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Evaluations drive the special education process.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law underlying both Pennsylvania s and New Jersey s special education systems, requires that all decisions about a child s special education classification, program, and placement be based on current, accurate evaluations. Having accurate evaluations is also critical in the event that a due process hearing is necessary to resolve a dispute. Frequently, districts will use their own employees to perform the evaluations for example, the school psychologist or social worker. This raises concerns about whether the evaluations are truly objective and unbiased. Through the use of independent evaluations, parents can sometimes level the playing field.