2460.03 - INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL EVALUATIONS

Licking Valley Local School District

Administrative Guidelines

2460.03 - INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL EVALUATIONS

Parents of a student with a disability, as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act ("IDEIA"), have the right to obtain an independent educational evaluation ("IEE") subject to the criteria set forth in Policy 2460.03 and below.

If a parent requests an IEE at public expense, the parent may be asked for a reason why s/he objects to the District’s evaluation. However, the explanation by the parent may not be required and the District will not unreasonably delay either providing the IEE at public expense or initiating a due process hearing – pursuant to A.C. 3301-51-05(G) – to defend its evaluation. There is no requirement that the parents specify areas of disagreement with the District’s evaluation as a prior condition to obtaining the IEE. Unless the District chooses to initiate a due process hearing, the District will respond to the parents’ request in a manner that allows the IEE to be provided at public expense in a timely manner.

If parents request an IEE at public expense, the District will, without unnecessary delay:

	A.	provide information to parents about where an IEE may be obtained and the District’s criteria applicable for IEEs; and

	B.	either initiate a due process hearing to show that its evaluation is appropriate, or

	C.	provide an IEE at public expense, unless the School District demonstrates in a due process hearing that the evaluation obtained by the parent did not meet District criteria.

If the District initiates a due process hearing and the final decision is that the District’s evaluation is appropriate, the parents may still obtain an IEE but not at public expense.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR EVALUATION

The independent examiner must possess the following minimum and current qualifications:

	A.	Medical (physical) examinations, including vision examinations, must be conducted by a licensed doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy. Visual acuity evaluations must be completed by an optometrist. Visual examinations for the purpose of identifying a visual impairment must be done by an M.D. or D.O.

	B.	All *general intelligence and achievement evaluations* must be conducted by a psychologist who holds a license from the State of Ohio, Board of Psychology or who holds a Ohio School Psychologist certificate/license from the Ohio Department of Education. Any other evaluations provided by a psychologist as part of the IEE must be conducted by a psychologist who holds a license from the State of Ohio, Board of Psychology, or who holds an Ohio School Psychologist certificate/license from the Ohio Department of Education.

	C.	Audiological evaluations must be conducted by an audiologist who holds a license from the Ohio Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology; an Ohio special education teacher’s certificate/license for audiology from the Ohio Department of Education; and at least a Master’s Degree in audiology or its equivalent from an accredited institution.

	D.	Speech/Language evaluations must be conducted by a speech/language pathologist who holds a license from the Ohio Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology and/or an Ohio special education teacher’s certificate/license for speech and hearing therapy from the Ohio Department of Education.


	E.	Physical therapy evaluations must be conducted by a physical therapist who holds a license from the Ohio Board of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy and/or a special education teacher’s certificate/license for physical therapy from the Ohio Department of Education.

	F.	Occupational therapy evaluations must be conducted by an occupational therapist who holds a license from the Ohio Board of Occupation Therapy and Physical Therapy and/or a special education teacher’s certificate/license for occupational therapy from the Ohio Department of Education.

	G.	Assessments for social/emotional/behavioral functioning must be conducted by professionals with appropriate certification or licensure in a relevant field, such as psychology, psychiatry, counseling, or social work.

	H.	Other evaluations must be conducted by qualified professionals as determined by State and Federal law and regulations and by professionals with the same qualifications as the School District uses in its evaluation team reports including, but not limited to, credentials, licenses, certificates, background and educational-related experience (including experience in a public school educational setting).

Maximum Fees for Various Evaluations

The cost of the IEE will be based upon some of the following criteria: (a) the amount of testing to be done; (b) the time it takes to administer each test; and (c) the time it takes to interpret and write up a meaningful report.

Unreasonable costs for travel, lodging, etc., will not be reimbursed. Costs above customary amounts will be approved only if the parent demonstrates that the costs reflect a reasonable and customary rate for such evaluative services, or if the parents demonstrate that there are other factors that make the extraordinary costs necessary. The District must be provided with a copy of a detailed bill itemizing all charges and costs of the IEE and related report, the amount of time in hours/minutes spent conducting and preparing the IEE and related report, the times spent on any other services billed to the District, and indicating specifically what person or persons performed each task or item billed to the District. A copy of the IEE report and the detailed bill must be submitted to the District within sixty (60) days of the date of completion of the IEE.

Independent Evaluation Costs – Up to the average of the prevailing rate:

Communication/Speech/Audiological	up to $500 [e.g., $500.00]

Medical	up to $500 [e.g., $500.00]

Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy	up to $500 [e.g., $500.00]

Psychological	up to $1,500 [e.g., $1,500]

Vision Examination by Ophthalmologist/Optometrist	up to $200 [e.g., $200.00]

Comprehensive IEE	up to $2,800.00

The Director of Student Services shall maintain a list of sources for an IEE within the geographic area specified in Policy 2460.03. If parents select someone not listed to conduct the IEE, the District will negotiate a reasonable or maximum charge for the service.

The evaluation tool or methodology used by the evaluator must be research-based and generally accepted for use with children to assess for the suspected disabilities. The evaluator must provide all testing materials. All assessment/evaluation instruments must meet the following requirements:

	A.	All evaluation instruments must be administered by a qualified examiner, be age appropriate to the child, and be administered, scored and interpreted in conformance with the publisher’s instructions and in accordance with all applicable professional criteria and standards.

	B.	The evaluation instruments are to be chosen on the basis of their relevancy to the educational questions to be addressed by the evaluation. This means that the instruments should be those that are commonly known to, and used by, public school professionals.

	C.	The evaluation instruments must be provided and administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so.

	D.	The evaluation instruments must be current; have acceptable reliability and validity according to professional testing standards; be generally accepted in the field of educational evaluation; and provide information relevant to determining eligibility for special education or for developing an IEP. Norm-referenced evaluation instruments must be appropriately normed and standardized for the specific purpose for which they are used.


	E.	Tests must be administered and selected so as to best ensure that when a test is administered to a child with impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the child’s aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factors the test purports to measure, rather than reflecting the child’s impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills except where those skills are factors which the test purports to measure.

	F.	Meaningful parts to an IEE include: (a) observation in school/classroom setting; (b) interview of school personnel; (c) a description of the educational history, including a listing of educational interventions; and (d) a review and summary of education records.