Special Education

The William Penn School District is committed to supporting your child with a disability or exceptionality, an IEP, a 504 Plan, or a GIEP (Gifted IEP).

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Departments

Special Education encompasses a wide range of supports and services.

Please reach out to the Supervisor of Special Education if you have any concerns. We look forward to working with you.

Every exceptional student attending the schools of this District shall be offered an educational program that meets his/her educational needs and is suited to his/her unique abilities. The Special Education program shall be designed to comply with IDEA, conform to the goals of the District and integrate, to the maximum extent appropriate, special education with regular instruction programs.

To qualify as an exceptional student, the student must be of school age, in need of specially designed instruction, and meet the criteria for one or more of the following:

Autism	Multiple Disabilities
Blindness	Orthopedic Impairment
Deaf-Blind	Specific Learning Disability
Deafness	Speech or Language Impairment
Emotional Disturbance	Traumatic Brain Injury
Hearing Impairment	Visual Impairment

The William Penn School District uses a set of procedures based on State Standards and Regulations to identify and evaluate the specific needs of school-age students requiring special programs or services. Screening information is used by the Comprehensive Support Process (CSP) Team in the child’s home school to meet the child’s needs, or to document the need for further evaluation.

If progress is not made utilizing the Comprehensive Support Process Team, a child, (with Parent Permission), will be recommended for a Multidisciplinary Evaluation which will result in a comprehensive Educational Report. Parents are then invited and encouraged to attend an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting for the purpose of developing an individualized program based upon the findings of the Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation (MDE). When identified students display challenging behavior(s), the IEP will include a Behavior Support Plan. This plan will provide information on positive interventions designed to reduce the challenging behavior and teach appropriate alternative skills.

It is the position of the District, in line with Federal and State requirements to provide an education in the Least Restrictive Environment, that all William Penn students eligible for Special Education be taught in their neighborhood school with regular education peers, to the maximum extent appropriate. Students will receive their services in the regular education environment to the degree that is deemed appropriate by the IEP team. Should the IEP team determine that a more restrictive environment is necessary, the William Penn School District is able to offer the appropriate program from the full continuum of special education placement options.

Draft William Penn School District Special Education Plan

Please find the Draft William Penn School District Special Education Plan for 2026-2029 at the link below. This is available for a 28-day review. Any feedback can be sent to Elizabeth Dortone at edortone@wpsd.k12.pa.us.

View the Plan Here

IEP Meeting Feedback Survey

Take the survey and help us improve our services.

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Notice of Special Education Services

Read our notice of Special Education Services.

Special Education Notice (English)

Special Education Notice (Spanish)

PDE Policy Change in Age of Eligibility for Free Appropriate Public Education

Change in Age of Eligibility for Free and Appropriate Public Education

Effective no later than September 5, 2023, all students entitled to FAPE and all of the rights and procedural safeguards under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Chapter 14 of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code may remain enrolled in public school until they turn 22 years of age. This includes students who turned 21 and exited during or after the 2022-2023 school term.

PDE has concluded that Pennsylvania’s adult education programs constitute public education for the purposes of section 1412(a)(1)(B) of IDEA, and Pennsylvania is required to make FAPE available to students with disabilities until their 22nd birthday. This change is effective no later than September 5, 2023.

Please find here the link to the PDE Policy, Frequently Asked Questions, Penn Link Memo, and Policy Notification Letter sent to families.

For further information, please contact the Specialized Services Office (610-284-8005×1235).

IDEAB - PDE Policy

PDE Policy

Age of Eligibility Policy

Age of Eligibility Policy Notification Letter

Special Education Change of Age of Eligibility