Moving into the HCPSS with an IEP

Comparable Services

The most important thing to know is that the new school cannot just stop your child’s services.

What it means: Until a new plan is officially developed and approved, the new school must provide services that are “comparable” (very similar) to what was in your child’s previous IEP.

Your Role: When you register your child, tell the registrar or school secretary immediately that your child has an IEP. Ask them to notify the Special Education Team Leader or an administrator right away so a meeting can be scheduled.

If you haven’t heard from the school before your child’s first day, don’t hesitate to call or email the school’s Special Education Instructional Team Leader directly.

Note on Timing: Usually, schools must give you 10 days’ notice before a meeting. However, to get your child’s services started quickly, the school is able to hold this “move-in” meeting without providing you the full 10 days’ notice.

The discussion at this IEP meeting will depend where your child was last enrolled.

Moving to HCPSS from another district within the state of Maryland

When you arrive in Howard County, the school follows a process to make sure your child doesn’t miss services or supports while the paperwork catches up.

What counts as a Maryland school district?

If your child is coming from any of the following, they are moving from one Maryland “public district” to another:

  • The 24 County School Systems: This includes all 23 Maryland counties (like Montgomery, Baltimore, or Frederick) and Baltimore City Public Schools.

  • The SEED School of Maryland: This is a statewide public boarding school located in Baltimore.

  • Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD): This is a state-governed public school with campuses in Frederick and Columbia.

  • Maryland School for the Blind (MSB): While specialized, it functions as a public agency for students with visual impairments.

  • State Agencies: This includes schools run by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) within:

  • Juvenile Services Education (JSE)

  • Adult Correctional Facilities (education programs within the prison system)

  • The Department of Health (certain state-run hospitals or residential centers)

The Immediate Review: The HCPSS IEP team looks at your child’s current Maryland IEP. The HCPSS will either adopt that IEP that transferred with your child and implement it as written, or the HCPSS will consider the IEP and develop their own HCPSS IEP.

Comparable Services: Because your child’s records aren’t in the HCPSS computer system yet, if the HCPSS does not adopt the transfer IEP, the school creates a Comparable Services IEP.

The First 30 Days: During this time, teachers will collect data to see how your child is adjusting to their new environment.

The Full HCPSS IEP: If the full IEP wasn’t finalized, after about 30 calendar days, you will meet again. The team will use the data they gathered to create a full Howard County IEP.

Key Terms to Know:

  • LRE (Least Restrictive Environment): Under MSDE and COMAR, the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requires that students with disabilities are educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. Removal to special classes or separate settings only occurs if education in regular classes with supplementary aids cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

  • Comparable Services: This means “equal or very similar” to what they had before. They aren’t starting from scratch; they are matching what worked in your previous county.

  • Reevaluation: Although these students are already eligible for special education in the state of Maryland, there are times where the HCPSS does not receive complete records, or the team has other questions regarding eligibility. In these instances, the team may recommend a re-evaluation in order to gather data and assessments to answer diagnostic questions surrounding eligibility. In these instances, the IEP team will follow the 90-day reevaluation timeline for completing the evaluation and the updated IEP.

Moving to HCPSS from a public school district outside the state of Maryland

Who Counts as a “Public School District”?

When the law talks about a “public school district” outside of Maryland, it includes any school that is funded by the government and must follow the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

This includes:

  • Other U.S. States and D.C.: Any public school in the other 49 states or the District of Columbia.

  • U.S. Territories: Public schools in places like Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

  • Military & DoDEA Schools: If your child attended a school run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)—whether on a base in the U.S. or overseas—they are considered a public school student.

  • Bureau of Indian Education (BIE): Schools operated or funded by the BIE on tribal lands.

  • Public Charter Schools: In some states, charter schools are considered “public” and their IEPs must be treated the same as any other public school’s plan.

What is NOT included?

  • Homeschooling (Home Instruction): Even if you had a learning plan, specialized curriculum, or a previous IEP from years ago, a homeschool program is not considered a “public agency.”

  • Private or Parochial Schools: Plans used in private schools (often called “Service Plans” or “ISPs”) do not have the same legal weight as a public school IEP.

  • International Schools: Most schools outside the U.S. (unless they are military DoDEA schools) are private and do not follow U.S. special education laws.

The Process for students moving to HCPSS from out of the state of Maryland

Even though your child already has an IEP, Maryland has its own specific laws and regulations for who qualifies for special education.

Here is a breakdown of how HCPSS handles this transition to ensure your child doesn’t lose support while they are going through the process.

Maryland eligibility

When your child moves into HCPSS from another state, the IEP Team must determine if your child qualifies for special education services in the State of Maryland.

The Two Paths Forward

When you first meet with the Howard County IEP team, they will look at your child’s records from your previous state or district and decide which of these two paths to take:

Path A: Reevaluation

When it happens: If the team decides your out-of-state records and testing are recent and complete enough to meet Maryland’s standards.

The Result: They officially find your child eligible for services in Maryland at that very first meeting.

The Timeline: The team will need to write and approve your child’s full, official Howard County IEP in a timely manner. In the meantime, the child’s out-of-state IEP will be implemented with any changes that are determined at the IEP meeting.

Path B: Initial Evaluation

When it happens: If the team feels they need more information or new testing to determine if your child is eligible for special education services in the state of Maryland.

The Result: This is treated as an “Initial Evaluation.” You will need to sign a consent form for the school to start new assessments.

The Timeline: The school has 60 calendar days to finish the evaluation and determine eligibility. If your child is found eligible, they have another 30 calendar days to develop and approve the final IEP. Once the final IEP is developed, you will need to sign consent before the Howard County IEP can be implemented.

Comparable Services

Regardless of which path the school takes, they must implement services as quickly as possible. They will follow your out-of-state IEP as closely as possible, and they will document anything that they will be doing differently. They will provide the same types of services (like speech therapy or specialized reading instruction) to the greatest extent possible. During this time, they will also collect data on how your child is doing to help inform the final Howard County plan.

Returning to HCPSS

If your child is returning to HCPSS after being homeschooled or attending private school, the process for resuming special education services is slightly different. The IEP team will meet as soon as possible to reactivate the previous IEP so that services can begin immediately. During this time, the team will also determine if new data is needed to account for any progress or changes that occurred while your child was away. If updates are necessary, you will meet again shortly after to develop a comprehensive IEP that reflects your child’s current strengths and academic needs.

Reevaluation

Every three years, students must have a reevaluation to confirm if they still qualify for special education. If your child’s three-year window closed while they were away, the team will hold a meeting to decide if they can use existing info or if they need to do some new testing for your child to continue to qualify for special education.

Key Point: Your child should start receiving services the moment they walk through the school doors. The paperwork is secondary to the support.

Summary Checklist for Returning Families:

Notify Early: Let the school know your return date as soon as possible so they can find the Special Education paper files as well as the old digital files in PowerSchool/TIENET.

Share Progress: If your child was homeschooled or in private school, bring any work samples or progress reports. This helps the team skip the “guessing game” and get right to the right level of support.

Check the Dates: Ask the school, “When is my child’s next Annual Review or Reevaluation due?” so you aren’t surprised by a meeting invitation.