Category: Government Actions

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.

Educational Gratuity Program Offers Financial Assistance to Eligible Children of Veterans (August 6, 2021)

As the school year approaches, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) wants eligible children of veterans to know that the Educational Gratuity Program provides financial assistance for those attending post-high school education or training at an approved institution in the Commonwealth.

“We recognize that COVID-19 has posed financial challenges for many of us and that includes the military community,” said Brig. Gen. (PA) Maureen Weigl, deputy adjutant general of Veterans Affairs. “That is why we like to remind veterans and their family members of financial assistance they might be eligible to receive, such as Educational Gratuity. We encourage everyone who meets the criteria to apply for this benefit now.”

The program supports children of honorably discharged veterans who have 100% service-connected disabilities and served during a period of war or armed conflict, or children of veterans who die or died in service during a period of war or armed conflict. To be eligible, a child of a veteran must be between the ages of 16 and 23, living within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania five years prior to application and must attend a school within the commonwealth. All applicants must have a financial need.

Payments will not exceed $500 per term or semester per qualified child to each approved educational institution over a total of eight terms or semesters.

To apply, contact the County Veterans Affairs Director in the county you reside.

“Connecting veterans to the programs and services they have earned through their service is our goal,” Weigl added.

For more information about the program’s criteria, eligibility and needed documentation, go to Educational Gratuity Program

Wolf Administration Awards Over $7 Million to 288 Elementary Schools for Health Foods (August 4, 2021)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced today that 288 elementary schools will receive grants totaling more than $7 million to provide students with fresh fruit and vegetable snacks during the school day.

“Healthy, nutritious meals are essential to a child’s growth and success,” said Education Secretary Noe Ortega. “These fresh food grants will help ensure students have access to fresh produce that they may not be introduced to otherwise, while also supporting their physical and academic growth.

The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The program’s goals are to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables students experience, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and positively impact students’ present and future health. The FFVP was implemented in Pennsylvania in 2004 and is now available in all 50 states.

Funding priority is given to the schools with the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Grantees are required to spend most of their grant on the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables and must develop a plan to establish partnerships to reduce other costs. Schools are also required to provide nutrition education to students but cannot use FFVP funding to purchase nutrition education materials.

“The fresh fruit and vegetable program provides young students exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables that may otherwise not have the opportunity, and provides them a healthy snack at the same time,” said State Director of Child Nutrition Programs under the Division of Food and Nutrition, Vonda Ramp M.S., R.D. “We are delighted to provide this opportunity to the awarded schools.”

During his tenure, Governor Wolf has made combating hunger a priority. In 2015 he established the Food Security Partnership, a group comprised of the secretaries of the departments of Aging, Agriculture, Community and Economic Development, Education, Health, and Human Services; unveiled the commonwealth’s food security plan – Setting the Table: A Blueprint for a Hunger-free PA 2016; and introduced the Governor’s School Breakfast Initiative in 2017.   For a list of the 2021 grant recipients, visit PDE’s School Nutrition Programs website.

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.

PDE & DHS Provide 2021-22 SBAP Training Details (July 30, 2021)

On July 30, 2021, Jennifer Wiegand, DHS Program Coordinator School-Based ACCESS Program, and Carole L. Clancy, BSE Director, issued a PennLink communiqué titled 2021-22 School-Based ACCESS Program Statewide Training Sessions to LEAs announcing the schedule for annual statewide training sessions offered to all participating School-Based Access Program (SBAP) teams. Fall training sessions will be provided on a single date via Schoology again this year. You will be able to access a pre-recorded session for each of the four training areas and then participate in a live Q&A with the speakers via Zoom. Registration is required; see instructions below.

Participation is strongly encouraged. Local educational agencies (LEAs) are encouraged to assign at least one representative to attend the training in order to receive important SBAP information. Trainings include:

SBAP General Session

The General Session will be led and presented by DHS. DHS team members will review policy highlights of SBAP, including Medical Assistance-reimbursable use of telemedicine within SBAP, updates to the Provider Handbook, SBAP annual performance and claiming levels, and other important information and reminders including the enrollment revalidation process. The DHS team will also address the impact of the public health emergency on the SBAP and what to expect going forward.

Compliance Session

The Compliance Session will be led and presented by DHS. DHS team members will review common errors found during SBAP record reviews, proper documentation for services provided face-to-face or via telemedicine, appropriate provider credentials and licensing, and other compliance best practices. 

Optimizing Your SBAP Potential While Functioning in a Virtual Setting

During this session, Public Consulting Group will focus on assisting participating LEAs in achieving compliance within the SBAP and managing operational changes associated with virtual requirements. LEAs will gain a better understanding as to why reimbursement is different since the COVID-19 pandemic, and where to focus their billing to help get their SBAP reimbursement back on track.

LEA responsibilities affecting compliance  

Related Service Documentation:  Monitoring of service log entry, compliance information, and reimbursement levels: Random Moment Time Study:  Ensure quality of staff pool positions, moment responses, and shifts; Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC):  Participant activity and the impact of the annual Unrestricted Indirect Cost Rate (UICR) on MAC.

Navigating the SBAP Cost Reconciliation/Cost Settlement Process

During this session, Sivic Solutions Group will provide an overview of the cost reconciliation/cost settlement process. Cost-based reimbursement ensures that LEAs are appropriately reimbursed for the actual costs for the delivery of direct medical services to Medicaid eligible children. This training will emphasize 1) Interim Rates; 2) Accurate reporting of costs; 3) Understanding transportation and tuition reimbursement methodology; 4) Cost allocation factors, including Individualized Education Program Ratio and UICR; and 5) Answers to the top 10 most frequently asked questions.

These sessions are intended for ACCESS coordinators, special education directors and supervisors, business managers, and anyone else involved in SBAP.

REGISTRATION DETAILS:

Date                                               Time                                 Location

September 28, 2021 (Tuesday)   9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.            Schoology

Register online via the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) at http://www.pattan.net. Registration is required.

Ccontact Sharon Kennedy at [email protected] with any registration questions.

For content questions, contact DHS’ vendors at [email protected] or [email protected]