• Independent Educational Evaluation

     

    What’s Required

    A parent has the right to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense if the parent disagrees with an evaluation obtained by the Local Education Agency (LEA) (34 CFR 300.502(b)(1)). The LEA either pays for the full cost of the evaluation or ensures that the evaluation is otherwise provided at no cost to the parent consistent with the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding the use of IDEA Part B formula amounts in general. A parent is limited to only one IEE at public expense each time the LEA conducts an evaluation with which the parent disagrees (34 CFR 300.502(b)(5)).

    What We Do

    Parents have a right to request and obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation or IEE at any time during their child's education and to have the FIE considered by the school district in any decision made for providing a Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE).

    An Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) is an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district responsible for the student's education.

    A parent may submit a request for an IEE if he/she disagrees with the evaluation results (a) of testing conducted by 91ÖÆƬ³§ appraisal staff or (b) because the student was not assessed in a particular area.  It is typical, but not a requirement, that a request for an IEE occurs in an ARD Committee meeting following an initial evaluation or re-evaluation.

    When the parent presents the school with a parent-initiated evaluation or an IEE, the data is given to the Diagnostician for consideration by the Admission Review and Dismissal Committee (ARD).

    After the ARD Committee has reviewed the data, the ARD Committee will report and take any action deemed appropriate by the district.

    While the parent has a right to obtain an IEE at his/her own expense, Federal law provides a parent with the right to one IEE at public expense if the parent disagrees with the school district's evaluation. A parent may request a publicly funded IEE for each evaluation completed by the district. When a parent notifies the district that he or she disagrees with an evaluation and requests an IEE, the district must respond within a reasonable time, either by agreeing to provide the IEE or by initiating a due process hearing to show that the school district's FIE is appropriate.

    If a request for an IEE is granted, the criteria under which the evaluation is obtained, including the location of the evaluation and the qualifications of the examiner, must be the same as the criteria that the school uses when it initiates an evaluation. The school may not impose any other conditions or timelines related to obtaining an IEE.

    Estimated Rates for IEEs and Required Credentials are Below:

    Functional Behavioral Assessments

    Not to exceed $1,500

    Required credential: Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) or Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

    Psycho-Educational Evaluations (including bilingual)

    Not to exceed $1,500

    Required credential: LSSP or Educational Diagnostician's Certificate

    Psychological Evaluations (including bilingual)

    Not to exceed $1,500

    Required credential: LSSP

    Speech and Language Evaluations (including bilingual)

    Not to exceed $1,200

    Required credential: Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)

    Vocational Assessments

    Not to exceed $1,000

    Required credential: LSSP, Educational Diagnostician's Certificate, or other education-related certificate

    Occupational and Physical Therapy Evaluations

    Not to exceed $750

    Required credential: Occupational License, Physical Therapy License

    Functional Vision/Learning Media Assessment

    Not to exceed $650

    Required credential: Certified Teacher of Visual Impairments

    Forms

    91ÖÆƬ³§ Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) Guidelines