State Law Changes to Special Education Evaluations

*This message was sent via email to families of students who receive Special Education services. We are sharing the information via the district bulletin and our website in hopes of reaching all of our families with students who receive services.

Dear Parent and Caregiver Community,

We are writing to inform you of recent changes to Washington State law that affect special education referral and evaluation timelines. These changes take effect June 11, 2026, and will apply to any evaluations that are due on or after that date. 

The new law (House Bill 2557) introduces updated requirements for how schools conduct evaluations and communicate with families. You can review detailed guidance about evaluations and eligibility from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) on their website. For a translatable and accessible version of the information from OSPI about evaluations and eligibility, visit our website.

Summary of Key Changes:

• Referral timeline: Reduced from 25 to 20 school days
• Evaluation timeline: Now 40 school days (applies to initial evaluations, reevaluations, and amended evaluations)
• Unchanged timelines:
  • Triennial reevaluations
  • Transition from Birth-to-3 (age 3 eligibility)
• Draft evaluation reports:
  • Families will receive a completed draft evaluation report at least 5 school days before the eligibility meeting
  • Draft reports will not include an eligibility decision
• Eligibility determination:
  • Eligibility and service decisions (e.g., specially designed instruction, related services, supports) will be made during the evaluation meeting, not in advance
  • The evaluation team will continue to provide recommendations in the body of the evaluation report
  • Official eligibility determination and recommended areas of SDI, related, SAS etc. will be made at the meeting

Additional Updates:

• The state-issued Procedural Safeguards (the “purple book”) have not yet been updated to reflect these changes. Once OSPI releases a revised version, we will share it with families.
• The Issaquah School District is in the process of updating its policies and procedures to align with the new law.

We are committed to ensuring families continue to receive clear communication and meaningful participation in the evaluation process. If you have questions about how these changes may affect your child’s evaluation, or about Child Find Procedures, visit our website for additional information.

In Service,
ISD Special Services Department