South · NC
North Carolina special education IEP compliance and timelines
Governing regulations: Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities (NC 1500 to 1508); N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 115C, Article 9. State education agency: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
- Initial evaluation
- North Carolina sets a 90-day clock from receipt of a written referral, not from consent: the evaluation, eligibility determination and, for eligible children, the IEP and placement must all be completed within 90 days.
- Initial IEP meeting
- The IEP must be developed and the placement decision made within the same 90-day window that starts when the written referral is received, so the IEP meeting has to fit inside that period. (NC 1503-2.2(c))
- Annual review
- At least once every 365 days (34 CFR § 300.324(b)(1)).
- Reevaluation
- At least every 3 years, and not more than once a year unless the parent and LEA agree (34 CFR § 300.303).
- Transition planning
- Must be in effect by age 14, earlier than the federal age of 16.
- Academic standards
- North Carolina Standard Course of Study
- IEP forms & systems
- North Carolina runs a single statewide system: LEAs and charter schools document IEPs in ECATS (Every Child Accountability and Tracking System), administered by NCDPI.
Where North Carolina differs from the federal baseline
- The initial timeline runs 90 days from receipt of a written referral, covering evaluation, eligibility, IEP development and placement (NC 1503-2.2(c)).
- A parent's oral request for evaluation obligates the LEA to help the parent complete a written referral, which starts the clock (NC 1503-2.2(b)).
- Transition content begins with the first IEP in effect when the child turns 14, or younger if the IEP team decides, and adds measurable postsecondary goals by 16 (NC 1503-4.1(b)).
- IEP and evaluation documentation is kept in the statewide ECATS platform, which NCDPI also uses for data reporting.
Current monitoring priorities
- Compliance with the 90-day referral-to-placement timeline (Indicator 11)
- Secondary transition IEP content (Indicator 13)
- Data quality and timely reporting through ECATS
NC IEP compliance checklist
- 01Signed consent date recorded; evaluation due within 90 calendar days.
- 02Eligibility determined and initial IEP meeting scheduled: The IEP must be developed and the placement decision made within the same 90-day window that starts when the written referral is received, so the IEP meeting has to fit inside that period.
- 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 14 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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