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The Pratt Center

A Professional Psychology Corporation
Helping people to lead more fulfilling lives
Four Main Street, Suite 110 • Los Altos, CA 94022

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Public School Evaluations

Once parents decide to proceed with an evaluation of their child, they often begin by contacting their child’s school and meeting with a school psychologist. School psychologists are professionals who generally have a master’s degree and have completed training in educational testing. Their evaluations usually focus on academic skills, and they help to determine if a child needs special education services. Their educational evaluation is free, and the services they recommend are free as well. As an integral member of the school staff, the evaluator has the opportunity to observe the child in the classroom, consult frequently with the teacher, and attend school meetings. Continuity also helps a school psychologist evaluate the child’s progress. If parents are not satisfied with the results, they are often entitled to a free second opinion, often referred to as an independent educational evaluation.

A public school educational evaluation has several limitations that should be considered. First, a parent does not choose the evaluator and often does not give any input during the processes. Second, a school-based evaluation can take a long time to complete, and all testing is done during the school day. Third, a school-based evaluation may focus solely on the educational needs of the child, so the scope may be limited. For instance, there is generally no formal testing of attentional abilities or emotional functioning. School psychologists do not generally give diagnoses because their role is just to determine educational needs. Fourth, school psychologists generally focus only on strategies that are directly related to education. They do not usually discuss other treatments parents might need to consider, such as medications or psychotherapy. Although parents generally appreciate it when school staff respect these boundaries, parents also may need advice on how to meet the full range of their child’s needs. Fifth, at times school psychologists receive considerable pressure to recommend few services due to the financial constraints of the school; for example, they rarely recommend placement in a private school because the public school would then have to pay for it. Finally, an evaluation by the school is automatically in the child’s record, and there is no way to keep the results from some of the school personnel even if it contains negative information about the child.

Some parents prefer to have a comprehensive psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed psychologist. A psychologist has completed a doctoral degree and may have specialized training as a neuropsychologist. Licensed psychologists evaluate intelligence, academic achievement, attentional abilities and emotional functioning. They can diagnose a learning disability, attentional disorder or emotional disorder. A psychologist will give comprehensive recommendations regarding special education accommodations, educational interventions, parenting strategies, and other professional services. Private psychologists can also help parents understand the range of public and private school options and can also act as advocates for the child’s needs once the child is in a program. A parent needs to sign a release of information form for the evaluator to send the report anywhere and to anyone. As with all medical records, parents have the right to deny school personnel access to the records. Private psychological evaluations have several disadvantages as well. Investment of time and money can be considerable, and insurance does not generally pay for an evaluation that is primarily educational. Although competent evaluators strive for professional objectivity, they can sometimes be perceived as biased toward the parent’s views. If an evaluator does not develop rapport with school personnel, it may limit the psychologist’s usefulness to the child. At The Pratt Center, our psychologists make every effort to develop good relationships with school personnel so that we can work together to help children. We also conduct comprehensive psychological evaluations with detailed, pragmatic recommendations to serve as a guide to parents. If you have questions about independent evaluations, please e-mail us at info@prattcenter.com.