Independent Educational Evaluations in Santa Clarita for School Districts

July 15, 2026 · 9 min read

When a parent disagrees with a district evaluation in Santa Clarita, the clock starts immediately. California Education Code 56329 gives parents the right to request an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense. The district must either fund the IEE or file for due process within 30 calendar days. For SpEd Directors across the William S. Hart Union High School District and its feeder elementary districts, finding a qualified IEE provider who can deliver a defensible report within a reasonable timeline is critical. This post covers what IEEs are, when they are requested locally, the legal requirements, and how Keystone Learning Assessments supports Santa Clarita districts with compliant independent educational evaluations.

What Is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)?

An independent educational evaluation is an assessment conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district. Under California Ed Code 56329, parents have the right to obtain an IEE at public expense when they disagree with an evaluation conducted by the district. The IEE must meet the same standards as a district evaluation and must be performed by someone who meets the district's criteria for assessor qualifications.

The purpose of an IEE is to provide an independent perspective on a student's educational needs. It is not a second opinion in the clinical sense; it is a separate comprehensive evaluation that addresses the same areas the district assessed. Typical components include cognitive, academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and adaptive functioning assessments. When indicated, the evaluation may also include autism-specific or communication assessments.

When Do Parents Request IEEs in Santa Clarita?

IEE requests in Santa Clarita are triggered by several common scenarios. The most frequent is disagreement with an initial evaluation or triennial reassessment. Parents may feel the district's evaluation did not accurately identify a disability, underestimated the student's needs, or overlooked an area of suspected disability.

Cultural or linguistic bias is another common concern, particularly in Santa Clarita districts that serve a diverse student population. The Santa Clarita Valley includes many Spanish-speaking families. If the district's evaluation did not include a bilingual assessment or used instruments that were not validated for the student's primary language, a parent may request an IEE that includes Spanish language assessment.

A third trigger is a perceived gap in specialty. When the district's internal team lacks a specific expertise, such as autism assessment, transition assessment, or assessment of a student with a low-incidence disability, parents may request an IEE from an evaluator who holds that specialization.

IEE requests also arise from students placed in private schools or charter schools within the Santa Clarita Valley. Even though the district's responsibility may differ for these students, a parent who disagrees with the district's assessment still has IEE rights under Ed Code 56329.

Legal Requirements Under California Education Code for IEEs

California Education Code 56329 establishes the parent's right to an IEE at public expense. The section reads: "If a parent disagrees with an assessment obtained by the public education agency, the parent has the right to obtain an independent educational assessment of the child at public expense."

Key procedural requirements include:

The district must respond within 30 calendar days of receiving the request. The response must be either to fund the IEE or to initiate a due process hearing with the California Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH).
The IEE assessor must meet the same qualifications as a district assessor under Ed Code 56320 and 56321. This means the examiner must hold a California credential or license appropriate to the assessment being conducted. For psychoeducational IEEs, common credentials include Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in School Psychology, or licensed psychologist.
The district may set reasonable criteria for IEEs, including timelines for completion. However, those criteria must be consistent with what the district uses for its own evaluations and cannot be so restrictive that they effectively deny the parent's right.
If the district prevails at due process, the parent may still pursue an IEE at their own expense, but the district is not required to fund it.

For a deeper discussion of the district's obligations, see our post on how to respond to an IEE request in California. For the specific criteria regarding assessor qualifications, refer to this guide on IEE evaluator qualifications under Ed Code 56329.

Santa Clarita School Districts and Their IEE Needs

Santa Clarita is served primarily by the William S. Hart Union High School District for grades 7 through 12, with several feeder elementary districts: Newhall School District, Saugus Union School District, Sulphur Springs School District, and Castaic Union School District. Each district has its own special education team, but they often share resources through the Tri-Cities SELPA.

William S. Hart Union High School District handles secondary-level assessments. IEE requests here often involve transition assessments, triennial reviews for students with complex needs, and evaluations for students on the autism spectrum.
Feeder elementary districts tend to have smaller internal assessment teams. When a parent requests an IEE, these districts frequently need to contract with outside evaluators because their own school psychologist caseloads are already at capacity. The timely completion of IEEs within the 60-day IDEA window or the district's own reasonable timeline can be challenging without a qualified external provider.

Because Santa Clarita includes both large comprehensive high schools and smaller elementary campuses, the IEE provider must be able to assess students across all grade levels and disability categories. Bilingual capacity is especially important given the local demographics.

For more on the district's obligation to fund IEEs, see our post on when must a school district fund an independent educational evaluation in California.

How Keystone Learning Assessments Supports Santa Clarita Districts

Keystone Learning Assessments provides full psychoeducational IEEs that meet California Ed Code criteria. Our assessors hold LEP, PPS, and licensed psychologist credentials, and they are familiar with Tri-Cities SELPA procedures and the specific requirements of Santa Clarita districts.

Here is what a Keystone IEE includes:

Comprehensive assessment across all areas of suspected disability: cognitive, academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and adaptive functioning.
Autism-specific assessment when indicated, using instruments such as the ADOS-2 and ADI-R.
Bilingual assessment in Spanish, with additional languages available on request.
A written IEE report that meets the district's IEE criteria and addresses the same areas as the district's evaluation.
Attendance at the IEP meeting where the IEE is reviewed.

Our typical timeline is 4 to 6 weeks from district green light to final report. The assessment plan is signed within the first week, testing occurs in weeks 2 through 4, the report is finalized in week 5, and we attend the IEP meeting in week 6. We work within the district's chosen schedule and communicate regularly to avoid surprises.

For information on budgeting for these services, see our guide on how to budget for independent educational evaluations in California school districts.

How to Contract with Keystone for IEE Services

Contracting with Keystone is straightforward. Districts can contact Keystone directly to discuss an active IEE request or to establish a standing contract for future needs. We work under a simple service agreement with pricing based on the assessment battery required.

The process works like this:

1. Referral: The district contacts Keystone with the IEE request and sends relevant background documents (prior evaluation reports, IEP, assessment plan). 2. Parent consent: Keystone provides a consent form that meets Ed Code requirements. The district obtains parent consent and sends it to Keystone. 3. Assessment scheduling: Keystone contacts the parent to schedule assessment sessions at the student's school or a neutral location. 4. Assessment and report: Testing is completed, data are analyzed, and a comprehensive report is written. 5. IEP meeting: Keystone attends the IEP meeting to review findings and answer questions.

Districts can contact our team to begin the process or to ask about specific rates for their district.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an independent educational evaluation in California? An independent educational evaluation (IEE) is an assessment conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district. Under California Education Code 56329, parents can request an IEE at public expense when they disagree with the district's evaluation. The IEE must cover the same areas the district assessed and meet the same professional standards.

When does a parent have the right to request an IEE at public expense in Santa Clarita? A parent has the right to request an IEE at public expense whenever they disagree with an evaluation conducted by the school district. This can be an initial evaluation, a triennial reassessment, or any assessment the district performs. The disagreement must be about the evaluation itself, not about the resulting IEP placement or services. The district must respond within 30 calendar days.

How long does a Santa Clarita school district have to respond to an IEE request? Under California Ed Code 56329, the district has 30 calendar days from the date it receives the IEE request to either fund the IEE or file for a due process hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings. That timeline does not include weekends or holidays in some interpretations, but the safe practice is to count all calendar days. If the district files for due process, the IEE request is stayed until the hearing decision.

What qualifications must an IEE assessor have under California Ed Code? The IEE assessor must meet the same qualifications as a district assessor under Ed Code 56320 and 56321. For psychoeducational assessments, this typically means holding a valid California credential as a school psychologist (PPS), a license as an educational psychologist (LEP), or a license as a psychologist. The assessor must also have training and experience in the specific assessments they administer.

How can a school district contract with an outside IEE provider in Santa Clarita? The district can contact an IEE provider directly, discuss the specific assessment needs, and agree on a service agreement. Keystone Learning Assessments works under a simple contract with pricing based on the required battery. The process involves a referral from the district, parent consent, scheduling, assessment, report writing, and IEP meeting attendance. Contact Keystone to start.