Below are samples of the most commonly used letters requested by parents throughout each year. In effort of assisting parents to gather and prepare letters on their own, you may "copy and paste" the below templates into a Word document in Microsoft or a Pages document if you are using a Mac. Hopefully this will help may parents with their letter writing efforts.
Letter Requesting Initial
Evaluation
(Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.)
Date
Name of principal
Name of school
Address of school
Dear (name of principal):
I am the parent of (name of student), a student at your school. My child’s teacher
and I have concerns that my child may have a disability and is in need of special
education services.
[or]
I am the parent of (name of child), a child that resides in your district that is or will be
3 years old on (birth date). I believe my child may have a disability and is in need of
special education services.
I am requesting a full individual evaluation of my child. I believe testing is needed in
the area(s) of: (list areas of suspected disability needing testing).
I understand that the evaluation must be completed within 45 school days from the
date the school district receives signed consent for evaluation.
Please contact me, within five days of this request, to schedule a meeting to sign
consent forms to evaluate my child. Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Your telephone number
Your e-mail address (optional)
Letter Requesting Additional
Testing
(Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.)
Date
Name of principal
Name of school
Address of school
Dear (name of principal):
I am the parent of (name of student), a student at your school. I have studied the
reports of the school’s evaluation of my child and believe she was not evaluated in
every area of suspected disability. I believe additional testing is needed in the area(s)
of: (list areas needing further testing). [or] I believe my child may need specialized
services and am requesting that she receive a specific evaluation for (orientation
and mobility, functional behavioral assessment, vocational evaluation, assistive
technology evaluation, etc.)
I look forward to hearing from you within five school days of the date you receive
this letter if you do not plan to schedule an ARD meeting to consider my request.
Otherwise, please contact me so we can arrange a time and place for the meeting.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Your telephone number
Your e-mail address (optional)
Letter Requesting an
Independent Evaluation
(Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.)
Date
Name of principal
Name of school
Address of school
Dear (name of principal):
I am the parent of (name of student), a student at your school. I disagree with the
school’s evaluation of (name of student), and I am requesting an independent
evaluation.
Please send me a copy of the written criteria under which independent evaluations
must be conducted and a written list of independent evaluators I can consider.
I understand the school must pay for the independent evaluation unless it requests
a hearing to prove that its evaluation was appropriate. I will send you the results of
the evaluation. I understand it must be considered in any future decisions about my
child’s education.
Please send me the criteria and list or let me know within five school days of the date
you receive this letter if you intend to request a due process hearing.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Your telephone number
Your e-mail address (optional)
Letter Requesting Reevaluation
(Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.)
Date
Name of principal
Name of school
Address of school
Dear (name of principal):
I am the parent of (name of student), a student at your school. I recently reviewed
my child’s evaluation, and I believe a new (speech, physical therapy, assistive
technology) evaluation is needed because _________________________. It has
been at least a year since my child has been evaluated in this area.
I look forward to hearing from you within five school days of the date you receive
this letter if you do not plan to schedule an ARD meeting to consider my request.
Otherwise, please contact me so we can arrange a time and place for the meeting.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Your telephone number
Your e-mail address (optional)
Letter Requesting
Records From School
(Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.)
Date
Name of principal
Name of school
Address of school
Dear (name of principal):
I am the parent of (name of student), a student at your school. Please inform me
in writing of the types and locations of all education records collected, maintained
or used for (name of student) by the school district. Please tell me where all these
records are kept and whom I should contact so I can look at them. After looking at
the list, I will let you know which records I wish to review.
Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Your telephone number
Your e-mail address (optional)
Letter Requesting Review
and Revision of IEP
(Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.)
Date
Name of principal
Name of school
Address of school
Dear (name of principal):
I am the parent of (name of student), a student at your school. I recently reviewed my
child’s IEP, which was developed in (month and year), and I believe it is (out of date,
incomplete, based on insufcient evaluation information, etc.) because (state your reasons).
I request a new meeting be held as soon as possible to review and, if necessary, revise
(name of student)’s IEP. Please contact me within 10 days so the meeting can be scheduled
at a mutually agreeable time and place.
Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Your telephone number
Your e-mail address (optional)