verify day counts against your district's official calendar.