State Complaint Process
If you believe your child’s school has violated the law, you can file a written request (called a “complaint”) for the Pennsylvania Department of Education to investigate. For example, you can file a complaint if your school fails to provide a service included in your child’s IEP. Within 60 days of receiving the complaint, the Department must investigate and give you a written report with the results of its investigation and how it will address any problems it has found.
Click on the links below to access the Complaint Form and additional information about the complaint process and complaint resolution procedures.
Complaint Process Quick Links
PDE’s State Complaints and Dispute Resolution page
Additional languages of the form can be found at the link above
CADRE, the National Center for Dispute Resolution in Special Education, has developed a guide for parents about mediation. The guide was written with the support of parent leaders from across the country. This guide was not developed by ODR and therefore does not include Pennsylvania-specific regulations and procedures.
IDEA Special Education Written State Complaints: A Guide for Parents of Children & Youth
Reference: Pennsylvania training and technical assistance network (2011). Pennsylvania parent guide to special education for school-aged children.