Oregon Department of Education
Chapter 581
Division 15
SPECIAL EDUCATION
581-015-2735
Parent Consent for ECSE
(1) Consent means that the parent:
(a) Has been fully informed, in his or her native language or other mode of communication, of all information relevant to the activity for which consent is sought; and
(b) Understands and agrees in writing to the carrying out of the activity for which his or her consent is sought.
(2) Consent is voluntary on the part of the parent and meets the requirements of the consent provisions of this rule and 34 CFR 300.622 and 34 CFR 99.30 implementing IDEA, and FERPA respectively.
(3) Consent for initial evaluation:
(a) The public agency must provide notice under OAR 581-015-2745 and obtain informed written parental consent before conducting an initial ECSE evaluation to determine if a child qualifies as a child with a disability under 581-015-2795. Consent for initial evaluation may not be construed as consent for the initial provision of special education and related services.
(b) The public agency must make reasonable efforts to obtain the informed consent from a parent for an initial evaluation to determine a child's eligibility for ECSE services.
(c) If a parent of a child enrolled in public preschool or seeking to be enrolled in public preschool does not provide consent for an initial evaluation, does not respond to a request for consent for an initial evaluation, or revokes consent for an initial evaluation, the public agency may, but is not required to, pursue the initial evaluation of the child using mediation or due process hearing procedures. A public agency does not violate its child find obligations if it declines to pursue the evaluation using these procedures.
(4) Consent for initial provision of services:
(a) The contractor or subcontractor must obtain informed consent from the parent of the child before the initial provision of ECSE services to the child.
(b) The contractor or subcontractor must make reasonable efforts to obtain informed consent from the parent for the initial provision of ECSE services to the child.
(c) If a parent does not respond or refuses to consent for initial provision of ECSE services or revokes consent for the initial provision of ECSE services, the contractor or subcontractor may not seek to provide ECSE services to the child by using mediation or due process hearing procedures.
(d) If a parent refuses to grant consent for initial provision of ECSE services, does not respond to a request to provide consent for the initial provision of ECSE services, or revokes consent for such services:
(A) The contractor or subcontractor will not be considered to be in violation of the requirement to make available a free appropriate public education to the child for the failure to provide the child with the ECSE services for which the contractor or subcontractor requests consent; and
(B) The contractor or subcontractor is not required to convene an IFSP meeting or develop an IFSP for the child for the ECSE services for which consent is requested.
(e) If, at any time subsequent to the initial provision of ECSE services, the parent of a student revokes consent in writing for the continued provision of ECSE services, the school district
(A) May not continue to provide ECSE services to the student, but must provide prior written notice in accordance with OAR 581-015-2310 before ceasing the provision of special education and related services; and
(B) Is not required to amend the child’s education records to remove any references to the child’s receipt of special education and related services because of the revocation of consent.
(5) Consent for reevaluation:
(a) The public agency must obtain informed parent consent before conducting any reevaluation of a child with a disability, except as provided in subsections (b) and OAR 581-015-2740(3).
(b) If a parent refuses to consent to the reevaluation or revokes consent for the reevaluation, the public agency may, but is not required to, pursue the reevaluation by using mediation or due process hearing procedures. A district does not violate its child find obligations if it declines to pursue the reevaluation using these procedures.
(c) If, after reasonable efforts to obtain parent consent, the parent does not respond, the public agency may conduct the reevaluation without consent, unless the reevaluation is an individual intelligence test or test of personality.
(6) Consent to Access Public Benefits or Insurance
(a) Prior to accessing a child or parent’s public benefits or insurance for the first time, or disclosing a child’s personally identifiable information to the State’s public benefits or insurance program for the first time, the ECSE program must obtain informed consent in accordance with IDEA, 34 CFR 300.622 and with the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 34 CFR 99.30.
(b) Such consent must specify:
(A) The personally identifiable information that may be disclosed (e.g., records or information about the services that may be provided to a particular child);
(B) The purpose of the disclosure (e.g., billing for services), and
(C) The agency to which the disclosure may be made (e.g., the State’s public benefits or insurance program (e.g., Medicaid)); and
(D) Specify that the parent understands and agrees that the public agency may access the child’s or parent’s public benefits or insurance to pay for services.
(7) Revocation of consent:
(a) A parent may revoke consent at any time before the completion of the activity or action for which they have given consent.
(A) A parent may revoke consent for an evaluation or reevaluation that has not yet been conducted.
(B) A parent may revoke consent for the provision of special education services in writing at any time before or during the provision of those services.
(C) A parent may revoke consent for release of personally identifiable information to the State’s public benefits or insurance program (e.g., Medicaid).
(b) If a parent revokes consent, that revocation is not retroactive.
(8) Other consent requirements:
(a) The public agency must document its reasonable efforts to obtain parent consent in accordance with OAR 581-015-2755(2)(b).
(b) A parent's refusal to consent to one service or activity may not be used to deny the parent or child any other service, benefit, or activity of the contractor or subcontractor, except as provided in this rule.
(c) If a parent of a child who is placed in a private school by the parents at their own expense does not provide consent for the initial evaluation or the reevaluation, or the parent does not respond to a request for consent:
(A) The public agency may not use mediation or due process hearing procedures to seek consent; and
(B) The public agency is not required to consider the child as eligible for ECSE services.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 343.475 & 343.531
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 343.475, 343.531, 34 CFR 300.300 & 34 CFR 300.622
History:
ODE 12-2013, f. & cert. ef. 5-30-13
ODE 11-2013(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 4-25-13 thru 10-21-13
ODE 13-2009, f. & cert. ef. 12-10-09
Renumbered from 581-015-0939, ODE 10-2007, f. & cert. ef. 4-25-07
ODE 2-2003, f. & cert. ef. 3-10-03
ODE 24-2000, f. & cert. ef. 10-16-00
EB 4-1995, f. & cert. ef. 1-24-95