# Tennessee — Special education initial evaluation deadlines by state — days, day type, and what starts the clock

For Tennessee, evaluation deadline is within forty (40) school days; day type is school days; clock starts on is the local education agency’s receipt of informed parental consent for an initial evaluation; differs from federal 60 days is different unit; statute or rule is 0520-1-9-.10, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31.

- **State:** Tennessee _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Evaluation deadline:** within forty (40) school days _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Day type:** school days _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Clock starts on:** the local education agency’s receipt of informed parental consent for an initial evaluation _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Differs from federal 60 days:** different unit _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Statute or rule:** 0520-1-9-.10 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> An initial evaluation must be conducted and an initial educational placement must be made within forty (40) school days of the local education agency’s receipt of informed parental consent for an initial evaluation.

## Source

- https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/0520/0520-01/0520-01-09.pdf

Last verified: 2026-08-31. Review by: 2027-04-28.
Part of [Special education initial evaluation deadlines by state — days, day type, and what starts the clock](https://referencesource.org/special-education-evaluation-timelines-by-state/).