On January 11, 2024, the PA State Board of Education held its 378th meeting at the PDE offices and via Zoom. Chairperson Karen Farmer White opened the meeting at 1:00 PM.
During the meeting, Council for Basic Education Chair Dr. Lee Williams reported that the council is sending the Board proposed amendments to 22 PA Code Chapter 4 for its approval. Once approved, it will follow the Regulatory Review Act for review by committees of the PA House and PA Senate, as well as the IRRC and publishing in the PA Bulletin. She also informed the Board that Dr. Terry Rowe reported to the council that a data update and newly proposed standards within Act 35 are aimed at providing flexibility for school districts.
Next, Education Secretary Khalid Mumin spoke of proposed changes to pertinent statutes and regulations with regard to school operations, including extending or changing dates and/or revising specific regulations.
Professional Standards and Practices Commission Executive Director Shane Crosby then reported that of the 148 public disciplinary sanctions in 2023, 96 involved charges and convictions per Section 111. Further, 90 of those sanctions involved sexual misconduct. This was a higher percentage than the usual approximately 50% of cases being of a sexual nature. He also noted a significant increase in cases involving those with emergency permits. Crosby also reported that improvements in data base construction will lead to increased efficiency in tracking cases and identifying trends.
Chairperson White then reported that Board members have previously been provided a draft 2023 Annual Report to the Governor and General Assembly for their review and approval. She also reported that applications by a pair of private schools seeking recognition as Approved Private Academic School Accrediting Organizations will be sent on to a special committee for review and to PDE as per 22 PA Code Chapter 52.
The meeting closed with the unanimous approval of three action items: Proposed Amendments to Chapter 4 (Academic Standards and Assessment); the 2023 Annual Report to the Governor and General Assembly; and a Resolution Honoring James Argas, who has left the Board after serving from 1996 through 2023.
In a subsequent State Board of Career and Technical Education Meeting, Mr. Judd Pittman reported that the Board is preparing to announce competitive equipment grants totaling $4.4 million with a cap of $85,000 per grant. He also reported an interagency transaction with the PA Bureau of Special Ed. (BSE), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), Department of Labor (DOL), and Intermediate Units (IUs) will benefit students and staff through the provision of resources. Also, DOL has been instrumental in helping communities that lack a level of effective CTE programming. He ended his report stating that the Perkins Team is submitting preparing and submitting required documents to the federal government.
The meeting closed with the Board being trained on Accreditation Guidelines for PA Public Postsecondary CTE.