Midwest · MI
Michigan special education IEP compliance and timelines
Governing regulations: Mich. Admin. Code R. 340.1701 et seq. (Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education, MARSE). State education agency: Michigan Department of Education.
- Initial evaluation
- 30 school days from receipt of written parental consent to determine eligibility and provide notice of the initial offer of FAPE; extensions must be written and counted in school days.
- Initial IEP meeting
- The IEP team meeting and the initial offer of FAPE fall inside the same 30 school day window; the parent then has 10 school days to consent to services. (Mich. Admin. Code R. 340.1721b)
- 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
- Michigan K-12 Standards
- IEP forms & systems
- No single statewide IEP platform; intermediate school districts (ISDs) select vendor systems and forms for their member districts.
Where Michigan differs from the federal baseline
- Michigan's single 30 school day clock covers evaluation, eligibility and the initial IEP offer, much shorter than the federal model.
- Michigan serves eligible students from birth through age 25, beyond the federal age 21 limit.
- Special education is planned regionally through intermediate school district (ISD) plans approved by MDE.
- Any extension of the 30 school day timeline requires written parent and agency agreement measured in school days.
Current monitoring priorities
- Indicator 11 timely evaluations under the 30 school day rule
- ISD plan compliance and general supervision
- Indicator 13 secondary transition IEP content
MI IEP compliance checklist
- 01Signed consent date recorded; evaluation due within 30 school days.
- 02Eligibility determined and initial IEP meeting scheduled: The IEP team meeting and the initial offer of FAPE fall inside the same 30 school day window; the parent then has 10 school days to consent to services.
- 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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