The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to report the number of students with disabilities who exceed 1% of the total population of students participating in the alternate assessment. ESSA also requires 95% of the students, including those with disabilities, participate in statewide assessments. Additionally, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to report the performance and participation of students with disabilities in state assessment through its State Performance Plan (SPP) Annual Performance Report (APR).

To meet these regulatory requirements, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Education (BSE) implements a tiered system of oversight and monitoring of Local Education Agencies (LEAs). This tiered system monitors the participation rates of students with disabilities in the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA).

One component of this monitoring oversight requires every LEA in the Commonwealth to submit a 1% Threshold Justification by December 1, 2025. This annual submission by every LEA for the 2025-26 school year is accessed through the PaTTAN PASA 1% webpage. 

More information about PASA, including the “2025-26 PASA Getting Ready: What Special Education Administrators Need to Know about PASA DLM Participation and 1% Compliance Requirements” slides, can be reviewed at the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) webpage or by using some of the direct links to resources below:
–Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) and the 1% Threshold Justification: Tiered System of LEA Oversight and Monitoring – this form should be used by LEAs who exceed the 1% threshold as a resource when completing their required 1% justification.
–PASA Eligibility Criteria: Decision Making Companion Tool – this resource should be used by IEP teams to consider Pennsylvania’s six eligibility criteria for students to take the PASA and document in Section IV of the student’s IEP.
–PASA Eligibility Criteria – YouTube – this resource is a brief video providing additional guidance for PASA’s six eligibility criteria.

Questions on this requirement can be directed to ra-pdespecialed@pa.gov, Lisa Hampe at lihampe@pa.gov, and/or Lisa Hauswirth at lhauswirth@pa.gov.