On April 21, 2022 PA Bureau of Special Education Director Carole L. Clancy disseminated a PennLink to LEAs titled Special Education Plan Requirements – Identification of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities using Response to Intervention. The memo states that in response to the continued burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) has revised the application process for utilizing Response to Intervention (RTI) to identify students with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Initial applications for school districts and charter schools may be submitted on an on-going basis. There is no deadline for submission.

The revised process requires school districts and charter schools to submit the RTI for SLD Determination Fidelity Tool as the application to PDE. The RTI for SLD Determination Fidelity Tool will be used district-wide or for building levels (i.e., elementary, middle and/or high school). Additional information and the RTI for SLD Determination Fidelity Tool are available on the PaTTAN website.

Each local education agency (LEA) must partner with their local Intermediate Unit and/or respective PaTTAN Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) lead consultant to conduct a comprehensive review using the fidelity tool and to receive assistance with the process.

Please contact the following PaTTAN MTSS designees for support: Dr. Jennifer Collins, State Lead ([email protected]) – Harrisburg; Karen Brady ([email protected]t) – Harrisburg; Dr. Sielke Caparelli ([email protected]t) – Pittsburgh; Sherry Hartman ([email protected]) – East.

Upon review of all documentation, BSE will issue a letter indicating the application is approved, disapproved, or requires revision.

LEAs currently approved to implement RTI for SLD Determination are advised to continue to use the RTI for SLD Determination Fidelity Tool for internal assessment and improvement.

Additionally, LEAs are required to outline use of RTI for SLD Determination as part of the required submission for the district comprehensive special education plan and charter school annual report assurances within the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FRCPP).

Questions related to this message may be directed to Shannon Eye, Special Education Adviser, at 717-829-5113 or [email protected].