On June 21, 2019, Pennsylvania received notification from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office of Special Education Programs that the commonwealth has received the highest level of determination – “Meets Requirements” – that the federal government awards to states under Part B of the IDEA.  Pennsylvania was one of only 21 states and territories that received the distinction this year.  The commonwealth’s excellent work has been recognized with the “Meets Requirements” designation for 12 of the 13 years that USDE has been issuing its determinations.

This determination is based on the totality of the commonwealth’s special education data and information, including the federal fiscal year 2017 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), other state-reported data, and additional publicly available information.  Consistent with USDE’s Results Driven Accountability, 2019 determinations were based on the commonwealth’s compliance with the regulatory requirements of the IDEA as well as the positive outcomes being achieved for students.  In making Part B determinations in 2019, the Office of Special Education Programs considered the following results data for students with disabilities:

1. Participation on regular statewide assessments.

2. Participation and performance on the most recently administered (school year 2016-17) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

3. Graduation with a regular high school diploma.

4. Dropout rates.

Pennsylvania’s Part B SPP/APR is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) website or the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network website.  The USDE has developed state profiles as a resource for IDEA-related, state-specific information.  Persons interested in reviewing that information may visit the Office of Special Education Programs GRADS360 website and click on Pennsylvania.

This recognition is a testament to the hard work of educators and staff in delivering high-quality services to students with disabilities and their families.  Questions regarding this information may be directed to Amy Pastorak, Assistant Director of the PDE’s Bureau of Special Education, at apastorak@pa.gov.