Category: Federal Government Actions

USDE: Education is Not a Professional Degree (May 8, 2026)

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released final regulations excluding graduate education programs from its definition of “professional degrees,” making them ineligible for higher federal student loan caps. Consequently, borrowing for these programs will be capped at $100,000, as opposed to the $200,000 cap that is placed on “professional students” from the following 11 fields: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology.

Opponents to the exclusion cited teacher shortages and the importance of graduate programs for licensure advancement, specialization and leadership roles in education. In its final rules, the USDE acknowledged concerns over the exclusion of education from the list of professional degrees, but argued that it was bound by a reference in last year’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to an existing regulatory definition of professional programs.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

PDE Provides LEA Special Ed. Data Reports Online Preview (May 4, 2026)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires states to report annually to the public on each Local Educational Agency (LEA)’s performance on the targets established in the State Performance Plan. Annually, states are required to report LEA performance on the following State Performance Plan school-age indicators for students with disabilities: Graduation Rates; Dropout Rates; Participation and Performance on Statewide Assessments; Suspension Rates; Educational Environments; School-Facilitated Parent Involvement; Disproportionate Representation by Race/Ethnicity Receiving Special Education; Disproportionate Representation by Race/Ethnicity in Specific Disability Categories; Timelines for Initial Evaluation; Individualized Education Program Secondary Transition Goals and Services; and Post-School Outcomes. To fulfill the State Performance Plan public reporting requirement for the 2024-25 school year, each LEA will have an online Special Education Data Report (SEDR) that shows local performance on the above indicators. In some instances, an LEA’s report will not have data for every indicator (e.g., the data comes from cyclical monitoring and the LEA was not monitored in 2024-25, or the data set is too small to be reliable), and a reason code will be on the report.

Prior to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) publishing these reports publicly, LEAs will have an opportunity to preview the website and their reports. The preview period will begin , 2026, and end , 2026. To review your State Performance Plan SEDR, visit Preview of LEA SEDR and select your LEA from the drop-down list. The accompanying narrative explains how data are obtained and how to interpret the reports. It can be found at PennData > Public Reporting > State Performance Plan Narrative (psu.edu).

If your LEA has questions or concerns about the data displayed, consult your Intermediate Unit Data Manager to ensure that the data submitted to the state matches the data provided by your LEA. If questions remain following these internal reviews and verifications, contact Jodi Rissinger, Data Manager with PDE, via email at jrissinger@pa.gov or Dan Ficca at c-dficca@pa.gov.

When the SEDR Reports go live on the public site, they can be accessed by visiting the Special Education Data Reporting (formerly PennData) website at SEDR Report Dashboard (psu.edu) and selecting your LEA from the drop-down list.

The most current State Performance Plan approved by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is available for reference on the PDE website at www.education.pa.gov and the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) website at www.pattan.net.

HHS Is Working to Restore LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Prevention Hotline After White House Discontinued It (May 2, 2026)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to restart a suicide prevention hotline specialized for LGBTQ+ youth less than a year after President Donald Trump’s administration discontinued it.

The LGBTQ+ hotline is also known as the “Press 3 Option” within the broader 988 Lifeline. The 988 number is a crisis support and suicide prevention hotline for the general population that was passed in 2020, under the first Trump administration.

The hotline launched in 2022 and replaced a previous 10-digit 1-800-273-TALK number, and the specialized “press 3 option” for LGBTQ+ support followed in 2023, both under the Biden administration.

Kennedy’s announcement came a day before JAMA published a study showing youth suicide rates for 15- to 34-year-olds were 11% lower than what researchers expected between the launch of the broader lifeline in July 2022 and December 2024.

That means nearly 4,400 fewer U.S. teens and young adults died by suicide than projected in the first 2 1/2 years of the 988 mental health crisis hotline. 

The LGBTQ+ youth crisis line specifically fielded nearly 1.6 million calls, texts, and chats.

When the Press 3 Option was discontinued last summer, LGBTQ+ rights advocates warned it would be “a major hit” to LGBTQ+ youth — especially for those who have fewer access to resources, such as people living in rural areas. Those resources can include school supports such as gender support plans, inclusive classroom materials and school counselors.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

USDE: Education Is Not a Professional Degree (May 1, 2026)

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released final regulations excluding graduate education programs from its definition of “professional degrees,” making them ineligible for higher federal student loan caps. Consequently, borrowing for these programs will be capped at $100,000, as opposed to the $200,000 cap that is placed on “professional students” from the following 11 fields: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology.

Opponents to the exclusion cited teacher shortages and the importance of graduate programs for licensure advancement, specialization and leadership roles in education. In its final rules, the USDE acknowledged concerns over the exclusion of education from the list of professional degrees, but argued that it was bound by a reference in last year’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to an existing regulatory definition of professional programs.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

FY 2027 Budget Touts Increase in Special Ed. Funding, But Experts’ Warnings Dampen Enthusiasm (April 15, 2026)

Despite a proposed $539 million dollar increase over the FY 2026 budget, special education administrative organizations and disability rights advocacy groups say the federal spending plan zero funds and consolidates several programs for FY 2027, similar to the administration’s FY 26 proposal. Those changes would make states less accountable for provisions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and would erode the services and supports that students, families and special educators rely on, they say.   

“While the budget includes a relatively small increase for IDEA, we can’t let that distract us from the big picture,” said Chad Rummel, executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, in an April 10 email to K-12 Dive. “Proposed cuts to special education [programs], K-12 education, educator preparation, and education research, will cause significant harm for students and educators.”

For more details from K-12 Dive, click here.