FSA 2: Complaint Process
The AEDY Program and the LEA will provide parents/students information on how to file a complaint and how to seek resolution.
PDE reviews the process by which all complainants, which may include students, their parents/guardians, and/or stakeholders, to resolve complaints and concerns regarding any aspect to AEDY related to English Learner (EL) services or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, including placement and exit decision, academic instruction, the provision or omission of language assistance services, and services to students with disabilities, including reasonable modifications. The process will include the following steps:
Complainants, which may include students, their parents/guardians, and/or stakeholders, with concerns regarding AEDY will be required to seek resolution via the relevant AEDY Program and LEA, rather than elevating concerns to PDE in the first instance. PDE will required LEAs and AEDY Programs to develop and implement local policies and procedures, which will be submitted to PDE when applying for AEDY Program approval. The aforementioned complaint process does not limit any other rights or remedies under federal and state law.
The complainant, which may include students, their parent/guardians, and/or stakeholders, may file a complaint with PDE if not resolved at the local level.
To complete this section of the FSA in Leader Services, do the following:
Answer all FSA questions, making sure to address the Standards to be Met/Procedures to Follow embedded at the top of the page.
Upload the local complaint process (this was approved as part of your application process) - templates are available below.
Video Transcript
FSA 2 involves the complaint process. PDE has developed a complaint process that requires AEDY programs and sending LEAs to work collaboratively to resolve complaints. The complaint process is for all students including English Learners and students with disabilities, their parents/guardians, and organizations to use to resolve complaints and concerns regarding any aspect of AEDY. This includes English Learner services or ADA requirements, placement and exiting decisions, quality of relevant academic instruction, the provision or omission of language assistance services, and reasonable modification of students with disabilities.
PDE approved the final complaint model on December 16, 2019. The templates for the AEDY local complaint procedures and form are available in both English and Spanish and can be found in your LEA application on Leader Services as well as in the AEDY and Monitoring Schoologies. If any old version needs to be updated, 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. To modify the templates, insert your LEA's unique information in any location where red text appears. Be sure to include LEA contact information. 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.
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, intake meetings, and formal periodic reviews as well as including the documents on the LEA and AEDY Program websites. This ensures that all parties have consistent access to the process, even if they are unable to attend meetings in person.
Use the checkboxes in your Leader Services application to detail how the complaint form and process will be provided to stakeholders. If your LEA has not already provided this information, this can be updated during your next application cycle. A document with a description of how the complaint form and process will be communicated may also be uploaded, but keep in mind, this is a place for additional documentation beyond the complaint letter or form and is an optional upload.