State Complaint Process

State Complaint Process

For school age students (kindergarten through graduation):

The Complaint Form is used to submit a formal complaint to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (BSE) – Division of Compliance.

The link below provides access to important information about the complaint process for school age students. You may find this information to be useful before completing the Complaint Form, which can be found on the first four pages of the packet. The Complaint Form must be completed and signed before sending it to the Bureau of Special Education. Submission options for the Complaint Form can be found at the top of the web page linked below.

If you need more information about the complaint process or if you are unable to print the packet and would like to receive a complaint form by mail, please contact the Special Education ConsultLine at 1-800-879-2301, ConsultLine@odr-pa.org or submit an online request.

For students receiving Early Intervention (birth to age 5):

The opens in a new windowOffice of Child Development and Early Learning is responsible for special education programs for children birth to 5 in Early Intervention. The following link can be used by families for information on the complaint and resolution process.

opens in a new windowEarly Intervention Complaint Registry Form

Find additional information on the Early Intervention pages.

opens in a new windowCADRE, the National Center for Dispute Resolution in Special Education, has developed a guide for  parents about the Written State Complaint.  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.