Special education in Pennsylvania

What Pennsylvania calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.

Special education in Pennsylvania

Special education is called

Special Education

The IEP meeting

IEP team meeting

Eligibility team

Multidisciplinary Evaluation team (Evaluation Report)

Evaluation timeline

60 calendar days. 60 calendar days from consent, summer excluded (22 Pa. Code 14.123)

IEP timeline

IEP within 30 calendar days of the Evaluation Report

Transition planning starts

14 (being checked)

Rights transfer to the student at

Developmental delay category

3 to 5 (preschool only)

Dyslexia law

partial: Act 47 of 2025 (24 P.S. Art. XV-N): universal K-3 literacy screening three times a year from 2027-28; not dyslexia-specific

State categories

Gifted served through a separate GIEP under Chapter 16

Find your district and schools

787 districts and charter districts. 137 special education schools and 173 public charter schools.

Get your Hall Pass Schools in Pennsylvania Services for children in Pennsylvania (on Disability Atlas)

The state office and your options when you disagree

State special education office

Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education

Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)

Read the state's notice

Mediation

Ask for mediation

State complaint

File a state complaint

Due process

Ask for a due process hearing

Free help for families

Parent centers

Hispanos Unidos para Niños Excepcionales (Philadelphia HUNE)
Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), Philadelphia
(215) 425-6203
Mission Empower
Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), Erie
Serves: Erie County
(814) 825-0788
Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership Center (PEAL)
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Philadelphia
(412) 281-4404

Disability rights agency

Disability Rights Pennsylvania
Protection and Advocacy Agency, Philadelphia
(717) 236-8110

Advocacy groups in Pennsylvania

Paying for it

Medicaid for children

Medical Assistance (Pennsylvania Medicaid)

CHIP

Pennsylvania CHIP

Apply

Apply for coverage

Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income

no (KFF 2026). KFF lists No. Pennsylvania's PH-95 Medical Assistance category for children with disabilities is commonly described as ignoring parent income; being checked in this pass.

Schools bill Medicaid for health services

Autism insurance law

yes. under 21; $36,000 per year (as listed by NCSL)

Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities

general-limited: EITC and OSTC tax-credit scholarships (income-limited)

How school, Medicaid and insurance fit together

How Pennsylvania scores

First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.

State of Schools

B-

Rank 7 of 51

State of Support

C+

Rank 29 of 51

Combined

C+

Rank 19 of 51

Pillar	Grade
Following the law	A-
Learning together	D
Results	B
School funding	A
Family protections	D
Options and transition	D+

IDEA determination 2026: Meets. How we grade.

Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.