73 Kids and the Law What happens if the parents or guardians do not like how the evaluation was done, do not agree with the results of the evaluation, or think the school is wrong in its assessment or recommendation? If the parents or guardians do not agree with the process or the IEP, they can re- ject the IEP and enter into a dispute resolution process. The Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA), which is part of the Massachusetts Department of Administrative Law Appeals, is responsible for deciding special education disputes between the school and parents or guardians. Parents or guardians may request an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) if they do not agree with the evaluation done by the school or want ad- ditional information. The IEE must be conducted by a qualified professional not employed by the school system. This right exists for 16 months after the school’s evaluation. Who pays for the Independent Education Evaluation? In some circumstances, the school district is required to pay for some or all of this evaluation. If the student receives free or reduced lunch, the school dis- trict is required to pay for the evaluation in full. If the school system pays for any portion of the evaluation, the results of the evaluation must be shared with the school in addition to the parent or guardian. A parent or guardian always has the right to pay for a separate private evaluation and is not required to share that evaluation with the school. What happens if the parent or guardian rejects the IEP? The parent or guardian may reject any part or all of a proposed IEP for the child. Any services that are accepted must be started immediately. A parent or guardian may reject the IEP at any time, even after it was previously accepted. Even if the IEP is rejected, the child may stay in the current school program until the dispute is resolved unless a BSEA Hearing Officer determines that the program would result in a danger to the child or to other children. If a parent or guardian rejects in full the initial IEP, then the student will not receive any special education support. Special Education Issues 7