Lessard Learning

📌 Did You Know? Your School District Has a Deadline After Receiving a Private Evaluation
If you submit a private evaluation (such as a neuropsychological evaluation, speech-language evaluation, OT evaluation, etc.) to your child’s school district, the district has a legal obligation to review it promptly.
Under Massachusetts special education regulations, the Team must convene within 10 school days of receiving the independent evaluation to consider the results and determine whether changes to the IEP, services, or placement are needed.
This meeting is not optional—and the district cannot simply “file the report away or delay the meeting.”
During this meeting, the Team should:
✔️ Review the evaluation findings and recommendations
✔️ ✔️ Determine whether new goals, services, or placement changes are required
✔️ Document the discussion and decisions in the IEP
📣 Important:
The district must meaningfully consider the results and recommendations.
Private evaluations are powerful tools in advocating for appropriate services—make sure the district follows the process required by law.
💬 When you submit a private evaluation, it is helpful to include a cover letter proposing that the district accept the evaluation in full and implement all the recommendations. This way, the district is required to provide a cogent response to any recommendation they don't accept. It may also be helpful to include several dates and times in the ten day timeframe in the cover letter. If you already have a meeting scheduled, provide the evaluation to the district ten school days prior to the date of the meeting.

📣Action Alert!!

A hearing on H.4217 is happening TOMORROW: Hearing scheduled for 11/18/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1.

AN ACT TO ENSURE FAIR DUE PROCESS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION DISPUTES

You do NOT have to register to testify in person. We now have 8 petitioners but were not made aware that a hearing date had been set - can anyone testify?

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4217