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Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE) in San Francisco
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What It Is
An Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) is a professional assessment conducted by a qualified evaluator who is not employed by the school district.
Parents have the legal right under IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) to request an IEE when they disagree with the findings of a school-conducted evaluation.
IEEs can assess a broad range of areas, including:
- Learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, math disorders).
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- Intellectual, speech/language, behavioral, sensory, or emotional challenges.
When It’s Needed
- If you're unsatisfied with your child’s school evaluation.
- To seek a second opinion on diagnosis, learning challenges, or intervention strategies.
- When formal documentation is needed for a 504 Plan or IEP.
Our Approach
Referral Consultation
Understand your concerns and district’s process.
Full Evaluation
Objective testing led by a licensed LEP.
Report with Recommendations
Understandable, actionable, and geared for real-world impact.
Official Feedback Session
Review findings, prepare for school meetings.
Benefits for You
- Professional, unbiased perspective on learning needs.
- Comprehensive documentation for legal and educational settings.
- Clear recommendations that educators can implement immediately.
Our Team
Meet Our Experts
Our clinicians are licensed, credentialed, and dedicated to your success:
Marisa Ramia Bacon, M.A., LEP
With dual master’s degrees and a background in both classroom teaching and private practice, Marisa brings warmth and precision to every assessment.
Tanner Boillot, M.A., LEP
A nationally certified school psychologist, Tanner combines rigorous testing protocols with a genuine passion for empowering learners.
Independent Educational Evaluation FAQs
An Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) is a comprehensive assessment done by a qualified evaluator who is not employed by your child’s school district. Federal special education law (IDEA) defines an IEE this way and gives parents the right to request one when they disagree with a school evaluation.
You can request an IEE after the school district completes its own evaluation and you disagree with the results—for example, if you feel they missed an area or underestimated your child’s needs. Under IDEA, parents are entitled to one IEE at public expense each time the district conducts an evaluation they disagree with.
If you request an IEE at public expense and the school agrees (or loses at hearing), the district must either pay for the evaluation or make sure it is provided at no cost to you. You can also choose to pay privately for an independent evaluation and later ask the district to consider the results or, in some cases, request reimbursement.
Most advocacy groups recommend making the request in writing (email or letter) and clearly stating that you disagree with the district’s evaluation and are requesting an IEE at public expense. Once the school receives your request, it must respond without unnecessary delay by either agreeing to fund the IEE or filing for a due process hearing to defend its own evaluation.
The district may ask why you disagree, but under federal guidance and state FAQs you are not required to give a detailed explanation. Importantly, the school cannot use your refusal to explain as a reason to delay either funding the IEE or filing for due process.
After your written request, the school has only two lawful options:
- Fund the IEE at public expense, or
- File for a due process hearing to show that its evaluation was appropriate.
If the district neither funds nor files “without unnecessary delay,” it is out of compliance with IDEA’s IEE requirements.
Parents are generally entitled to one IEE at public expense each time the district completes an evaluation cycle they disagree with. You can always obtain additional independent evaluations at your own expense, but the district is not required to fund more than one IEE per school evaluation.
The district can set reasonable criteria—like licensure requirements, geographic radius, or typical fee ranges—that are similar to what it uses for its own evaluators. But it cannot make criteria so restrictive that they effectively block your right to an IEE, and parents usually may choose any evaluator who meets those criteria (even if not on a district “list”).
- A school evaluation is done by district staff and used to decide eligibility and services.
- An IEE is done by an independent evaluator, typically paid for by the district when you’ve requested it at public expense and met the criteria.
- A private evaluation is one you pay for yourself.
If an independent evaluation (IEE or private) meets district criteria, the school is required to consider its results in decision-making, even though it does not have to agree with every recommendation.
The law says the district must consider the results of an IEE “in any decision” about identification, eligibility, or services, if the evaluation meets agency criteria. That means the school team has to take the findings and recommendations seriously, but they are not automatically required to adopt every suggestion; disagreements can be addressed through IEP meetings, mediation, or due process if needed.