Chapter 14 Changes to Evaluation Timelines, Behavior Plans and FBAs

Special education services and programs in public schools are regulated and implemented underthe authority of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). IDEA wasreauthorized effective July 1, 2005. The revised federal regulations of the reauthorized IDEAwere promulgated on August 14, 2006. Sometime thereafter, a committee of the State Board ofEducation (“Board”) in Pennsylvania revised Chapter 14 to align it with the reauthorized IDEA.Pennsylvania’s revisions to Chapter 14 took effect July 1, 2008.Revised Chapter 14 added a new requirement that multidisciplinary evaluations andreevaluations be completed within sixty calendar days from the date therents provide writtenconsent for the evaluation. Previously, Pennsylvania was aligned with a minority of states thathad allowed sixty school days for the completion of multidisciplinary evaluations andreevaluations. Also, summer breaks were not included in the calculation of days for completionof the evaluation, and, under revised Chapter 14, they still do not count. However, for purposesof calculating the evaluation timeline, revised Chapter 14 will count lengthy holiday breaks, dayslost torent-teacher conferences, inclement weather and in-service days, even though childrenare generally not in school on those days.for more... http://www.sweetstevens.com/areas/special/documents/Ch14ChngstoETBPFBA.pdfEducational services