Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
NOREP stands for Notice of Recommended Educational Placement, the form Pennsylvania schools use to give parents of a child with a disability the prior written notice that IDEA requires under 34 CFR 300.503, a rule Pennsylvania adopts in 22 Pa. Code Chapter 14. A school district or charter school issues the NOREP/PWN each time it proposes or refuses to initiate or change a student’s identification, evaluation, educational placement or free appropriate public education (FAPE), and parents are asked to answer within 10 calendar days. This guide covers when a NOREP is due, what it contains, the parent’s options, the Chapter 14 timelines, an example entry, the Procedural Safeguards Notice and the Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR). It is not legal advice.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
In Pennsylvania, a school’s proposals and refusals about the eligibility, services or placement of a student with a disability reach the family on one document: the NOREP/PWN.
The rules around it are specific to Pennsylvania: a 10-calendar-day reply period, written consent before initial services, a current placement that stays only when the parent requests mediation or a hearing, and Chapter 14 clocks for the evaluation report and the IEP.
Key Takeaways
- The NOREP is Pennsylvania’s prior written notice for every proposal or refusal under 34 CFR 300.503.
- Parents have 10 calendar days to reply; without a reply, the school proceeds unless consent is required.
- Initial services need a signature: silence is never consent to the first IEP.
- Disapproval alone does not freeze the program: the parent must request mediation or a hearing.
- Chapter 14 clocks: 60 calendar days to evaluate, summer excluded; the report 10 school days before the IEP meeting.
- ODR runs mediation, facilitation and hearings; state complaints go to the Bureau of Special Education.
What Is a NOREP in Special Education?
A NOREP is the written notice a Pennsylvania local education agency (LEA) sends parents to explain an action it proposes or refuses, why, on what evidence, and what the parent can do next. Pennsylvania’s model Procedural Safeguards Notice says it directly: prior written notice is provided by means of the Notice of Recommended Educational Placement, and reasonable notice means ten days.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full title | Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice (NOREP/PWN), School Age |
| Where it is posted | PaTTAN, a project of the Bureau of Special Education, posts the school-age form and an annotated version |
| Version | Form pages dated October 2014; resource appendix dated September 2025 |
| Translations | Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Farsi, French, Haitian Creole, Swahili, Albanian, Croatian and others |
| Signed by | The superintendent or designee, or the charter school CEO |
National rules and sample wording are in our guide to prior written notice examples.
NOREP vs IEP and Other Pennsylvania Forms
The IEP describes the program; the NOREP proposes it and records the parent’s answer.
| Form | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Prior Written Notice for Initial Evaluation and Request for Consent Form | Before an initial evaluation | Describes the evaluation and asks for consent |
| Evaluation Report (ER) or Reevaluation Report (RR) | After the evaluation | Records results and eligibility |
| IEP | At the IEP meeting | States goals, services and placement |
| NOREP/PWN | After a decision, before the school acts | Proposes or refuses the action; records the parent’s choice |
| Procedural Safeguards Notice | Yearly and at set events | Explains parent rights |
When a Pennsylvania District Must Issue a NOREP
A district issues a NOREP before it carries out any proposal or refusal about a student’s identification, evaluation, placement or FAPE, because 22 Pa. Code 14.102 incorporates 34 CFR 300.503. Section 1 of the form lists the actions:
- Initial provision of special education services, the one action that needs written consent.
- Refusal to evaluate or a disciplinary change of placement, each with the Procedural Safeguards Notice.
- A proposal or a refusal to change identification, evaluation, placement or FAPE.
- A due process hearing initiated by the LEA.
- Graduation or exit from special education.
- Extended school year (ESY) and the answer to a request for an independent educational evaluation at public expense.
Pennsylvania adds timing rules. For students with severe disabilities, the ESY NOREP must issue by March 31 (see extended school year). An exclusion of more than 15 cumulative school days in a year is a change of placement, and so is any removal of a student with an intellectual disability unless it involves weapons, drugs or serious bodily injury (22 Pa. Code 14.143); either requires a NOREP first. See our manifestation determination guide.
What the NOREP Contains
The NOREP lays out the seven elements of federal prior written notice as numbered sections, then adds a placement statement and a consent section.
| NOREP section | Content | Federal element |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Type of action | A checkbox from the list above | 300.503(a) |
| 2 and 3. Description and explanation | The action and why the LEA proposes or refuses it | (b)(1), (b)(2) |
| 4. Options considered | Each option and why it was rejected, starting with the regular class with supplementary aids and services when placement is at issue | (b)(6) |
| 5. Evaluation data | Each procedure, assessment, record or report used | (b)(3) |
| 6. Other factors | Anything else relevant | (b)(7) |
| 7. Recommended placement | Amount and type of support | Pennsylvania addition |
| Rights and resources | Safeguards statement, school contact, state resources | (b)(4), (b)(5) |
| 8. Parental consent | The parent’s choice and signature | Pennsylvania addition |
Section 7 pairs one amount with one or more types of support. 22 Pa. Code 14.105 defines the amounts by the share of the school day with special education personnel: itinerant (20% or less), supplemental (more than 20% but less than 80%) and full-time (80% or more). The nine types in 14.131(a)(1) are learning, life skills, emotional, deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, speech and language, physical, autistic and multiple disabilities support.
Parent Options on the NOREP
Section 8 asks the parent to check one option, sign and return the form within 10 calendar days:
- Request an informal meeting with school personnel.
- Approve the action or recommendation.
- Not approve, give a reason, and request mediation or a due process hearing through ODR (800-222-3353).
For initial services, the school may not proceed without written consent, and it cannot use mediation or due process to override a refusal or a lack of response (22 Pa. Code 14.162(c)). For other actions, when the form is not returned and consent is not required, the school proceeds after 10 calendar days; PaTTAN’s annotated IEP (January 2026) tells LEAs to wait until the 11th calendar day after presenting the NOREP.
A parent who disapproves keeps the current program only by requesting mediation or a due process hearing, except for an interim setting for drugs, weapons or serious bodily injury. Pennsylvania extends “stay put” to mediation unless the parties agree otherwise (14.162(s)); federal law covers due process (34 CFR 300.518).
Pennsylvania Timelines Around the NOREP
Chapter 14 sets the clocks that decide when the NOREP arrives; our guide to special education evaluation compares them with other states.
| Step | Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Oral request for an evaluation | Permission to evaluate form to the parent within 10 calendar days | 22 Pa. Code 14.123(c) |
| Initial evaluation | ER presented to parents within 60 calendar days of written consent, not counting days between the spring and fall terms | 14.123(b) |
| ER or RR to parents | At least 10 school days before the IEP meeting unless waived in writing | 14.123(d), 14.124(d) |
| IEP meeting | Within 30 days of the determination that the child needs special education | 34 CFR 300.323(c)(1) |
| NOREP reply | 10 calendar days | NOREP/PWN form, Section 8 |
| IEP implementation | No later than 10 school days after completion | 14.131(a)(6) |
| Reevaluation | 60 calendar days, summer excluded; at least every 3 years, or every 2 years for a student with an intellectual disability | 14.124(b), (c); 34 CFR 300.303 |
Meeting rules are in our IEP meeting guide.
Example of a NOREP Entry
This is an original example about a fictional student, written for this guide; adapt it to your data and check decisions with legal consequences with district counsel.
| Section | Example entry for Lucas, grade 3 |
|---|---|
| 1. Type of action | Proposes to change the educational placement and the provision of FAPE |
| 2. Description | From January 12, Lucas receives specially designed instruction in decoding, fluency and writing for 90 minutes a day in the learning support room and 30 minutes of in-class math support, about 30% of his day. His support moves from itinerant to supplemental. |
| 3. Explanation | Weekly reading probes since September show less growth than his goal requires, and his reevaluation confirms phonics and spelling needs that brief in-class support has not met. |
| 4. Options considered | Regular class with supplementary aids only: rejected, he needs daily direct instruction. Itinerant support with more consultation: rejected after 14 weeks of limited progress. Full-time learning support: rejected, he meets grade-level expectations in science and social studies with accommodations. |
| 5. Evaluation data | Reevaluation Report of December 1; weekly reading probes; writing samples; school psychologist’s observation; teacher and parent input |
| 6. Other factors | His parents asked that reading time not replace science; science stays in his classroom. |
| 7. Placement | Supplemental Learning Support |
This change does not need consent, so the district may proceed after 10 calendar days if the form is not returned and no mediation or hearing is requested.
The Procedural Safeguards Notice in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s model Procedural Safeguards Notice for school-age students is dated September 2025 and listed by PaTTAN with an effective date of March 1, 2026, after a revision of contact information and forms. The 46-page notice opens with the ConsultLine number (800-879-2301), has an audio version on the ODR site and is translated into many languages.
LEAs give it once a school year and at the federal triggers: initial referral or request for evaluation, the first state complaint and first due process complaint of the year, a disciplinary change of placement and any parent request (34 CFR 300.504(a)). When the notice is mailed for a student who has or is thought to have an intellectual disability, Chapter 14 requires certified mail, return receipt requested (14.162(a)).
The Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR) and Other Options
The Office for Dispute Resolution administers Pennsylvania’s special education dispute resolution system for children with disabilities and gifted children; state complaints go to the Department of Education.
| Option | Who runs it | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| ConsultLine | ODR | Help line on special education, gifted education and Section 504; no legal advice |
| IEP facilitation | A neutral facilitator from ODR | Voluntary; no cost for IDEA cases; the facilitator decides nothing |
| Mediation | A contracted mediator arranged by ODR | Any time, even during a hearing; the agreement is legally binding |
| Due process hearing | An impartial hearing officer; ODR administers the system | Decision within 45 days after the resolution period; appeal to Commonwealth Court within 30 days or federal court within 90 |
| State complaint | Bureau of Special Education, Division of Compliance, Monitoring and Planning | A violation within the past year; decision within 60 calendar days unless extended |
ODR also offers resolution meeting facilitation and hearing officer settlement conferences. Michigan and Ohio organize the same rights differently: see Michigan procedural safeguards and Ohio procedural safeguards.
Chapter 14 vs Chapter 15 and Chapter 16
Chapter 14 of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code, Special Education Services and Programs, adopts most of 34 CFR Part 300 by reference and adds state rules; it was last amended effective December 2, 2023. Chapter 711 covers charter school programs for children with disabilities.
Chapter 15 implements Section 504 for “protected handicapped students,” who are not eligible under Chapter 14 but whose disability substantially limits participation in the school program. Their accommodations go in a written “service agreement,” and a district answers a parent’s written request within 25 school days (15.6(d)); see our 504 plan guide. Chapter 16 covers gifted students, who receive a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP).
Common Mistakes District Leaders Make
- Treating the IEP as the notice. The decision still needs a NOREP that records the parent’s choice.
- Starting initial services on silence. The first IEP requires a signature in Section 8.
- Implementing before the reply period ends without the parent’s approval.
- Listing only the chosen option. Rejected options start with the regular class with supplementary aids and services.
- Forgetting refusals, such as a refused evaluation or a refused IEE at public expense.
- Missing disciplinary triggers: 15 cumulative days, or any removal of a student with an intellectual disability.
Recommended Actions
- Use the current PaTTAN NOREP file, with the September 2025 resource appendix.
- Track the 10-calendar-day reply window and the 60-day evaluation clock in your student information system.
- Review a sample of NOREPs each quarter for specific reasons, rejected options and named data.
- Flag students with an intellectual disability for certified mail and the discipline rule.
- Send the NOREP in the family’s language using PaTTAN’s translations.
- Give every case manager the ODR and ConsultLine numbers.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- How many NOREPs were implemented before the reply window closed?
- Do our NOREPs list rejected options starting with the regular class?
- What share of evaluation reports reached parents 10 school days before the IEP meeting?
- How many disagreements went to facilitation or mediation before a hearing?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a NOREP in special education?
A NOREP is Pennsylvania’s Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice. A school district or charter school sends it whenever it proposes or refuses to initiate or change a student’s identification, evaluation, placement or FAPE. It explains the action, the reasons, the options rejected and the data used, recommends a placement and asks the parent to approve, disapprove or request a meeting, mediation or a hearing.
What does NOREP stand for?
NOREP stands for Notice of Recommended Educational Placement. Pennsylvania’s school-age form, in its October 2014 version, is titled Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice (NOREP/PWN), because it is how Pennsylvania delivers the prior written notice required by IDEA at 34 CFR 300.503. A separate Early Intervention version is used for preschool children.
Is the NOREP part of the IEP?
No. The IEP describes the student’s goals, services and placement; the NOREP is the separate notice that proposes that program and records the parent’s response. After an IEP meeting, the district issues a NOREP with the recommended placement, and parents may approve it, ask for an informal meeting, or disapprove and request mediation or a due process hearing.
How long do parents have to return a NOREP?
Ten calendar days. The form asks parents to check one option, sign and return it within 10 calendar days. If the form is not returned and the action does not require consent, the school proceeds after 10 calendar days. Initial special education services are the exception: they cannot begin without the parent’s written consent.
What are the special education laws in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania applies IDEA through 22 Pa. Code Chapter 14, which adopts most federal regulations and adds rules such as the 60-calendar-day evaluation timeline that excludes summer. Chapter 15 covers Section 504 “protected handicapped students,” Chapter 16 gifted students and Chapter 711 charter schools. The Bureau of Special Education oversees compliance; ODR administers mediation and hearings.
Where can I find the Pennsylvania procedural safeguards notice?
PaTTAN posts the model Procedural Safeguards Notice for school-age students on its Special Education Forms page, with translations. The current version is dated September 2025 and listed with an effective date of March 1, 2026. The Office for Dispute Resolution links to it and offers an audio version and short explanatory videos.
Related Resources
- Prior Written Notice Examples
- Indiana Procedural Safeguards
- Michigan Procedural Safeguards
- Ohio Procedural Safeguards
- Special Education Evaluation
- IEP Meeting Guide
Conclusion
The NOREP turns each special education decision in Pennsylvania into a written proposal that parents can accept, question or challenge. Districts that issue it at every trigger, explain the options they rejected, respect the 10-calendar-day window and keep the Chapter 14 clocks give families a decision they can follow and keep a record that holds up.
Sources: PaTTAN, Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice (NOREP/PWN), School Age; PaTTAN, NOREP/PWN (Annotated), School Age; PaTTAN, Individualized Education Program (Annotated), January 2026; PaTTAN, Procedural Safeguards Notice (September 2025); PaTTAN, Permission to Evaluate: Oral Request Form; 22 Pa. Code 14.131, IEP; 22 Pa. Code 14.124, Reevaluation; 22 Pa. Code 15.6, Parent initiated evaluation and provision of services; Office for Dispute Resolution, Appeals; Office for Dispute Resolution, Mediation. Regulations are linked where they are cited.
Join the 2027 Special Education Pilot
A NOREP decides where and how much a student is taught; growth on each IEP goal still comes from many repetitions of practice between lessons, and adult 1-on-1 time is limited in every building. If your district is exploring new ways to add that practice, Telo AI is being adapted for students with IEPs: patient, 1-on-1 practice aligned to each student’s IEP goals and pace, while teachers set the goals, topics and rules. We are inviting districts to shape it with us in a 2027 pilot.
Apply to pilot Telo AI in your Special Education program
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