Northeast · NH
New Hampshire special education IEP compliance and timelines
Governing regulations: N.H. Code Admin. R. Ed 1100 (Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities); RSA 186-C. State education agency: New Hampshire Department of Education.
- Initial evaluation
- The evaluation process must be completed within 60 days after the district receives parental consent to evaluate. The rule's extension provision applies to reevaluations, not initial evaluations.
- Initial IEP meeting
- The IEP team must meet to develop the IEP within 30 days of the eligibility determination. (34 CFR § 300.323(c)(1); N.H. Code Admin. R. Ed 1109)
- Annual review
- At least once every 365 days (34 CFR § 300.324(b)(1)).
- Reevaluation
- At least every 3 years (34 CFR § 300.303); Ed 1107.01 sets a 60-day completion limit for reevaluations, which can be extended by agreement.
- Transition planning
- Must be in effect by age 16.
- Academic standards
- New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards
- IEP forms & systems
- No single mandated statewide IEP authoring system. Districts and SAUs report special education data to the NHDOE through the state special education information system and choose their own IEP software.
Where New Hampshire differs from the federal baseline
- Initial evaluations must be completed within 60 days of receipt of parental consent, and the extension mechanism in Ed 1107.01 does not apply to initial evaluations.
- Reevaluations carry their own 60-day completion limit under Ed 1107.01(d), which may be extended under Ed 1107.01(e).
- Special education in New Hampshire is administered through School Administrative Units (SAUs), so evaluation and IEP responsibilities often sit at the SAU level rather than with a single district.
Current monitoring priorities
- Initial evaluation timeline compliance (Indicator 11)
- Secondary transition IEP content (Indicator 13)
- Correction of individual and systemic noncompliance
NH IEP compliance checklist
- 01Signed consent date recorded; evaluation due within 60 calendar days.
- 02Eligibility determined and initial IEP meeting scheduled: The IEP team must meet to develop the IEP within 30 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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