Category: Federal Government Actions

PA Ed. Secretary Highlights Safe Return to Schools During U.S. Education Secretary Tour; Students and School Communities Encouraged to Get COVID-19 Vaccine (August 10, 2021)

State Education Secretary Highlights Safe Return to Schools During U.S. Education Secretary Tour; Students and School Communities Encouraged to Get COVID-19 Vaccine (August 10, 2021)

On August 10, 2021, PA Secretary of Education Dr. Noe Ortega joined U.S. Department of Education (USDE) Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona at Donegan Elementary School and Northampton Community College, both in Bethlehem, PA, to highlight plans in place and resources available to support a safe return to classrooms. The secretaries toured the schools and met with staff and educators as Pennsylvania prepares for the upcoming school year.

“I cannot be more appreciative of the hard work educators and school communities have done to support our students across the commonwealth,” said Secretary Noe Ortega. “We remain committed to doing everything we can to help schools create healthy and safe conditions for the upcoming academic year. We are so pleased that Secretary Cardona visited Pennsylvania schools today to see how we are making these efforts possible.”

While at Donegan Elementary School, Secretary Ortega also highlighted the $416 million increase in state education funding in the state budget, including the new Level Up initiative that provides $100 million for some of the most underfunded school districts in Pennsylvania. The Bethlehem School District will receive a $3.46 million increase in state funding this school year, including $1.6 million in Level Up support. Donegan Elementary School is a part of the Bethlehem Area School District.

In April, Secretary Cardona visited Philadelphia area schools and commended the Pennsylvania Department of Education on the Wolf administration’s special initiative that vaccinated more than 112,500 teachers and staff in three weeks. The administration supports efforts to vaccinate eligible students age 12 and up across the commonwealth.

The secretaries’ visit comes after the approval of Pennsylvania’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan to use the remaining $1.6 billion in one-time, emergency federal relief to support the long-term work of education recovery. At the end of March, the Wolf Administration announced nearly $5 billion in ARP ESSER federal COVID-19 relief for Pre-K-12 schools. These funds will bolster schools and districts to return to in-person instruction. Each entity will receive an amount proportional to the federal Title I-A funds received in 2020 under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Schools must use at least 20 percent of this money to address learning loss and the social, emotional, and academic needs of underrepresented students, including students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. Additional information on the allocation of funds can be found on PDE’s website. Last week, the USDE released its Return to School Roadmap to support school communities in preparing for the 2021-22 school year. Throughout the 2020-21 school year, PDE regularly provided technical assistance and guidance to LEAs to support instruction while navigating the pandemic. This included through the PDE online resource, the Roadmap for Educational Leaders. PDE will continue to support LEAs as they prepare for and navigate the upcoming school year. This includes through the latest chapter of PDE’s Roadmap for Education Leaders; Accelerated Learning through an Integrated System of Support. This toolkit includes a professional learning series for school leaders and educators to help address students’ learning loss and other issues caused by the pandemic.

CDC Updates Guidance: Recommends Quarantines for Unvaccinated Students & Staff (August 6, 2021)

On Thursday, August 5, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated guidance for K–12 schools and institutions of higher education, including considerations for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and situations when K–12 students are not considered close contacts. The new guidance states that students, staff, and educators who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should receive diagnostic testing and should begin quarantine. Exceptions include:

  • Someone who has been fully vaccinated and shows no symptoms of COVID-19 does not need to quarantine, but should be tested 3-5 days following a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result OR
  • Someone who has COVID-19 illness within the previous 3 months and
  • Has recovered and
  • Remains without COVID-19 symptoms (for example, cough, shortness of breath)

Any close contacts who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 or who have symptoms should begin isolation regardless of vaccination status or prior infection.

To access the entire document titled Considerations for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), click here.

USDE Approves Pennsylvania’s Plan for Use of ARP Funds to Support K-12 Schools and Students (August 6, 2021)

On Thursday, August 5, 2021,  the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced the approval of Pennsylvania’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them. Pennsylvania’s plan details how the state is using and plans to use ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As schools and states gear up for the return to school, the USDE released the Return To School Roadmap, which provides key resources and supports for students, parents, educators, and school communities to build excitement around returning to classrooms this school year and outlines how federal funding can support the safe and sustained return to in-person learning. ARP funds can be used to support the roadmap’s efforts.

Earlier this year, the USDE distributed two thirds of the ARP ESSER funds, totaling $81 billion, to 50 states and the District of Columbia. The remaining third of the funding to states will be made available once state plans are approved. Pennsylvania is receiving $5 billion total in ARP ESSER funds, and Thursday’s approval of their plan will result in the release of the final $1.6 billion.

“I am excited to announce approval of Pennsylvania’s plan,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “It is heartening to see, reflected in these state plans, the ways in which states are thinking deeply about how to use American Rescue Plan funds to continue to provide critical support to schools and communities, particularly as we move into the summer and look ahead to the upcoming academic year. The approval of these plans enables states to receive vital, additional American Rescue Plan funds to quickly and safely reopen schools for full-time, in-person learning; meet students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs; and address disparities in access to educational opportunity that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The state plans that have been submitted to the Department lay the groundwork for the ways in which an unprecedented infusion of federal resources will be used to address the urgent needs of America’s children and build back better.”

“I am grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for their support and approval of Pennsylvania’s ARP ESSER State Plan,” said Noe Ortega, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). “The plan, which reflects feedback from stakeholders across the state, recognizes the challenges school communities continue to face as they plan and prepare for the future. ARP ESSER funds invest in our schools now and will enable them to further develop and implement lasting critical academic, social, and emotional resources, programs, and supports. The Pennsylvania Department of Education looks forward to continuing to collaborate with and provide assistance to schools as they navigate, overcome the impacts of, and emerge stronger from the pandemic.”

“The pandemic created great disruptions in our education system, leaving schools with the significant task of keeping their communities safe, while also meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of their students. Recognizing the substantial challenges that remain ahead and the critical importance of bringing students back into the classroom, the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress included bold investments for K-12 schools in the American Rescue Plan,” said Sen. Bob Casey. “I am pleased to see that the Department of Education has approved Pennsylvania’s plan. The school year is quickly approaching, and these resources will help ensure that our children can safely return to school in the fall and receive the support they need to succeed after a challenging year.”

“Students, educators, and our communities urgently need the funding from the American Rescue Plan in order to address learning loss and difficulties created by the pandemic,” said Rep. Susan Wild. “I’m glad to see the Department of Education approve Pennsylvania’s plan to use this funding so we can get kids back on track as quickly and safely as possible.”

The ARP ESSER state plans approved by the USDE, show how states are using federal pandemic resources to support safe in-person instruction and meet the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students—with a focus on the students most impacted by the pandemic. For example:

  • Addressing the Academic and Other Impacts of Lost Instructional Time: The Pennsylvania state budget allocated the ARP ESSER reserve for evidence-based interventions to address the academic and other impacts of lost instructional time as subgrants. PDE will provide a list of vetted evidence-based interventions through its Evidence Resource Center. PDE is emphasizing the use of ARP ESSER funds for social, emotional, and mental health supports; professional development and technical assistance to educators, school support staff, school leaders, and school health professionals; and reading support and improvement for students. Subrecipients will be required to use at least 30 percent of the required state set-side for addressing the academic impact of lost instructional time to support students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs. Using ARP ESSER funding, PDE has developed guidance and planning tools to support subrecipients in evaluating and addressing the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on vulnerable students and communities.
  • Investing in Summer Learning and Expanded Afterschool Programs: PDE will allocate summer enrichment and comprehensive afterschool formula grants to school districts, available through the ARP ESSER funding period. Interventions will include activities such as learning academies, 1:1 tutoring, socialization, and development of social-emotional skills and growth mindsets. School districts will be required to target funds to student groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

The distribution of ARP ESSER funds is part of the USDE’s broader effort to support students and districts as they work to reengage students impacted by the pandemic, address inequities exacerbated by COVID-19.

Click to view the Pennsylvania Fact Sheet.

To learn more from the USDE, click here.

PA Schools Look to Opening Schools with an Eye on CDC Recommendations (August 4, 2021)

In light of the most recent recommendations for schools as the prepare to re-open, schools throughout the Commonwealth are considering how they will handle updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that advocate for face masks for all students, whether or not they have been vaccinated. The recommendations are in response to a surge in new cases spawned by the highly contagious delta variant.

In an interview with the PennLive/The Patriot-News editorial board on Wednesday, August 4th, PA Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said the state is following the CDC’s lead and is recommending schools require face masks. The state is also weighing whether to make additional recommendations to help ensure student safety while keeping schools open.

Beam also stressed the importance of measures such as social distancing. And, although still being finalized, the state is looking to provide for quick testing of students and staff with the goal of heading off outbreaks that could close schools. School district participation will be optional, and the federal government will provide the funding.

For more from PennLive /The Patriot-News , click here.