Special Education

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The accountability requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 mandates that each state determine the extent to which students are achieving transition outcomes (State Performance Plan - Indicator 14). To meet the federal reporting requirement, each local education agency (LEA) is mandated to administer Exit and Post-School Surveys to students who have graduated, aged out or dropped out with individualized education programs at a frequency of one time, over a five-year period, based on the LEA's assignment to a targeted sampling year (Cohort 4).

• Participate in the Pennsylvania Post-School Outcome Survey Overview for Cohort 4 webinar, which is scheduled for September 21, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The webinar will provide information concerning the administration of the Exit Process. Registration is required and may be accessed at:

https://www.pattan.net/Events/Webinar/Course-1838/Events/Session-38479

• Participate in the February 21, 2024, Exit Survey training webinar from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Registration for this event is required and can be completed when registering for the September webinar. Information regarding accessing and entering information into the online system will be presented during this webinar.

On June 23, 2023, Pennsylvania received notification from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office of Special Education Programs that the commonwealth has received a “Meets Requirements” determination, the highest level that the federal government awards to states under Part B of the IDEA.

Pennsylvania was one of only 23 states and territories that received the distinction this year. The commonwealth’s excellent work in special education has been recognized with the “Meets Requirements” designation for 16 of the 17 years that USDE has been issuing its determinations. 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.

This determination is based on the totality of the commonwealth’s special education data and information, including the federal fiscal year 2021 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), other state-reported data, and additional publicly available information. Consistent with USDE’s Results Driven Accountability, 2023 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.

1. Participation on regular statewide assessments.
2. Participation and performance on the most recently administered (school year 2018-19) National Assessment of Educational Progress.
3. Graduation with a regular high school diploma.
4. Dropout rates.