General information and document preparation — not legal advice.
Special education by state
Special Education & IEP Help in Hawaii
If your child has — or might need — an IEP in Hawaii, this page puts the Hawaii-specific rules into plain English: how long an evaluation can take, how Hawaii rates on federal special-education oversight, the people who help for free, and exactly how to push back when something is wrong. Federal law (IDEA) is the floor everywhere; Hawaii adds the details below.
How long does an IEP evaluation take in Hawaii?
Hawaii follows the federal rule: the school must finish your child's first evaluation within 60 calendar days after you sign consent.
That matches the federal default of 60 calendar days.
Source: Haw. Code R. § 8-60-33(c)(1)
Hawaii's federal IDEA rating
Hawaii is currently rated “Meets requirements” — the U.S. Department of Education found that the state met federal special-education requirements in its most recent annual review. That is the top of four ratings — but it does not guarantee your own district is following the law.
Where to get free help in Hawaii
Two places help Hawaii families at no cost:
Parent Training & Information Center (free, federally funded)
Hawaii special-education agency
How to file a special-education complaint in Hawaii
File a signed written complaint within 1 year of the problem and mail it to the Complaints Management Program, Monitoring and Compliance Branch, P.O. Box 2360, Honolulu, HI 96804.
Your rights everywhere (federal law)
These IDEA rights apply in Hawaii and every state. Start here:
Understand your child's IEP — line by line
IEP Path decodes the plan into plain language, flags what's weak or missing, and writes the letters — in English and Spanish.