Does this mean my child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)? No. A child that has been referred to the ESS team does not have an IEP; however, parents have the right to request an evaluation for special education services at any time. Oftentimes, students progress as expected with some additional support and do not need to be evaluated for learning support or other special education services. In other cases, students do not progress as expected and an evaluation is sought to further evaluate their learning strengths and needs to determine whether they are in need of specially designed instruction.