A number of items were addressed at the January 9-10, 2019, PA State Board of Education meeting. On January 9th, the Special Committee on ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Oversight and Implementation provided an update on ESSA implementation and next steps in the process. PDE is now in the process of drafting amendments to the PA ESSA Plan, which will be sent to USDE in March 2019. Those amendments will further clarify specifications for schools identified for types of improvement that were named in December 2018 when PDE released a list of schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and schools identified for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (A-TSI). Another provision is expected to help address how teacher effectiveness can be determined.
PDE also updated the State Board on changes in graduation requirements pursuant to Act 158 of 2018, which goes into effect in the 2021-22 school year. In the near future, PDE will disseminate guidance to schools, including a FAQ document. PDE also said that it is gathering and analyzing data for use in determining a composite Keystone exam score. PDE is presently scheduled to submit a proposal in May 2019 for consideration by the State Board and an eventual vote no later than July 2019.
The State Board is not looking to make any changes in language in the model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Law Enforcement that is to be used by public schools, However, the State Board said that there will be a common due date for all schools to submit their MOUs which, beginning in 2019, will be at the end of the current school year. PDE also stated that it is creating a “fillable” form to be made available on its website.
The State Board is in the process of compiling public comment regard Chapter 16 (Gifted Education) into a report to be used by PDE to identify possible policy changes or considerations.
While in executive session, the State Board was to have received a briefing by its counsel on the William Penn School District school funding litigation.
Lastly, the PA State Board of Education announced that it will conduct four public hearings in March and April of 2019 regarding proposed revisions to Chapter 49 regulations for certification of professional personnel. Notice of the hearings with dates, locations and times will be made available. Written comments will also be accepted.
Thanks to PSBA for its contributions to this article.