Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs): What They Are & How They Can Help
An Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) is a private evaluation to assess a student’s learning differences or disabilities. IEEs can be used to determine a student’s best options for school accommodations, services, and appropriate educational placement.
Could an IEE benefit your kid’s academic future? Here are 8 questions answered about IEEs and how they can help:
1. When is an IEE needed?
When a student has a condition that impacts their learning, schools will often conduct an evaluation to assess the child’s needs and determine which services they qualify for. However, schools don’t always agree to testing, and when they do, they don’t always get it right. Sometimes they use outdated methods, insufficient tests, incorrect data, or underqualified staff. Other times they test correctly, but come to inappropriate conclusions. When parents disagree with the school’s findings or eligibility decisions about special education, IEP, or 504 accommodations, an IEE provides an objective second opinion that can lead to a better academic plan.
College students can benefit from IEE’s too! Click here to learn about graduate exam accommodations & how we can help
2. What does an IEE consist of?
IEEs can give a comprehensive report of a student’s abilities and challenges, or they can be focused on testing for a single issue, such as disabilities in reading or math, executive functioning issues, or autism spectrum disorder. Unlike school evaluations, IEEs include parents in the decision-making process of what tests to administer. IEEs may analyze a variety of measures including:
Educational records (e.g. IEP, report cards)
Medical records
Psychological and/or psycho-educational tests
Observation of district placement
Observation of one alternative placement
3. How Long Do IEEs Take?
If your student’s academic needs aren’t being met, you may want solutions right away. Unfortunately, it can take months of frustrating meetings to even get the school to agree that testing is necessary. If and when they do agree, testing can take another 2 months to complete. This can make your September request go unfulfilled until January or later, wasting half an academic year as your child struggles. A major benefit of IEEs is you can usually schedule them quickly with a private evaluator. IEE results are generally given to families 2-3 weeks after testing concludes, making them a much faster option in addressing your child’s needs.
4. Who Pays for IEEs?
Parents usually pay for IEEs, and insurance will sometimes partially cover costs. However, there are circumstances where schools are required to pay. When you disagree with the school’s evaluation, you have the right to request for the district to pay for an IEE (IDEA refers to this as “a request for an evaluation at the public’s expense”). In such cases, parents usually pay the evaluator out of pocket and are later reimbursed by the district.
5. Who administers IEEs?
IEEs can be conducted by educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, or neuropsychologists. Your child’s school might offer you a list of recommended evaluators, but you are not required to use their referrals. Our doctors are experts in Educational Psychology and can provide your child with a comprehensive IEE.
Contact us for a consultation to learn about our IEE services.
6. Am I required to share results with the school?
When schools provide internal evaluations, they see results before the parents and those results are added to the student’s academic record. Since school evaluators are employed by the district, their results are at risk of being biased. It’s troubling to have potentially inaccurate results being observable to your child’s educators. A benefit of an IEE is that parents are the first to learn the results and are not required to share them with the school, unless the district is reimbursing the cost. If they do choose to, the school is required to take them into consideration for the child’s IEP/504 plan.
7. What happens after the IEE?
Your evaluator will prepare reports that detail their findings. This report will include:
The tests that were administered
Test results
A statement on how these impairments affect the student’s learning
Recommendations for accommodations, services, and appropriate educational placement
Once reports are prepared, you can take them to the school to discuss at your child’s next IEP/504 meeting.
8. What if I need help at IEP or 504 meetings?
Walking into an IEP or 504 meeting can be intimidating, especially if you and the faculty don’t see eye to eye. It can be challenging to explain the IEE’s measures and findings without the evaluator present. Some evaluators offer on-campus support to explain findings and provide recommendations on behalf of the student. Our IEE services include a 2-hour meeting with the school to promote your child’s best interests.
Click here to learn more about IEEs at Variations Psychology
So you know you need help, but aren’t sure how to find the right help?
If a loved one has a learning difference or other condition that impacts their mental health and education, you may feel lost in determining the best ways to support them.
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More about Variations Psychology
Variations Psychology is a group practice specializing in diagnostic testing to identify psychological conditions. Our primary focus is Educational Psychology, guiding families on beneficial pathways toward student success and training educators in effective strategies to maximize student potential.
Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays.
In addition to diagnostic services, we offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of K-12 students to assess needs for accommodations in school and determine their appropriate placements. IEEs provide an objective second opinion on existing IEP and 504 Plans.
For K-12 and post-secondary students, we offer evaluations to assess needs for accommodations on standardized tests, college entrance exams (e.g. - SAT, ACT, AP Exams), and graduate and professional licensing exams (e.g. - MCAT, LSAT, GRE, CBEST, NCLEX, GMAT, CA Cosmetology Exam, CA Contractors State Licensing Exam, CA Bar Exam).
Schedule your consultation to learn how our diagnostic services can support you and your family.
Variations Psychology is located in Newport Beach, CA and provides psychological testing to residents throughout Orange County and its surrounding areas including Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Irvine, Shady Canyon, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Coto de Caza, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Pelican Hill, Crystal Cove, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, Lake Forest, Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, and more.
References:
Lightner, L. (2020) IEE Independent Education Evaluations. When, Why, & How to Request One. A Day in Our Shoes. Retrieved from https://adayinourshoes.com/iee-independent-education-evaluation/
Morin, A. (n.d.) Private Evaluations: What You Need to Know. Understood.org. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/evaluations/evaluation-basics/outside-evaluations-the-difference-between-private-and-independent
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Sec. 300.502 Independent Educational Evaluation (2017). U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/e/300.502
Right to Obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation (2017). Center for Parent Information & Resources. Retrieved from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iee/
Shinn. M.M. (2020). Could I Have ADHD or Executive Functioning Issues? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/could-i-have-adhd-or-executive-functioning-issues
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Could My Teen Have Autism? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/could-my-teen-have-autism
Shinn. M.M. (2018). Graduate Student’s Guide to Test Accommodations: The LSAT. MCAT, GRE, NCLEX, CBEST, GMAT, Cosmetology Exam, Contractor’s Exam, and Bar Exam. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/graduate-students-guide-to-test-accommodations
Shinn. M.M. (2018). I Can’t Spell Dyslexia – Do I Have It?. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/i-cant-spell-dyslexia-do-i-have-it
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Understanding Education Plans: A Parent’s Guide to 504s and IEPs. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/understanding-education-plans-a-parents-guide-to-504s-and-ieps
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Why Is My Kid Struggling So Much With Math? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/why-is-my-kid-struggling-so-much-with-math
Thurston, R.C. (2013). When is it Time to Request an Independent Educational Evaluation? Special Education Guide. Retrieved from https://www.specialeducationguide.com/blog/when-is-it-time-to-request-an-independent-educational-evaluation-iee/
How to Cite This Blog Article:
Shinn. M.M. (2020). Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs): What They Are & How They Can Help. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/independent-educational-evaluations-iees-what-they-are-how-they-can-help