Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    The Bureau of Special Education works collaboratively with educators, schools, agencies, and other stakeholders across Pennsylvania to ensure students have access to quality and meaningful education supports, services, and opportunities.

    Attract Prepare Retain Repository

    Attract-Prepare-Retain (APR) is a priority of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Special Education (BSE) with a primary focus that is three-fold:

    • To attract skilled, compassionate, and diverse individuals to the varied career options within the field of special education,
    • To prepare special education personnel by building capacity through targeted professional development, technical assistance, and supports, and
    • To retain special education personnel long-term through the collective efforts of federal, state, and local entities.
    Attract Prepare Retain Repository

    IEP Information

    The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a personalized plan for education services catering to disabled or gifted students.

    More about IEPs

    Assessment Information

    The Pennsylvania statewide assessment system for accountability is composed of assessments including the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) and the Keystone Exams.

    Nonpublic Schools

    Special Education opportunities with Nonpublic Schools

    Special Education Forms

    Forms are available for the Infant-Toddler, Preschool, and School-age programs, and include both annotated and non-annotated versions.

    Family Information

    Supporting a child with a disability takes a team approach.