Initial Teacher Referral for SpEd Evaluation — Checklist
Source email: "Referrals" — Shannon Flaherty (and Ms. Vannoni), 2025-01-13 Audience: Gen ed teachers referring students they suspect may have a disability.
Annual cutoff window
Teacher referrals close around the end of March (in 2025: March 30). After the cutoff, no new referrals are accepted that school year because there isn't enough calendar runway to complete the evaluation before the end of the school year.
"Due to calendar constraints and the need for all cases to be completed before the end of the school year, we will not accept any teacher referrals after March 30th."
The exact cutoff date moves year to year — confirm with Shannon each January.
Pre-referral step (don't skip)
"If you have a student you believe should be considered for evaluation, please discuss with your grade level team..."
Talk to your grade-level team before submitting. Shannon and Ms. Vannoni will then review.
Submission
- Complete the referral form.
- Deliver a paper copy to Shannon's office (not electronic — paper).
- Provide the additional information listed below alongside the form.
Required attachments
| # | Attachment | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Writing work samples | Include the assignment directions, expectations, and how the student performed relative to the group |
| 2 | Math work samples | Include "score" or number correct/incorrect |
| 3 | Your observations | Cover: attention to instruction, participation in class, task initiation, task completion, level of support needed to start and complete work, peer interactions |
| 4 | Strengths and weaknesses | At least one strength and one weakness in each of: reading, writing, math (3 strengths + 3 weaknesses total) |
| 5 | Anything else relevant | Free-form |
What happens after you submit
"Ms. Vannoni and I will review all referrals and determine the best way to proceed. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to test for a possible disability. Consequently, some referred students may not move on to be formally tested."
A referral is not a guarantee of testing. The review team may decide other supports (MTSS / Tier 2 / 504 / observation period) come first.
Spanish version
The 2025-01-13 email included a Spanish translation of all the above for Spanish-speaking teachers — full text in the source email. Reach out to Shannon if you need it again.