Skip to content
IEP Atlas
Start free trial
Menu

IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation)

Last updated

An IEE is an evaluation of a child by a qualified examiner who does not work for the school district responsible for the child's education.

Topic: IDEA, law and procedure

In plain terms

If parents disagree with an evaluation the school completed, they can ask for an IEE at public expense. The district must then either pay for the IEE or, without unnecessary delay, file for a due process hearing to show its own evaluation was appropriate. Parents can also get an IEE privately at any time. Either way, the IEP team must consider the results, though it does not have to adopt every recommendation.

How it shows up in an IEP

IEE findings often add new present levels or recommend goals in areas the original evaluation missed. The team should compare the independent results with classroom data and explain in writing how it used them.

Example

Parents disagree with a school evaluation that found no written expression need. An independent evaluator documents slow handwriting and weak spelling, and the team adds a writing goal with a rubric.

The rule

Federal reference: 34 CFR §300.502.

Related terms

  • Evaluation (special education)A special education evaluation is the set of assessments a school uses to decide whether a child has a disability and what services the child needs.
  • Procedural safeguardsProcedural safeguards are the rights IDEA gives parents and students, and the steps schools must follow, to keep special education decisions fair.
  • Due process complaintA due process complaint is a formal request for a hearing before an impartial officer to resolve a special education dispute between a family and a school.
  • Reevaluation (triennial)A reevaluation is a new look at a student's needs and eligibility, required at least every three years unless the parent and school agree it is not needed.

This page describes special education terms and federal rules in general terms and is not legal advice. Our editorial policy explains how IEP Atlas writes and reviews content. Browse all 244 terms.