Education - Online Resources and Forms
CFPB Consumer Complaint
Consumer complaints regarding financial products and services can be submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Federal Court Finder
Find a federal court location by location or court name, including appellate, district, bankruptcy, probation and pretrial office, or federal defender organization. Each District Court has its own local forms which are generally available on the Court website.
Individualized Family Service Plan/Individualized Education Program (IFSP/IEP) - Early Intervention
The IFSP identifies services and supports for children and families involved in Early Intervention. The IFSP and IEP consider the strengths of the child; concerns of the parent/guardian and most recent evaluation results so that family members and early education programs are actively engaged in promoting the child’s learning and development. This annotated form provides guidance to parents and early intervention staff completing the evaluation report. It is not intended as an exclusive manner for complying with state and/or federal special education statutes and regulations. Effective Date: December 1, 2022
Mediation (Special Education)
Even when parents and school officials try their best to reach agreement on a student’s special education program, disagreements can occur. If this happens, mediation, which is a free, voluntary, and confidential alternative to a formal due process hearing, is an option. Mediation can take place at any time before or during the due process cycle. Mediation is not a required process and may not delay or deny a parent the right to a due process hearing. Information on the Mediation process from the Office of Dispute Resolution (Special Education).
Request for Translation and Interpretation Services
Federal civil rights laws require schools to provide free language services for multilingual parents or caregivers whose first language is not English. This form and checklist includes questions the parent or caregiver can ask about the types of language services available and when the school can provide language services. By asking these questions, the parent or caregiver will learn about the process to request language services and the point of contact at the school responsible for providing interpretation and/or translation. This self-advocacy tool is available for general education in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Nepali. This self-advocacy tool is available for special education in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Nepali.
Sample Letter for Requesting an Independent Evaluation of Your Child
This sample letter is from Appendix 4 of "The Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania: A Guide for Parents and Advocates" handbook from the Education Law Center - Pennsylvania. This sample letter shows you what to include in your request for an Independent Educational Evaluation of your child. [PDF]
Sample Letter Requesting an Initial Special Education Evaluation
This sample letter is from Appendix 2 of "The Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania: A Guide for Parents and Advocates" handbook from the Education Law Center-Pennsylvania. This sample letter shows you what to include in a request for an evaluation. [PDF]
Sample Letter Requesting a Re-Evaluation
This sample letter is from Appendix 3 of "The Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania: A Guide for Parents and Advocates" handbook from the Education Law Center-Pennsylvania. This sample letter showing you what to include in a request for re-evaluation of your child. [PDF]
Sample Sworn Statement and Residency Affidavit For Students Living With Adults Who Are Not Their Parents, 24 P.S. §13-1302 [PDF]
If a child is living with you and you are not with their parent, they have the right to attend school where you live if certain conditions are met. Use this form to determine whether the child living with you is eligible to enroll in school where you reside. This form is an affidavit (sworn statement), which means that you are certifying that all information you put on the form is correct. NOTE: You can face legal penalties if you knowingly complete this form using false information to enroll a child into school.
School Success for Students Without Homes - A Toolkit for Parents and Providers
The Education Law Center - Pennsylvania provides this collection of “tools” to help parents and providers ensure school success for children and youth (ages 3-21) in Pennsylvania who are experiencing homelessness. The toolkit provides information about important laws and explains legal rights and how to use them. (2011)