South · GA

Georgia special education IEP compliance and timelines

Governing regulations: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 160-4-7. State education agency: Georgia Department of Education.

Initial evaluation: 60 calendar days after receipt of parental consent to complete the evaluation report; breaks of 5 or more consecutive school days, plus adjoining weekends, are not counted.
Initial IEP meeting: A meeting to develop the initial IEP within 30 calendar days of the eligibility determination. (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-7-.06; 34 CFR § 300.323(c)(1))
Annual review: At least once every 365 days (34 CFR § 300.324(b)(1)).
Reevaluation: At least every 3 years unless the parent and LEA agree it is unnecessary, and not more than once a year without agreement (34 CFR § 300.303).
Transition planning: Must be in effect by age 16.
Academic standards: Georgia's K-12 Standards (Georgia Standards of Excellence and successor ELA and math standards)
IEP forms & systems: GO-IEP, a state-provided IEP system, is available to Georgia LEAs; some districts use vendor systems instead.

Where Georgia differs from the federal baseline

The 60 day clock ends when evaluation reports are complete; eligibility need not be decided inside the 60 days, though GaDOE recommends promptly afterward.
Holiday periods of 5 or more consecutive school days, including adjoining weekends, are excluded from the 60 day count.
Georgia law (SB 48, 2019) requires dyslexia screening in grades K to 3, separate from IDEA child find.

01Signed consent date recorded; evaluation due within 60 calendar days.
02Eligibility determined and initial IEP meeting scheduled: A meeting to develop the initial IEP within 30 calendar days of the eligibility determination.
03PLAAFP includes measurable baselines and a statement of how the disability affects involvement in the general curriculum (34 CFR § 300.320(a)(1)).
04Each annual goal is measurable, with condition, behavior, criterion and measurement method (§ 300.320(a)(2)).
05Progress reporting schedule stated for each goal (§ 300.320(a)(3)).
06Transition goals and services in effect by age 16 where applicable.
07Prior Written Notice issued for every proposal or refusal, with all seven § 300.503(b) elements.
08Annual review scheduled within 365 days; reevaluation within 3 years.

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