What Is a MET in Special Education? An Arizona Parent’s Guide

A MET, or Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team, is the group of professionals (along with you, the parent) responsible for determining whether your child qualifies for special education services under IDEA. In Arizona, the MET typically includes a school psychologist, your child’s general education teacher, a special education teacher, related service providers like speech or occupational therapists when relevant, a district representative, and you. The MET reviews assessments, observations, and existing data to answer two questions: does your child have a qualifying disability under federal special education law, and does that disability require specially designed instruction? In Arizona, the entire MET evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days of the date the school receives your written consent to evaluate.

If you are reading this because your child was just referred for a MET evaluation, or you are about to request one, this guide will walk you through what the MET does, what your rights are, and what to expect at every step. I have sat through hundreds of MET meetings across Phoenix and Scottsdale schools, and I’ll be direct about the parts of the process schools sometimes gloss over.

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What MET Stands For and What It Does

MET stands for Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team. The name signals two things. First, it is multidisciplinary, meaning multiple specialties are required at the table because no single professional has the full picture of a child. Second, it is an evaluation team, not a service delivery team. The MET’s job ends when eligibility is determined. If your child is found eligible, a separate IEP team takes over to design the actual services.

The MET is responsible for:

• Reviewing existing data about your child (school records, prior evaluations, your input)
• Identifying what additional assessments are needed to answer the eligibility question
• Conducting those assessments (cognitive testing, achievement testing, observations, related service evaluations)
• Writing the MET report, which summarizes findings and recommends an eligibility determination
• Meeting with you to discuss the findings and reach a formal eligibility decision

The MET cannot make IEP decisions. It cannot set goals, decide service minutes, or determine placement. Those are IEP team decisions that come after the MET process is complete.

Who Sits on the MET in Arizona

Federal law sets the minimum composition. Arizona follows the same baseline:

• The parent. You are a full member of the MET. Your input on your child’s history, current functioning, and what you have observed at home is part of the data the team must consider.
• A general education teacher. If your child is in or could participate in general education, at least one of their general education teachers must be on the team.
• A special education teacher. This is typically someone who can interpret special education assessments and speak to what services might look like.
• A district representative. Often called the local education agency (LEA) representative. This person has authority to commit district resources.
• A school psychologist. In most evaluations the school psychologist is the lead evaluator who conducts cognitive assessments and synthesizes results.
• Related service providers. Speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and board certified behavior analysts are part of the MET when their domain is being evaluated.
• Someone who can interpret the instructional implications of the evaluation. This can be one of the above professionals doubling up.

You can invite other people. If you have a private evaluator, an outside therapist, a relative who knows your child well, or an advocate, you have the right to bring them. Let the school know in advance so they can plan logistics.

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The Arizona 60-Day Timeline

This is the timeline that matters most for your planning. Once the school receives your written consent to evaluate, they have 60 calendar days to complete the MET evaluation and hold the meeting where eligibility is determined. The clock does not pause for holidays, weather days, or staff absences.

The 60-day clock starts when the school receives your signed consent, not when you first requested the evaluation. If you requested an evaluation in writing and the school did not respond with a consent form for two weeks, those two weeks do not count against the 60 days.

A few exceptions can extend the timeline:

• You and the school mutually agree in writing to an extension
• Your child enrolls in a new school during the evaluation
• You repeatedly fail to make your child available for assessment

If the school misses the 60-day deadline without a valid exception, that is a procedural violation and should be flagged. In some cases it can support a claim that the school denied your child a free appropriate public education.

What Happens at the MET Meeting

The MET meeting is the formal gathering where the team reviews all assessment results, discusses findings, and reaches an eligibility decision. Here is what to expect:

The school psychologist or evaluation lead presents the assessment results. This usually includes cognitive testing, achievement testing, behavioral observations, and any related service evaluations like speech or occupational therapy. They explain what the scores mean, how your child’s profile compares to peers, and what patterns emerged.

You are asked for your input. This is not a formality. The law requires the team to consider parent input as part of the data. If you have observations, history, private evaluations, or concerns, this is when you share them. Bring written notes if you want to be precise.

The team discusses whether your child meets eligibility criteria under one of the 13 IDEA disability categories. The relevant categories include specific learning disability, other health impairment, autism, speech or language impairment, emotional disturbance, and several others. The team must show that your child both has the disability and that the disability adversely affects educational performance to the point that specially designed instruction is needed.

A formal eligibility decision is reached. If eligible, the team moves to schedule the IEP meeting (often within 30 days of the MET decision). If not eligible, the team must give you a prior written notice explaining the decision and your options.

You receive a copy of the MET report. You should ask for it in writing if it is not offered automatically. Read it carefully when you get home. The MET report is the legal record of what was decided and why.

Your Rights During the MET Process

You have specific rights at every stage of the MET process. The school is required to give you a copy of the Arizona Procedural Safeguards Notice at least once per year and at key procedural points. Here are the rights that matter most during a MET evaluation:

• Consent is voluntary. You must give written consent before any assessment begins. You can also revoke consent at any time during the evaluation, which halts further assessment.
• You can request specific assessments. If you believe the school is missing an area (for example, not evaluating for autism when you have reason to suspect it), you can request that assessment in writing.
• You can disagree with the findings. If you disagree with any part of the MET evaluation, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense, subject to specific rules.
• You can bring an advocate or anyone else. No one can be excluded from a MET meeting at your invitation.
• You can record the meeting. Arizona is a one-party consent state for recording. Some districts have additional notice rules, so let the team know in advance.
• You receive the MET report. You are entitled to a copy of the written MET report, ideally before the meeting so you can review it in advance.

When the MET Report Is Wrong (or Incomplete)

The MET report is supposed to be a fair, accurate, complete picture of your child. Sometimes it isn’t. The most common problems I see:

Missing data. The team did not evaluate an area you believe is affected, or relied only on observations without formal assessment.

Misinterpreted data. A score that should signal a problem is downplayed, or a profile that suggests one disability is attributed to another.

Outdated data. The team leaned heavily on assessments from prior years rather than current data.

Parent input ignored. Your observations and concerns are not reflected in the report.

If any of this happens, you have options. You can request that the team reconvene and reconsider. You can request an Independent Educational Evaluation at public expense. You can file a state complaint if the procedural standard was not followed. The path depends on what specifically went wrong and what outcome you need.

What Happens After Eligibility

If your child is found eligible, the next step is the IEP meeting, where the team develops the individualized education program. This typically happens within 30 days of the eligibility determination. The MET report becomes part of the IEP development because it identifies your child’s needs, present levels, and the areas where specially designed instruction is required.

If your child is found ineligible, you should receive a prior written notice explaining the decision and your dispute options. You can pursue an Independent Educational Evaluation, a state complaint, mediation, or due process. A 504 plan may also be an option if your child has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity but does not require specially designed instruction.