Triennial IEP

The Triennial Individualized Education Program (IEP), also referred to as a triennial assessment or review, occurs every three years. Students who receive special education services must be reassessed during this time to determine their continued eligibility for services. The IEP team will work together to decide which assessments will be conducted during this triennial review. Additional reviews may be scheduled more frequently based on the student’s needs but cannot take place more than once a year without the consent of the parents and the district.

According to IDEA, students are allowed to be evaluated once per year, with the option for families or schools to request additional evaluations if new information is required before the triennial reevaluation.

If the school does not discuss a triennial evaluation, parents can talk to the IEP case manager. It is possible for parents and schools to agree in writing not to conduct a triennial reevaluation. After reviewing records and progress, the IEP team may determine sufficient data to support ongoing services and goal setting, in which case a reevaluation may not be necessary.

However, it is important to consider that three years is a significant amount of time. Even if it is evident that a student still qualifies for services, their needs and abilities may have evolved. A reevaluation can provide the IEP team with additional information to determine what should be included in the student’s IEP.

Triennial IEP Assessment and Meeting Guidelines:

• 60 days before the triennial IEP meeting to begin assessments
• 15 calendar days to propose a plan for re-assessment
• 60 calendar days after the parent agrees to the assessment plan to hold an IEP meeting to review the results

*These guidelines might vary from state to state

There are two types of reevaluations:

• Triennial reevaluation (three-year review)
• Parent or Teacher requested reevaluation

Reasons to request a reevaluation

A reevaluation can provide additional information to the IEP team. For instance, if a student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has accommodations to aid in their focus, but their impulsive behavior is also causing disruptions in the classroom, a behavior assessment might be necessary if it wasn’t included in the initial evaluation.

Some other reasons to reevaluate:

• New areas of concern became clearer once a student got support.
• The information from a previous evaluation didn’t address all the areas it needed to.
• A student wasn’t found initially eligible but still struggles.

The Key Take-away

The triennial reevaluation aims to see if a student’s needs have changed. It’s also to see if they still qualify for special education services.

LeafWing can assist in providing a list of necessary services that must be established on your student’s IEP Plan to succeed in a school environment. Please reach out to your BCBA for assistance.

Other Assessments:

Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
Psychological evaluation
Psycho-educational testing
Classroom observation

Other Considerations:

IEP Transition Plan
Individual Transition Plan (ITP)