Can I Get an Independent Evaluation If I Disagree With the School?

Use the free tool — IEP / 504 Letter Decoder

What is an independent educational evaluation?

An independent educational evaluation (IEE) is an evaluation of your child done by someone outside the school district. If you disagree with an evaluation the school did, you may have the right to ask for one. This right comes from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

When does this right come up?

The right to ask for an independent evaluation can be triggered by letters and notices from the school — for example an eligibility decision or a prior written notice. Timelines and rules around this have exceptions. The district's procedural-safeguards notice explains them for your case, and the Florida Department of Education is the authority to confirm against your specific situation.

What the IEP / 504 Letter Decoder shows you

Paste the letter you received — an evaluation consent, an eligibility decision, an IEP meeting notice, a 504 plan, or a prior written notice. The tool turns it into plain words:

What the letter actually says and decides
Whether it triggers your right to ask for an independent evaluation, and what other rights it triggers (consent, meeting participation, interpreter, records)
Deadlines computed from the letter's date
Questions to ask the school
A written request letter you can send — dated, to the right person, with a copy kept

This is based on IDEA, Section 504, FERPA, and Florida Rule 6A-6 as of 2025–26. The tool is free and works in English and Spanish.

What this tool cannot tell you

The tool cannot see your child's actual records. It cannot confirm that the deadlines it computes are exactly right for your case — timelines have exceptions. It is not legal advice, and it does not send letters for you. For a due-process matter, consult a special-education attorney or advocate.

Where to get more help

Free expert help is available: Family Network on Disabilities (fndusa.org) and FDLRS. Use them if you need more than the letter decoder gives, or if your situation is complicated.

What to do next

Paste the actual letter or notice you received from the school into the free IEP / 504 Letter Decoder. It reads your own document and gives you plain words, the rights it triggers — including whether you can ask for an independent evaluation — the deadlines counted from that letter's date, and a request letter ready to send.

Use the free tool

IEP / 504 Letter Decoder is an informational tool based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (34 CFR Part 300), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, and Florida Administrative Code chapter 6A-6 as of 2025–26. It is not legal advice, does not represent you, and does not send letters. Timelines have exceptions; the district's procedural-safeguards notice and the Florida Department of Education are the authority. It is not affiliated with any school district or agency.