How to Write a Referral for a Struggling Student (A Guide for New Teachers)
By Vanessa Wood
You’ve been watching a student struggle for weeks. Maybe it’s reading that never clicked. Maybe it’s behavior that doesn’t match their usual self. You’ve tried differentiation, you’ve called home, you’ve talked to them after class. Something else is going on — and you know it. But you’re not sure what to put in a referral, or if you’re “allowed” to write one, or if it will even help.
Here’s the reframe: writing a referral is one of the most concrete things you can do for a struggling student. You don’t need to diagnose anything — you just need to describe what you observe. The referral is how you hand the student off to someone with more tools than you have. And it’s far better to write one that turns out to be unnecessary than to wait and miss a window where early support could have made a real difference. If you’ve already been documenting student behavior, much of what you need for a strong referral is already in front of you.
The First-Year Classroom Playbook
The First-Year Classroom Playbook includes a full section on student support systems — including how to navigate referrals, behavior plans, and your role in the IEP process. $19.97.
Get the Playbook — $19.97What Is a Student Referral?
A referral is a formal written request asking another professional — a school counselor, special education coordinator, RTI/MTSS team, or administrator — to evaluate or provide support to a student.
Types of referrals a classroom teacher might write:
- Academic / special ed referral — For suspected learning disabilities, processing issues, or to begin an evaluation for IEP eligibility
- Behavioral referral — For persistent challenging behavior that hasn’t responded to classroom interventions
- Counseling referral — For emotional, social-emotional, or mental health concerns
- RTI/MTSS referral — For academic skill gaps — the Tier 2 / Tier 3 intervention process
You don’t need to know which type applies. Your job is to describe what you see. The specialists decide what comes next.
Before You Write the Referral
Most schools have a process you’re expected to follow before a formal referral goes in. Taking these four steps first makes your referral stronger — and ensures you haven’t skipped something the team will ask about anyway.
Four Steps Before You Refer
Document first
A referral carries more weight when you have specific, dated examples. At minimum, have 3–5 documented incidents or observations. "I've noticed this" is a concern. "Here are five dated entries describing what I observed" is a referral.
Try classroom interventions
Schools typically require evidence that you've attempted differentiated instruction, preferential seating, behavior strategies, or parent contact before referring. Note what you tried and the result. Referrals that skip this step often get sent back.
Contact parents
In most schools, you need to have notified parents before initiating a formal referral. Document that conversation — the date, what was said, and the parent's response. This isn't just a formality; parents are partners in the process.
Talk to your team
A quick conversation with your grade-level team or instructional coach can confirm whether what you're seeing warrants a referral and which process to follow at your school. Different schools have different referral pathways — your team knows them.
This is also where having a solid inclusive classroom matters. The interventions you’ve already tried — differentiated instruction, modified materials, flexible grouping — are exactly the evidence a referral needs to show that the classroom environment has been adapted and the student still needs more.
What to Include in the Referral
Every school has its own referral form, but strong referrals all contain the same core elements. Here’s what to cover — regardless of what format your school uses:
The 7 Elements of a Strong Referral
Student information
Name, grade, date, your name and subject/class. Basic but required — it establishes who this referral is about and who submitted it.
Reason for referral
One or two clear sentences. "I am referring [student] because [specific concern]. I have documented [X] over the past [timeframe]." Specific and direct — not a paragraph of context.
Specific observations
Use behavioral language — what did you see, hear, measure? Reading 2 grade levels below benchmark, inconsistent work completion, frequent crying without apparent cause. Specific and factual, not interpretive.
Interventions already tried
What did you do? When? What happened? This is the most critical section. It shows the team that classroom-level support has been attempted and tells them what hasn't worked.
Academic data
Grades, assessment scores, work samples, progress monitoring data if available. Even informal data ("reads at approximately X level") is better than nothing.
Parent contact log
Date you called or emailed, what you discussed, parent's response. Schools need to document that parents were informed before formal evaluation begins.
What you're asking for
Evaluation? Counseling? Tier 2 support? Be specific about what you hope will happen next. The team can adjust — but giving them direction makes the referral more actionable.
A vague referral gets a slow response. A referral with specific, dated examples and documented interventions gets action.
If you’ve been working with a student who has behavior concerns alongside academic ones, the post on how to handle difficult students covers the classroom-level strategies that typically need to be in place — and documented — before a behavioral referral goes in.
IEPs, 504 Plans & Special Education Law: A Guide for New Teachers
Once a referral leads to an evaluation, you’ll be part of the IEP process. This guide walks first-year teachers through every step — what IEPs are, what your legal responsibilities are, and how to implement accommodations in your classroom. $19.97.
Get the IEPs & Special Ed Guide — $19.97Sample Referral Language
Starting from a blank text box is the hardest part. Here are two example openings — one for academic concerns and one for behavioral concerns. Adapt them to your situation.
Academic Concern
“I am referring [Student Name] for a special education evaluation due to persistent reading difficulties that have not responded to classroom differentiation. Over the past 8 weeks, [Student] has read at approximately a 2nd-grade level despite being in 4th grade. I have provided small-group instruction (documented 3x/week), modified assignments, and extended time. Reading performance has not improved. Parent was contacted on [Date]; parent expressed concern and requested school support.”
Behavioral Concern
“I am referring [Student Name] for a counseling and/or behavioral support evaluation. Over the past 6 weeks, [Student] has had [X] documented incidents of [specific behavior]. I have implemented [specific strategies — preferential seating, check-in/check-out, positive reinforcement system, modified assignments]. Parent was contacted on [Date] and [Date]. The frequency of incidents has increased despite these interventions.”
Notice what both samples have in common: a specific timeframe, observable behavior described in concrete terms, named interventions that were tried, and a parent contact note. That’s the formula. Fill in the brackets with your actual data and you have a referral that will get read carefully.
After You Submit the Referral
Submitting the referral isn’t the end of your role — it’s the beginning of a process you’re part of. Here’s what to do next:
- Keep a copy of what you submitted and when — date-stamp it
- Follow up in 1–2 weeks if you haven’t heard anything — politely, in writing
- Continue documenting while you wait — the team may need updated information when they meet
- Attend any follow-up meetings (MDT, RTI team, IEP eligibility meeting) — your observations are the most valuable thing in the room
If the referral leads to an evaluation and eventually an IEP meeting, knowing what to expect ahead of time will help you show up prepared rather than overwhelmed. And if the referral leads to a 504 plan instead of an IEP, the accommodations process is different — but your role in the classroom remains central.
What If You’re Not Sure?
You don’t have to be certain. If your gut says something is wrong, document what you’re seeing for 2–3 weeks and then decide. Most schools would rather you refer a student who turns out to be fine than miss one who needed support for months.
The bar for writing a referral is not certainty — it’s documented concern. If you’ve been watching a student and something feels off, that feeling is data. Capture it in writing, try a few targeted interventions, and then make a decision. You won’t be penalized for referring a student who turns out to be fine. You will regret not referring one who needed help that only came six months later.
Your Observation Is the Most Important Thing
Writing a referral feels like a big step — and it is, for the student. But the threshold isn’t certainty. It’s concern backed by observation.
You don’t need a diagnosis, a perfect referral form, or years of experience to advocate for a student. You need to write down what you’ve seen, what you’ve tried, and what you’re asking for. That’s it. The specialists take it from there.
If something feels off, trust yourself enough to put it in writing.
More First-Year Classroom Resources
Playbooks, templates, and tools built specifically for teachers navigating their first year.
Browse all first-year teacher resources →Related Reading
Build the documentation habit that makes every referral you write stronger and faster to complete.
Understand the Tier 1, 2, and 3 intervention model that academic referrals feed into.
When a referral leads to an evaluation, this is what comes next — and your role in it.
Sometimes a referral leads to a 504 instead of an IEP — here’s what that means for you and the student.
The classroom interventions you try before referring are part of building an inclusive environment from day one.
Classroom-level strategies to try before — and document for — a behavioral referral.