Presenting evaluation results to families with care

Families hear evaluation results once, often in a room of six professionals, and they carry that hour home for years. How you present results shapes whether the parent can take part in the eligibility decision, which they are entitled to do as a member of the group.^[1] The steps below are for school psychologists, but SLPs, OTs and case managers presenting their own sections can use them too.

For what the parent is reading on their side of the table, see the parent guide on how to read a psychoeducational report.

What you need before you start

• The finished report, with a one-page summary at the front.
• The parent's referral concerns and input form, in their words.
• A simple score chart: the bell curve with standard scores and percentiles marked.
• Work samples or data that show each key finding in class terms.
• The meeting date and the IEP deadline that follows, so you can answer "what happens next?"

Step by step

Step 1: Send the report early

Give the parent the report several days before the meeting. Some states set a rule; where they do not, aim for at least 3 school days. Include a short cover note: "The first page is the summary. I'm happy to call before the meeting to go over it." The parent has a right to a copy of the evaluation report.^[1] Getting it early is what makes that copy useful.

Step 2: Offer a pre-meeting call

A 15-minute call lets the parent react in private, ask the questions they would not ask in a full room and raise disagreements early. It is especially worth doing when the news is hard, such as a possible intellectual disability, or when the result is likely "not eligible."

Step 3: Open with the family's concern

Start the meeting by restating why the evaluation happened, in the parent's own words: "In September you told us Kai reads slowly and hates homework. Let's look at what we found about that." This anchors every score to something the family cares about.

Step 4: Lead with strengths that are real

Name one or two true strengths, with evidence. "His listening comprehension is at the 63rd percentile; he understands grade-level stories read aloud as well as most of his classmates." Avoid empty praise. Parents notice when a strength is filler.

Step 5: Give three to five key findings

Do not walk through every subtest. Pick the findings that answer the referral question. For each one, give the finding, one number and one classroom example.

Step 6: Translate every score

Most parents do not know what a standard score of 78 means. Say it three ways: the number, the percentile and a comparison. "His word reading is 78, which is the 7th percentile. Out of 100 children his age, about 93 would score higher." Show the bell curve. Skip grade equivalents; they suggest precision the tests do not have. The standard score and percentile rank glossary entries have plain definitions you can share.

Step 7: Check understanding and pause

After the findings, stop. Ask: "What stands out to you?" or "What questions do you have before we talk about eligibility?" Then wait. Silence of 10 seconds feels long but gives the parent time to form a question.

Step 8: Link findings to the decision and next steps

Connect the findings to the two eligibility questions and say what happens next, with dates. If the student is found eligible, the IEP meeting must happen within 30 days.^[2] The IEP due date calculator gives you the exact date to tell the parent.

Worked example: Kai, grade 3

Kai is fictional. His mother, Ms. Tran, asked for the evaluation in September because he reads slowly and avoids homework.

Before the meeting. The psychologist sends the report on October 28 for a November 3 meeting, with a cover note. Ms. Tran calls on October 30 and asks one question: "Does this mean he's not smart?" The psychologist explains that his reasoning scores are average and that the report is about how he reads, not how bright he is.

At the meeting, the opening. "In September you told us Kai reads slowly and that homework takes 2 hours. We wanted to find out why."

Strengths. "Kai's verbal reasoning is a standard score of 104, the 61st percentile. His math problem solving is 101. He understands and reasons like most kids his age."

Key findings.

Translation. "Kai's reading of words, at the 7th percentile, is much lower than his reasoning, at the 61st. When text is read to him, he understands it well. The problem is getting the words off the page."

Check and pause. Ms. Tran asks whether this is dyslexia. The psychologist says the pattern fits what many people call dyslexia, and that the team will use the state category of specific learning disability. The guide to does dyslexia qualify for an IEP is shared as a handout.

Decision and dates. The team finds Kai eligible on November 3. The IEP meeting is set for November 17, inside the 30-day window.

Common mistakes

• Weak: "His FSIQ was 98, VCI 104, PSI 85, and the BRS cluster was 76." Better: "His reasoning is average. His reading of words is far below average. Here is what that looks like."
• Weak: Reading the report aloud, page by page. Better: Summarize 3 to 5 findings and point to the page for each.
• Weak: "He is reading at a grade 1.4 level." Better: "He reads 41 words a minute on grade 3 passages; classmates read about twice that."
• Weak: Saving the hard news for the last five minutes. Better: Raise it in the pre-meeting call, then again early in the meeting.
• Weak: "Any questions?" while packing up. Better: Pause after the findings and ask an open question.
• Weak: Calling the parent "Mom" in the meeting. Better: Use the parent's name.

When the news is hard

For a finding like intellectual disability or an emotional disturbance, slow down. Name the finding once, clearly, and then describe the child the family knows. Offer the written definition, explain what the label does and does not mean and give time before moving to the IEP. Many teams split the eligibility and IEP meetings in this case so the family can absorb the result.

When the result is "not eligible," say so plainly, explain which part of the two-part test was not met and describe the next support. The family guide found not eligible: next steps is a good handout.

Tools

The eligibility meeting checklist covers the logistics around this conversation, and psychoeducational report recommendations shows how to write findings families can act on. The evaluation and reevaluation glossary entries are plain-language handouts. For the full timeline, see the IEP evaluation process.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Evaluation in the IEP glossary
• Reevaluation in the IEP glossary
• Percentile rank in the IEP glossary
• IEP due date calculator

Related guides

• The IEP evaluation process: from referral to eligibility
• How to read a psychoeducational evaluation report
• Psychoeducational report recommendations teams can use
• Eligibility meeting checklist
• The school psychologist's role in special education
• What tests are in a psychoeducational evaluation?
• What to do if the school declines to evaluate

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.306: Determination of eligibility, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
2. 34 CFR §300.323: When IEPs must be in effect, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.