Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)!
FAQ
What is an IEE?
- Parents of children eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have the right to obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) of their child if the parent disagrees with an evaluation obtained by the district.
- An IEE is defined as an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district. This is essentially a second opinion provided at public expense. This means that the district either pays for the full cost of the evaluation or ensures that the evaluation is otherwise provided at no cost to the parent.
What are some situations in which a parent may request an IEE?
- The school evaluation did not find evidence of a qualifying disability, but you do not agree
- You do not agree with the eligibility category proposed
- You do not believe the results of the evaluation are accurate
- The school evaluation did include all areas you feel should have been addressed
How can a parent request an IEE?
- If you do not agree with the findings of a school evaluation, the parent is entitled to request an IEE through the district
- It is important to know parents only have the right to one IEE request for each evaluation the school conducts
- The district will then contact DEPS and arrange for the IEE to be paid through the district and provide clearance to proceed
How might the district respond?
- The school may agree to the IEE without question
- If the district does not feel the IEE is needed, they may request a due process hearing to refuse the IEE and defend the district findings. A hearing officer will then determine whether or not the IEE is warranted
What do I need to know about an IEE?
- An IEE must meet the same criteria as a school evaluation. Typically, the IEE tests in the same areas as tested through the school evaluation.
- An IEE cannot be used for a formal diagnosis. Data obtained is provided in a psychoeducational evaluation, which is specific to school-based disability and whether or not the student requires specialized instruction.
What happens when the district receives the IEE results?
- The districts are only required to consider the results of the IEE. They are not required to accept the results or change any of the prior team determinations.
Why is DEPS qualified to conduct IEEs?
- Practitioners that conduct IEEs have all been formally trained in school psychology.
- All IEEs will be conducted or supervised by a licensed psychologist
- DEPS is able to assess the following areas:
- Cognitive
- Achievement
- Behavior (FBA/BIP)
- Social-Emotional
- Adaptive
- Condition-specific rating scales (ADHD/Autism)
- DEPS does not have the ability to conduct evaluations for speech, occupational therapy, or physical therapy