IEE Services
Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE) in California
Independent psychoeducational evaluations for families who disagree with or have questions about a school district assessment.
RebLearn provides Independent Educational Evaluations for families throughout the San Francisco Bay Area — including Sunnyvale, San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto, and Silicon Valley — and across California via in-person or hybrid evaluation.
- CA Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP #3219)
- Practicing since 1999
- 1,500+ evaluations completed
Your Rights Under IDEA
What Is an Independent Educational Evaluation?
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents have the right to obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation — an IEE — when they disagree with a psychoeducational evaluation their child's school district conducted. An IEE is performed by a qualified examiner who has no employment relationship with the school district, providing an objective, independent assessment of how a child learns, where they struggle, and what support they need.
The district is required to consider the results of any IEE in making decisions about special education eligibility and services — and in many cases, is required to fund it. An IEE can be a critical tool for families navigating special education, IEP disputes, or questions about a child's disability classification.
Common Scenarios
When Should a Parent Request an IEE?
Parents seek an independent evaluation for many reasons. Some of the most common include:
- The district's evaluation found no disability, but your child continues to struggle academically.
- You believe the testing was incomplete — for example, dyslexia or a language processing disorder was not assessed.
- The evaluation results do not seem to explain what you observe at home or what teachers report in the classroom.
- Your child has suspected dyslexia, ADHD, or an executive functioning disorder that was overlooked or dismissed.
- You disagree with the disability classification or the eligibility determination in the report.
- You are preparing for a due process hearing and need independent data to support your position.
- You want an unbiased second opinion before an IEP revision, annual review, or triennial.
Comprehensive Assessment
What Does an IEE Include?
A complete independent educational evaluation goes beyond a single test. Depending on the referral questions and the child's needs, a RebLearn IEE typically includes:
Cognitive & Processing Measures
Intellectual ability, working memory, processing speed, phonological awareness, rapid naming, and language processing — the building blocks of learning.
Academic Achievement Testing
Standardized assessment of reading decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, written expression, and mathematics.
Attention & Executive Functioning
Rating scales and direct assessment of attention, inhibition, organization, planning, and self-regulation — often critical in cases involving ADHD.
Interviews & Record Review
Clinical interview with parents, review of school records and prior evaluations, and teacher or parent behavior rating scales as needed.
Written Evaluation Report
A thorough, defensible written report with test scores, diagnostic conclusions, and IEP-ready recommendations grounded in the findings.
Feedback & IEP Support
A feedback session to explain results clearly to the family. Optional attendance at the IEP meeting to present findings and answer questions.
Complementary Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Some IEE questions benefit from complementary educational and clinical perspectives. Dennis Saller, Licensed Educational Psychologist, collaborates with independent clinical psychologist Dr. Mohinur Uzoqova, whose clinical autism assessment expertise includes work with young children.
Collaboration is considered individually, based on the student’s needs.
Step by Step
What Happens During the Evaluation?
- 1
Consultation
A no-obligation conversation to review your concerns, your child's history, and the district's report. We discuss what questions the evaluation will address.
- 2
Records Collection
We gather school records, prior evaluation reports, teacher observations, and any other documentation relevant to the referral questions.
- 3
Testing Sessions
Direct assessment of your child — typically one to two sessions — using standardized, research-based instruments appropriate to the referral questions.
- 4
Written Report
A comprehensive evaluation report with background information, test results, diagnostic conclusions, and detailed recommendations for the IEP team.
- 5
Feedback Meeting
A dedicated session to walk through the findings with you, answer your questions, and help you understand how to use the results at the IEP table.
Funding & Cost
Who Pays for an IEE?
Under IDEA, if a parent disagrees with the district's evaluation, the district must either fund an Independent Educational Evaluation at public expense or initiate a due process hearing to defend its own evaluation. If the district agrees to fund the IEE, it will provide criteria for qualifying evaluators — and must pay a qualified evaluator the parent selects.
Parents may also choose to obtain a privately funded IEE. Even in that case, the district is required to consider the results of the independent evaluation when making special education decisions.
If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies for a district-funded IEE, it is worth consulting with a special education attorney or advocate before proceeding. We are happy to discuss the process during a consultation.
Credentials Matter
Choosing an Independent Evaluator
California school districts are permitted to establish qualification criteria for IEE evaluators — typically the same credentials required of their own school psychologists. When selecting an independent evaluator, look for someone who holds a California Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP) credential and, ideally, a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential.
Experience matters too. An evaluator who has worked with school districts, attended IEP meetings, and written reports for due process hearings understands how to produce documentation that holds up under scrutiny.
Why Families Choose Dennis Saller
- CA Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP #3219) and PPS credentialed
- Practicing since 1999 — over 25 years of psychoeducational evaluation experience
- 1,500+ evaluations completed, including hundreds of IEEs
- Reports written to be clear to families and defensible to districts
- IEP meeting attendance available
- Serves families throughout the Bay Area and across California
Where We Work
IEE Services Across California
RebLearn provides independent educational evaluations for families in Sunnyvale, San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Campbell, Los Gatos, Santa Clara, and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. We also serve families throughout California via a hybrid evaluation model that combines remote intake, record review, and feedback sessions with in-person testing as needed.
If you are working with a Bay Area school district or any California district and want to know whether RebLearn meets your district's IEE qualification criteria, contact us directly — we are happy to confirm.
Questions About an IEE? Let's Talk.
A consultation is the right first step — no pressure, no commitment. We'll review your situation and explain your options clearly.