Category: Federal Government Actions

Secretary Miguel Cardona Announces the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour (September 7, 2022)

On Monday, Sept. 12, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will launch the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour alongside First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff. The week-long, multi-state road trip will showcase the many ways school communities are helping students recover and thrive – putting them on the road to success. During the trip, the secretary be joined by First Lady Biden, Second Gentleman Emhoff, Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, Under Secretary James Kvaal, and local students, families, and educators

First Lady Biden and Secretary Cardona will kick-off the tour in Tennessee with a visit highlighting ways states and districts are recruiting and preparing qualified educators into the classroom. The First Lady will join Secretary Cardona for the first two stops within the tour.

Later in the week, Second Gentleman Emhoff will join Secretary Cardona in Pennsylvania with visits that highlight how community schools are helping students recover academically and get the mental health supports they need, celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, and raise awareness about the Administration’s actions to provide debt relief to millions, including teachers and administrators through Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Throughout the week, Secretary Cardona, Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, Undersecretary James Kvaal, and local school leaders will join students, parents, and educators for additional events that celebrate the back-to-school season and underscore the Administration’s commitment to helping students recover from the impacts of the pandemic and continue on the road to success. As part of the Road to Success Bus Tour, Administration leaders will highlight academic and mental health programs and efforts to recruit and support educators funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), which provided historic resources to K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to reopen schools and help students of all ages recover.

The Road to Success Bus Tour will feature stops in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

“It’s a great feeling to see yellow school buses drive around our communities with excited children who are ready to thrive in this new school year. I am thrilled to be traveling across the eastern states and highlighting innovative ways local, state, and federal efforts are helping students recover and succeed in and out of the classroom,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “This year will be one of the most important ever, as we not only work to catch students up, but put them in a position to do even better than where they were before March 2020.”

Preliminary details about bus tour activities are listed below. Additional information and exact timing for each site will be released the day prior to the tour stop. Many of the events will include a press availability with Secretary Cardona and local leaders.

To RSVP for stops on the tour, please email [email protected]. Follow the bus tour on social media at #RoadToSuccess.

DAY 3:
EVENT 2: Early Childhood Education
WHEN: Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 14
WHERE: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NOTE: With special guest Daniel Tiger.

DAY 4:
EVENT 1: Meeting Students’ Basic Needs in Higher Education
WHEN: Thursday morning, Sept. 15
WHERE: Reading, Pennsylvania
NOTE: With special guest Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff

EVENT 2: Community Schools Providing Wraparound Support to Students
WHEN: Thursday afternoon, Sept. 15
WHERE: Allentown, Pennsylvania
NOTE: With special guest Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff

EVENT 3: President Biden’s Debt Forgiveness Plan and Public Service Loan Forgiveness
WHEN: Thursday evening, Sept. 15
WHERE: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NOTE: With special guest Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff

USDE Releases Back-to-School Checklist for Parents (August 30, 2022)

On August 25, 2022, the U.S Department of Education (USDE) released a back-to-school checklist for parents and families. The checklist, part of the USDE’s updated back-to-school resource site, will help parents, caregivers, and families engage with local school and district leaders about how they are supporting students as they recover from the impacts of the pandemic. This checklist elevates key evidence-based practices for supporting students’ learning and mental health, and ensuring the safety of students and staff, which districts are encouraged to implement using American Rescue Plan and other COVID relief funds.

This back-to-school ARP checklist also recognizes 15 promising examples of how states and school districts across the country are already using federal ARP funds to support students and to staff schools. Through the ARP, the Biden-Harris Administration provided states and school districts with $130 billion to help students recover, succeed, and thrive. The checklist will serve as a resource for parents, caregivers, and families to have an open dialogue with their school community about these critical funds. To foster transparency and community engagement, the ARP requires states, local districts, and public charter schools to have meaningful stakeholder engagement and publicly post their planned use of ARP dollars. This checklist can support those efforts.

“A new school year brings new beginnings, and today I am encouraging schools and families to reach a new level of communication and transparency to make sure our students and educators are getting the supports they need,” said Secretary Miguel Cardona. “The checklist offers a starting point for parents, caregivers, and families to have meaningful discussions with school leaders about how they are supporting students, including with American Rescue Plan funds. The checklist can kickstart conversations about the services and supports that children can benefit from in this new academic year and beyond.”

Secretary Cardona joined a press call with White House officials, members of Congress, and local educators whose districts are among those being featured in order to encourage parents and families to use this checklist and discuss how the ARP is providing unprecedented resources for a successful and safe school year.

The checklist is broken into four categories:
-Student learning
-Addressing the needs of the whole child
-COVID-19 health and safety
-Engaging families

To access the checklist, check here.

PDE Pennlink Reminds LEAs of Fiscal Training for IDEA-B 611 Funding and Other Fiscal Items (August 30, 2022)

On August 29, 2022, PDE BSE Director Carole L. Clancy sent a PennLink to all LEAs titled Fiscal Training for IDEA-B 611 Funding and Other Fiscal Items. The memo states that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has oversight of states’ compliance with federal special education laws, regulations, and requirements.  OSEP has incorporated a component of its compliance monitoring verification visits to include a fiscal verification review.  Some components of its fiscal verification review will include a review of the use of funds for coordinated early intervening services, maintenance of effort, and general use of federal, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B) funds.

To assist the local educational agencies in working with these components of the federal on-site visits, the Pennsylvania Department of Education is providing training to familiarize special education directors and business administrators with clarifying information. This training will address the following topics: IDEA-B, 611; Contingency Funding; ACT 16; Maintenance of Effort; and Approved Private School Electronic Management System, including 4010 and 4011 students.

It is required that each school district and charter school send participants to this training. Because the training is highlighting the fiscal program data verifications associated with the IDEA-B fiscal reporting requirements, it is strongly recommended that the participants attending this training are the special education director and business administrator. Also, if a school district or charter school contracts for business services, its contracted business representative should attend.

In-person training sessions will be held on the following dates at these locations:

Northwest Tri-County IU 5     Thursday September 8, 2022               9:00 – 12:00
PaTTAN Harrisburg            Wednesday September 14, 2022               9:00 – 12:00
PaTTAN East                          Tuesday October 4, 2022                            9:00 – 12:00
Luzerne IU 18                        Thursday October 6, 2022                          9:00 – 12:00
PaTTAN Pittsburgh              Wednesday October 12, 2022                   9:00 – 12:00
ARIN IU 28                           Tuesday October 18, 2022                            9:00 – 12:00

Any questions regarding the fiscal training should be directed to Dr. Del Hart, Chief, Division of Analysis & Financial Reporting, at 717.772.1114 or [email protected]v

USDE Makes $8 Million in New Grants Available to Help Colleges Strengthen and Diversify the Teacher Workforce (August 22, 2022)

On August 19, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced a new $8 million grant competition aimed at increasing the diversity of the teacher workforce and preparing teachers to meet the needs of our most underserved students. Named for Augustus F. Hawkins, the first Black politician elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from west of the Mississippi River, the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence (Hawkins) program supports comprehensive, high-quality teacher preparation programs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).

This year marks the first time the Hawkins Program has received funding since its creation in 2008. In the 2022 omnibus, Congress appropriated $8 million for the grants, under Part B of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

“At a time when we need to do more to support our teachers and the educator profession, Hawkins Centers of Excellence will help increase the number of well-prepared and qualified teachers, including teachers of color, in our workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We know that teachers of color benefit not only students of color, but all students. When students of color can see their backgrounds and experiences reflected in their teachers, we see higher levels of student achievement and engagement in school, and more students aspiring to be teachers themselves one day.”

The Hawkins Program will focus on key aspects of a high-quality teacher preparation pipeline, including evidence-based, comprehensive teacher preparation programs that provide extensive clinical experience. Grants will fund applicants that propose to incorporate evidence-driven practices into their teacher preparation programs. Studies have shown that teachers who enter the profession through comprehensive pathways are 2 to 3 times more likely to remain in the profession compared to teachers who enter through less comprehensive pathways.

HBCUs, TCUs and MSIs prepare a disproportionate share of teachers of color. These colleges are uniquely positioned to recruit, prepare, and place teachers who will provide culturally and linguistically relevant teaching in underserved and hard-to-staff schools.

Today’s teacher workforce does not reflect the demographics of the nation’s public school students. More than 50% of public school students are students of color, yet in 2017-18, the most recent year for which data were available, only 21% of teachers were teachers of color. And while English learners are the fastest growing public school student demographic, comprising more than 10% of America’s enrollment, most states face a shortage of bilingual and multilingual teachers prepared and qualified to teach this population and foreign languages. These roles are critical for ensuring Americans can compete in the increasingly globalized economy, equal access to education opportunity for English Learners, and the creation of a strong economy in which all Americans can thrive. As a result, the Notice Inviting Applications includes competitive priorities for applicants that propose projects designed to increase the number of well-prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds, as well as bilingual and multilingual teachers with full certification.

The Hawkins Program grant program builds on the USDE’s efforts to strengthen and diversify the teacher pipeline, especially as states and districts work to meet their staffing needs.

An official notice inviting applications will be published in the coming days in the Federal Register.

An unofficial notice is available to view here.

PA Notified that It Meets Federal Special Ed. Requirements (August 16, 2022)

On August 15, 2022, Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty released a PennLink message to all LEAS titled Pennsylvania’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B 2022 – Determinations Notification. The message states that on June 25, 2022, Pennsylvania received notification from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that the commonwealth has received a “Meets Requirements” determination, the highest level that the federal government awards to states under Part B of the IDEA.

Pennsylvania was one of only 22 states and territories that received the distinction this year. The commonwealth’s excellent work in special education has been recognized with the “Meets Requirements” designation for 15 of the 16 years that USDE has been issuing its determinations. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of educators and staff in delivering high-quality services to students with disabilities and their families.

This determination is based on the totality of the commonwealth’s special education data and information, including the federal fiscal year 2020 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), other state-reported data, and additional publicly available information. Consistent with USDE’s Results Driven Accountability, 2022 determinations were based on the commonwealth’s compliance with the regulatory requirements of the IDEA, as well as the positive outcomes being achieved for students.

In making Part B determinations in 2022, the USDE Office of Special Education Programs considered the following results data for students with disabilities:

  1. Participation on regular statewide assessments.
  2. Participation and performance on the most recently administered (school year 2018-19) National Assessment of Educational Progress.
  3. Graduation with a regular high school diploma.
  4. Dropout rates.

Pennsylvania’s Part B SPP/APR is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website or the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network website. The USDE has developed state profiles as a resource for IDEA-related, state-specific information. Persons interested in reviewing that information may visit the USDE Office of Special Education Program’s Pennsylvania’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B 2022 – Determination Notification. 

Questions regarding this information may be directed to Amy Pastorak, Assistant Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education, at [email protected].