The IEP Process in Pennsylvania: Step-by-Step Under Chapter 14

The IEP process in Pennsylvania looks similar to other states on the surface — referral, evaluation, meeting, services. But Pennsylvania runs on a distinct set of forms, timelines, and documents that catch many parents off guard. If you move to Pennsylvania from another state, or if you're navigating the system for the first time, here's what the Chapter 14 process actually looks like.

Step 1: Referral

The IEP process begins with a referral — a formal indication that a student may have a disability and need special education services. The referral can come from:

• A parent (written request is strongest)
• A teacher or other school professional
• The school district itself, acting on its Child Find obligations

Pennsylvania's Child Find requirement is proactive. If the school has reason to suspect a disability — through failing grades, behavioral patterns, or developmental concerns — it is legally required to initiate the evaluation process without waiting for a parent request.

For parents: Don't rely on verbal requests. Submit a written letter to the principal and Director of Special Education requesting a "comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation under Chapter 14." Keep a copy and note the date sent.

If you make an oral request to any school professional, the district is required to give you the Permission to Evaluate (PTE) form within 10 calendar days under Section 14.123(c).

If the district refuses to evaluate, they must issue a NOREP (Notice of Recommended Educational Placement) formally declining, with the data supporting their refusal. That refusal can be challenged.

Step 2: Permission to Evaluate (PTE)

Before any evaluation can begin, the school must issue and you must sign the Permission to Evaluate (PTE) form. This is your written consent for the school to conduct the evaluation.

Review it carefully before signing. The PTE describes the types of assessments the school plans to conduct. If the proposed evaluation omits an area you believe is relevant — say, an occupational therapy assessment or a speech-language evaluation — you can request that it be added before you sign.

Once you sign and return the PTE, the formal evaluation clock starts.

Step 3: The Evaluation (60-Day Timeline)

Pennsylvania gives school districts 60 calendar days from receipt of the signed PTE to complete the evaluation and deliver the Evaluation Report (ER) to you. Summer vacation does not count in this window.

The ER is Pennsylvania's evaluation document — separate from the IEP. It must include:

• Findings from all assessments conducted
• Data from parent input, teacher observations, and review of academic records
• An eligibility determination: does the student have a disability that requires specially designed instruction?
• A description of the student's educational needs

A separate document called a Reevaluation Report (RR) governs the triennial reevaluation. The same 60-day timeline applies for reevaluations that include new testing.

Step 4: The 10-Day Review Period

Once the ER is complete, the school must give you a copy at least 10 school days before the IEP meeting. This waiting period exists so you can review the evaluation findings before being asked to participate in program development.

Read the ER carefully. If you disagree with the findings, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense before or after the IEP meeting. The school must either fund the IEE or file for due process to defend its evaluation.

You can waive the 10-day review period in writing if you want to move directly to the IEP meeting.

Step 5: The IEP Meeting

Within 30 calendar days of the ER establishing eligibility, the school must convene the IEP team. Required members include:

• Parent(s)
• At least one general education teacher
• At least one special education teacher or provider
• A representative of the LEA who can commit resources
• Someone who can interpret evaluation results
• When appropriate, the student
• Other specialists as relevant (speech therapist, OT, school psychologist)

The IEP meeting develops the Individualized Education Program, including:

• PLAAFP: Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance — the baseline, derived from the ER
• Measurable annual goals: What the student will achieve this year
• Specially designed instruction: The modified curriculum and instructional approaches
• Related services: Speech, OT, PT, counseling, etc.
• Placement: Where the student will receive services (general ed, resource room, self-contained, Approved Private School, etc.)
• Supplementary aids and services
• Progress monitoring: How often and how progress will be reported

If the school arrives with a fully pre-written IEP, you are not required to sign it at the meeting. Meaningful parental participation is a legal requirement — not a formality.

Step 6: The NOREP

At the conclusion of the IEP meeting, the school issues a NOREP (Notice of Recommended Educational Placement). This is Pennsylvania's unique combination of the Prior Written Notice (PWN) and the placement consent document. It's the most consequential document in the Pennsylvania special education process.

The NOREP summarizes the proposed placement and services. You have three options:

• Approve: Sign and return within 10 calendar days. Services begin within 10 school days of the signed NOREP.
• Disapprove + file: Check "disapprove" and simultaneously file a request for mediation or a due process hearing with the ODR within 10 calendar days. This triggers stay-put rights — the school cannot implement the changes while the dispute is pending. Your child remains in the last agreed-upon placement.
• Disapprove without filing: Checking disapprove alone does not preserve stay-put. The school can proceed with the proposed changes after the 10-day window.

That last scenario is the most common trap. Parents who check "disapprove" assuming it freezes the situation — without filing — lose their stay-put protection.

For initial IEPs, the school cannot begin services until you sign the NOREP. For annual reviews, implied consent applies after 10 days if you don't respond.

Step 7: Implementation and Annual Review

Once the NOREP is signed, the school has 10 school days to begin implementing the IEP services. From that point:

• Progress toward IEP goals must be reported as frequently as general education report cards
• The IEP must be reviewed annually (the annual IEP meeting)
• A full reevaluation (new ER) must occur at least every 3 years (triennial), or sooner if the parent or school requests one

If services written into the IEP are not being delivered, that's a procedural violation. Document it in writing and file a state complaint with PDE's Bureau of Special Education if it continues.

Pennsylvania-Specific Agencies to Know

• PDE Bureau of Special Education — oversees Chapter 14 compliance; handles state complaints
• ODR (Office for Dispute Resolution) — manages IEP facilitation, mediation, and due process hearings
• PEAL Center — PA's federally funded parent training and information center
• ConsultLine (800-879-2301) — free state helpline for special education questions
• PATTAN — PA Training and Technical Assistance Network; professional development and parent resources
• Intermediate Units (IUs) — 29 regional agencies that provide specialized services; responsible for preschool early intervention and some nonpublic school services

For a complete plain-English guide to every form, timeline, and procedure in Pennsylvania's IEP process — including how to read and respond to a NOREP — the Pennsylvania IEP & 504 Blueprint covers the full Chapter 14 sequence.

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