Review of existing evaluation data (REED): deciding whether to test

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A review of existing evaluation data (REED) is the step where the team looks at what it already knows about a student and decides what new data, if any, it needs. Gather records by area, answer the four questions in 34 CFR 300.305 for each area, and mark each one as enough data or more needed. If no testing is needed, tell the parent why in writing.

The REED is the planning step of an evaluation. It happens before any testing, and it decides the shape of what follows. A good REED saves the student hours of unnecessary testing and keeps the team from missing a new concern. A rushed one does the opposite.

The term REED is common but not universal. Some states and districts call it a record review, an evaluation planning meeting or a reevaluation review. The rules behind it are federal.

What the rule requires

As part of an initial evaluation, if appropriate, and as part of any reevaluation, the IEP team and other qualified professionals must review existing data.^[1] That data includes evaluations and information from the parents, current classroom, local and state assessments, classroom-based observations, and observations by teachers and related service providers.

On the basis of that review and input from the parents, the team identifies what additional data, if any, is needed to decide:

Whether the student has, or continues to have, a disability, and the educational needs of the student
The student's present levels of academic achievement and related developmental needs
Whether the student needs, or continues to need, special education and related services
Whether any additions or changes to the special education and related services are needed to meet the IEP goals and take part in the general curriculum

The group may do the review without a meeting.^[1] Parent consent is not needed to review existing data.^[2] If the team decides no more data is needed to confirm the student still has a disability, it must notify the parent of that decision, the reasons, and the parent's right to request an assessment anyway.^[1] Any proposal to test, or refusal to test, goes to the parent as prior written notice.^[3]

What you need before you start

The last full evaluation report and its date
Current IEP with goals and the last two or three progress reports
Progress monitoring graphs for each goal
State or alternate assessment results, district benchmarks and grades
Related service data and notes (speech, OT, counseling)
Attendance and discipline records
Teacher input from general and special education
Parent input, ideally in writing before the review

Step-by-step

Step 1: Gather the data and organize it by area

Sort what you have by the areas in the current eligibility and the IEP: reading, math, writing, language, behavior, motor, adaptive, health. Put the most recent data first. A one-page grid with areas down the side and data sources across the top makes gaps obvious.

Step 2: Ask the parent and teachers what has changed

Send a short input form at least two weeks before the review. Ask about new concerns, medical changes, new diagnoses and what is going well. A new concern from a parent is often the only thing that tells the team to look at an area not in the last evaluation.

Step 3: Answer the four questions, area by area

For each area, ask: does the existing data show whether the disability is still present? Does it describe current performance well enough to write present levels? Does it show the student still needs specially designed instruction? Does it show whether services should change? Write a yes or no and the evidence.

Step 4: Mark each area as sufficient or needs more data

Data is sufficient when it is recent, measured the same way over time and answers the questions. It is not sufficient when it is old, conflicting or missing, or when a new concern has come up. Be specific about what is missing: "attention ratings from two teachers," not "more testing."

Step 5: Decide the plan and write it up

List each area and the decision. For areas needing more data, name the type of assessment and the evaluator. For areas with enough data, cite the data that answered the questions. The decision becomes the assessment plan, or the notice that no new assessment is planned.

If the team proposes new assessments for a reevaluation, the parent must be asked for consent before testing. If the team decides no new data is needed, send the written notice with the reasons and the parent's right to request testing. The IEP due date calculator gives the triennial due date from the last eligibility date, so you can work backward.

Worked example from start to finish

Maya is a fictional seventh grader with an IEP under specific learning disability in reading and written expression. Her last full evaluation was in November 2023, so her three-year reevaluation is due in November 2026.^[4] The case manager started the REED on August 28, 2026.

Data gathered. The 2023 report; the current IEP; reading fluency probes every two weeks since January (median 128 words correct per minute on grade 7 passages, up from 94 a year earlier); writing rubric scores averaging 11 of 16 on four timed writes; state reading test at the "approaching" level; math grades of B and C; attendance 95%; no discipline. The parent input form, returned September 5, raised a new concern: Maya takes three hours on homework and forgets assignments. Two teachers reported the same.

Area	Existing data	Four questions answered?	Decision
Reading	Biweekly fluency probes, state test, comprehension questions on goal probes	Yes: still below grade level, growing with services, present levels clear	Sufficient. No new testing
Written expression	Rubric scores on timed writes, work samples	Mostly: needs are clear, but no data on spelling since 2023	Add a spelling and writing fluency measure
Math	Grades, state test at "meets"	Yes: no disability-related need	Sufficient. No testing
Attention and executive function	New parent and teacher concern, no data	No	Add rating scales from parent and two teachers, plus a classroom observation
Health	Vision and hearing screened in 2025	Yes	Sufficient

Outcome. The team met briefly on September 15. Maya's parent agreed with the plan. The school sent notice and a consent form for the writing measure, rating scales and observation. Testing took about 2 hours instead of the 8 a full battery would have taken. The reevaluation report combined the existing reading data with the new results, and the November meeting added an executive function goal.

Common mistakes

Weak: "Triennial due. Retest everything." Better: Test only the areas where existing data cannot answer the four questions, and explain why each new test is needed.

Weak: "No testing needed" because the student is doing fine in one area, without checking others. Better: Go area by area. A student can have enough data in reading and a new concern in attention.

Weak: Skipping parent input because the review can happen without a meeting. Better: The review is based on parent input too. Send the form early and follow up.

Weak: Relying on progress reports that say "progressing" with no numbers. Better: Use graphed probe data. If a goal has no real data, mark that area as needing more.

Weak: Deciding no testing and telling the parent only at the IEP meeting. Better: Send written notice of the decision, the reasons and the parent's right to request an assessment.

Templates and tools

The triennial reevaluation comparison explains when record review alone is enough and when the team must test.
The reevaluation checklist puts the REED into a full reevaluation timeline.
For what a new psychoeducational battery might include, see what tests are in a psychoeducational evaluation.
The caseload tracker keeps triennial dates for every student in one view.
When the last report is part of the review, how to read a psychoeducational report helps parents follow it.

The reevaluation entry in the glossary covers the timing rules. The full process is in the IEP evaluation process.

Frequently asked questions

Does a REED require a meeting?

No. Federal rules let the group review existing data without a meeting. Many teams still hold a short meeting or phone call so the parent can give input and hear the reasoning.

Is a REED needed for an initial evaluation?

The rule applies to initial evaluations if appropriate, and to every reevaluation. For an initial evaluation, the review usually shapes the assessment plan by showing what data the school already has.

Can a parent ask for testing after the team decides none is needed?

Yes. The school must tell the parent about that right when it decides no more data is needed. If the parent asks, the school must assess to determine whether the student still has a disability.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.305: Additional requirements for evaluations and reevaluations, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.300: Parental consent, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.503: Prior notice by the public agency; content of notice, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.303: Reevaluations, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

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.