School Evaluation vs. Private Evaluation: What Is the Difference?

Two evaluations with two different jobs

Parents often hear both terms in the same week and assume they are the same thing done in different places. They are not. Each one exists to answer a different question, for a different decision-maker.

A school evaluation is part of a legal process the school runs. A private evaluation is a service your family chooses. Knowing which question you need answered is the quickest way to decide where to start. This article is general information, not legal advice.

What a public school evaluation is for

Under the federal IDEA regulations published by the U.S. Department of Education, a public school must conduct a full and individual initial evaluation before it first provides special education and related services to a child. Either a parent or the school can ask for one, subject to the rules on parental consent.

The regulations say the evaluation has two purposes: to determine whether the child is a child with a disability as the law defines it, and to determine the child's educational needs. The school must assess the child in all areas related to the suspected disability, use a variety of tools, include information provided by the parent, and not rely on any single measure.

On timing, the federal rule is that the initial evaluation must be conducted within 60 days of receiving parental consent, or within the timeframe the state has set if the state has set one. So the timeframe where you live may be different.

When the assessments are done, a group of qualified professionals and the parent decide together whether the child is eligible. The school gives the parent a copy of the evaluation report and the eligibility decision at no cost. If the child is found to have a disability and to need special education, an individualized education program (IEP) must be developed.

Where Section 504 fits

Section 504 is a different federal law. According to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, it covers students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, and the examples it lists include learning, reading, concentrating and thinking.

A school district must evaluate a student before providing services under Section 504, and it needs parental permission for an initial evaluation. Districts may use the same process they use under IDEA. The decision is made by a group of people who know the student, the evaluation data and the options.

The Office for Civil Rights also says that a medical diagnosis does not, on its own, mean a student can receive services under Section 504. The impairment has to substantially limit learning or another major life activity.

What a private evaluation is for

A private evaluation is one your family arranges and pays for. It is not tied to the school's eligibility question, so it can be shaped around what you want to understand: how your child learns, pays attention, reads or handles feelings, at home as well as in class.

Families ask for one for different reasons. Some want a fuller picture of their child's strengths and difficulties. Some want an outside view to bring to a school meeting.

A private evaluation can describe your child and make recommendations. It cannot decide what a school does. No private evaluator can promise that a school will accept a report or act on it.

What a school does with a private evaluation

The IDEA regulations speak to this directly. If a parent shares an evaluation obtained at private expense, the results must be considered by the school, if the evaluation meets the school's criteria, in any decision about providing a free appropriate public education to the child. Considering a report is not the same as agreeing with it.

Under Section 504, the Office for Civil Rights says the results of an outside independent evaluation may be one of many sources a school's committee considers, and that the committee decides how much weight to give it.

There is also a separate right that is easy to confuse with a private evaluation. If a parent disagrees with the school's own evaluation, the regulations give the parent the right to ask for an independent educational evaluation at public expense, subject to conditions. The school must then, without unnecessary delay, either arrange it or ask for a hearing to show its own evaluation was appropriate.

How we can help

Locascio Wellness offers private evaluations for children and teens, including a psychoeducational evaluation that looks at learning, attention and thinking skills together, and a child ADHD evaluation. They are carried out by secure video for young people who are physically located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or Arizona, and they are private-pay. A parent or guardian arranges the evaluation and takes part.

An evaluation usually involves an intake appointment, then one or two sessions to complete the evaluation, then time for the written report. A school makes its own decision, so please ask the school what it needs and share that with us before you book. Other types are described on our psychological evaluations page.

The first step is the short evaluation request form, where you can tell us your child's age and any school dates, or a free 15-minute consultation on our booking page. A sliding scale is available, and you can read about what evaluations cost.

Therapy is a separate service. If school has become a source of worry or conflict, therapists on our team offer child therapy by video as ongoing support. If your child is in crisis or talking about self-harm, call or text 988, or call 911. Locascio Wellness does not provide emergency services.

You do not have to choose one path forever. Asking the school a few clear questions is a good place to start, and the answers can show you the next step.