The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania released their new Back-to-School Guide to keep students and families in the Keystone state informed of their rights as the 2026-27 school year kicks off.
This year’s edition of the annual guide features 39 new and updated resources to educate communities and protect students’ rights.
Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the organization, explained that a family should not need extensive knowledge of the law to understand the rights of their children.
“Our Back to School Guide makes complex and rapidly changing laws and policies easier to understand,” Klehr said. “It gives families, students and child-serving professionals practical tools they can use to advocate for children and ensure they receive the education and supports to which they are entitled.”
Updates to the guide
The 2026-27 Back-to-School Guide features a number of pertinent resources, including new resources to help families navigate Individualized Education Program meetings, students’ rights under Title IX and new protections afforded by the Crown Act against race-based hair discrimination in schools.
An update following a controversial supreme court decision that effectively ruled states can pass laws barring transgender girls from competing in girls sports is also covered.
The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania opposed the decision and recommended that any student concerned with their district policy limiting their ability to play sports contact the organization.
“Playing sports provides many direct and indirect benefits to young people, and these benefits should be equitably offered to all students in public schools, including transgender, nonbinary, and intersex students,” the guide states.
If a student experiences any violations of rights related to these topics or any others in the materials, the organization included self-advocacy tools — a form to request for an attendance record correction or to convene an IEP meeting.
Bucks County families and students can explore the full version of the Back-to-School Guide as classes resume this fall.
