Reviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Long, Ph.D. — Director of Special Education, 32 years in public schools.
In Connecticut, the deadline you can point to is 45 days — calendar days, not school days — from when the school receives your written referral until your child's IEP is actually being delivered (under R.C.S.A. § 10-76d-13(a)(1)). The time the school spends waiting for your signed consent does not count toward it.
What this deadline covers. Notably, this one window covers everything — evaluation, eligibility, the IEP, and starting services — so the real working time is tighter than the number sounds.
You may hear a different number. The State Department of Education monitors districts against 45 school days to complete an initial evaluation, not counting the time spent waiting for your consent. That figure is what the state measures districts on, and it is not written into the rule. The date you count is the one above: 45 days from your written referral.
Connecticut's window runs from the written referral and covers everything through implementing the IEP (60 days if an out-of-district placement is involved).
Under federal law (20 U.S.C. § 1414(a)(1)(C)) the default is 60 calendar days from the school's receipt of consent, but Connecticut's own rule controls where it sets one.
The timeline generally begins when the school receives your signed written referral — write the deadline on your calendar that day so you can tell early and calmly if things slip. Try the deadline calculator →
"Calendar days," "school days," and "business days" differ sharply — school and business days exclude weekends and breaks, so the same number can mean very different real dates. The number above is in calendar days, so weekends and school vacations count.
You can ask to see the evaluation results before the PPT meeting, and you have to ask — nothing happens automatically. If you request them, Connecticut requires the district to give you the assessment and evaluation results used to decide eligibility at least three school days before the PPT meeting where they will be discussed for the first time. Put the request in writing as soon as the meeting is scheduled.
A ready-to-send letter that formally requests a special education evaluation and starts the timeline. Just add your details. Enter your email and it's yours.
Every state has a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center that helps families for free. In Connecticut, that's Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC). For the official rules, see Connecticut's special education office.
Start factually: "Our evaluation was due on [date] based on Connecticut's timeline — can you give me an update?" Get the response in writing, and if it keeps slipping without a plan, it's reasonable to involve the special education director and consider a state complaint. Start by assuming it was a scheduling problem, not bad faith.
State special education rules change and are periodically updated. Confirm the current figure with Connecticut's Department of Education or your district before relying on any exact date. This is educational information, not legal advice.
Dr. Long's Assistant answers your specific questions in plain language — built from Dr. Long's expertise, plus state and federal law read at the source — never the open internet.
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