Special Education Updates
October 8, 2025
Reporting of Expenditures Relating to Exceptional Students
Act 16 of 2000 (24 PS §13-1372(8)) requires the Reporting of Expenditures Relating to Exceptional Students. School districts and charter schools must report the number of students with disabilities for which expenditures fall in one of five categories. The categories will be 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, and 3B for the 2024-2025 school year. The dollar amounts for these categories will be posted on PDE’s website at Act 16 – Reporting of Expenditures Relating to Exceptional Students. The 2025-26 PIMS Manual will also be updated to reflect the dollar amounts to be reported.
This report will be collected at the student level through PIMS using the Student Fact Template for Special Education Act 16 Funds. The template will be collected during Collection #1 (opening October 1 and closing with a deadline of October 10, 2025). Data is to be based on expenditures incurred during the entire 2024-2025 school year.
Guidelines regarding the Act 16 reporting can be found at Act 16 Information.
The Student Fact Template for Special Education Act 16 Funds can be found in the 2025-2026 PIMS Manual.
Please note that failure to complete the Student Fact Template for Special Education Act 16 Funds report may have an adverse effect on your local education agency's special education funding.
Questions regarding this reporting requirement may be emailed to ra-edseact16@pa.gov. A copy of this information is being provided to each intermediate unit so they may assist school districts and charter schools with report preparation, as needed.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
PASA and the 1% Threshold Justification Requirement for all LEAs
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to report the number of students with disabilities who exceed 1% of the total population of students participating in the alternate assessment. ESSA also requires 95% of the students, including those with disabilities, participate in statewide assessments. Additionally, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to report the performance and participation of students with disabilities in state assessment through its State Performance Plan (SPP) Annual Performance Report (APR).
To meet these regulatory requirements, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Education (BSE) implements a tiered system of oversight and monitoring of Local Education Agencies (LEAs). This tiered system monitors the participation rates of students with disabilities in the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA).
One component of this monitoring oversight requires every LEA in the Commonwealth to submit a 1% Threshold Justification by December 1, 2025. This annual submission by every LEA for the 2025-26 school year is accessed through the PaTTAN PASA 1% webpage.
More information about PASA, including the “2025-26 PASA Getting Ready: What Special Education Administrators Need to Know about PASA DLM Participation and 1% Compliance Requirements” slides, can be reviewed at the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) webpage or by using some of the direct links to resources below:
- Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) and the 1% Threshold Justification: Tiered System of LEA Oversight and Monitoring – this form should be used by LEAs who exceed the 1% threshold as a resource when completing their required 1% justification.
- PASA Eligibility Criteria: Decision Making Companion Tool – this resource should be used by IEP teams to consider Pennsylvania’s six eligibility criteria for students to take the PASA and document in Section IV of the student’s IEP.
- PASA Eligibility Criteria - YouTube – this resource is a brief video providing additional guidance for PASA’s six eligibility criteria.
Questions on this requirement can be directed to ra-pdespecialed@pa.gov, Lisa Hampe at lihampe@pa.gov, and/or Lisa Hauswirth at lhauswirth@pa.gov.