Complaint Process
The complaint process and form allows any stakeholder (students, parents/guardians, organizations, community members, etc.) to lodge a formal complaint against the LEA and AEDY program provider during any point in the AEDY process.
Q: If we are renewing our application, do we need to adjust the complaint?
A: The complaint form, if previously approved, does not need to be altered unless the contact information for those included in the form has changed.
However, you will need to use the checkboxes detailing how the complaint form and process will be provided to stakeholders. You may additionally upload a short narrative detailing when and how the complaint will be provided if you would like. Do not upload a second copy of the complaint form.
The complaint form and process must be available to parents/guardians, students, and organizations before placement in an AEDY program. How to do this is a local decision. The AEDY team recommends provision at informal hearings and intake meetings as well as including the documents on the LEA website. This ensures that all parties have consistent access to the files, even if they are unable to attend one or both meetings in person.
Information from the BEC: "Programs must create and implement an AEDY local level complaint resolution process and comply with PDE’s review process by which the students, parents, and others can submit complaints and concerns to LEAs related to AEDY programs. The filing of a complaint does not limit any other rights or remedies under federal and state law. The complaint process will include providing all interested parties with: the relevant policies for investigation of all complaints including, but not limited to, those related to the provision of services for English Learners or students with disabilities, , including policies regarding interviews and consideration of relevant evidence, as well as possible outcomes of an investigation, timely procedures for responding to the person making the complaint, information about potential means of responding to the complaint; reasonable time frames for response; and information regarding how to determine the status of a complaint. Programs are responsible for notifying students, parents, and others about the local level resolution and PDE review process in a manner that is accessible to Limited English Proficient (“LEP”) parents, parents with disabilities, ELs and students with disabilities given their language needs and disabilities. All LEAs and AEDY programs must submit their complaint process to PDE."
Q: Why does our application keep getting returned saying the complaint is wrong?
A: The complaint process and form have gone through several draft versions prior to the latest, finalized version available here by clicking on the buttons in step 1 below. If you have been updating an old version, we recommend deleting the old file and starting fresh with the newest version. Adjusting the model complaint for your LEA should only take about 15 minutes. The final complaint model was approved by PDE on December 16, 2019 and is embedded in the Leader Services application as well as in this folder.
(Step 1) Download the latest model complaints (these files might also be in your most recent follow-up email if your application has already been submitted). The complaint form and process are available in both English and Spanish for your convenience. Both can be accessed by clicking on the buttons below.
To make a copy of the forms, go to File --> Make a Copy.
To download the forms as a Word document, go to File --> Download --> Microsoft Word (.docx)
(Step 2) Edit the model complaints in English and in Spanish to give your LEA's unique information. Anything that needs to be changed is in red text for your convenience. If you want to use your LEA's letterhead, remember to copy-paste from these latest models instead of trying to edit the old models.
It is important not to modify other aspects of the form. for example, the staff member responsible for investigating complaints must investigate within 30 days of a determination to investigate and make a determination within 30 days of the investigation's conclusion. These are universal timelines for all LEAs and programs.
(Step 3) In Word, go to File --> Save As..., then save the file to your computer where you will be able to find it later.
If you're using Google Docs, the file will save automatically. In Google Docs, go to File --> Download --> pdf to save a copy on your hard drive.
(Step 4) Upload the file to your application. While we recommend completing both the version in English and Spanish, you need only upload the version in English to the application.
To upload your complaint, scroll to the Complaint Process portion of the Contact Information page. Where it says "Upload a copy of local level complaint resolution process," you'll need to Select a File. Click the "Choose File" button (letter A in the image below) to select a file from your computer. You will only be able to select a .pdf, .doc, or .docx file. After you've chosen your file, click the "Upload" button (letter B in the image below).
If you had previously uploaded a file, you can choose to delete it (or not!) by clicking the "Delete" button next to the old file (letter C in the image below).
(Step 5) Check the check boxes to indicate you will provide the complaint process before placement and that it will be easily accessible to all stakeholders in their native languages (letter A in the image below).
(Step 6) Give information on how your program will provide the complaint process and form to all stakeholders by uploading a file explaining the process. To do this:
(Required) Check the boxes to indicate how the complaint process and form will be provided.
(Optional) Select a File by clicking "Choose File" (letter B in the picture above) and selecting a file from your computer. Then click "Upload" (letter C in the picture above). If you previously uploaded a file, you can choose to delete the old one (or not!) by clicking the "Delete" button on the file's row (letter D in the image above.)
Q: How and to whom should we provide the complaint form and process?
A: The complaint form and process must be available to parents/guardians, students, and organizations before placement in an AEDY program. How to do this is a local decision. The AEDY team recommends provision at intake meetings, all formal periodic reviews, and on the program website. This ensures that all parties have consistent access to the files, even if they are unable to attend one or any meetings in person.