Category: Government Actions

BSE Director Clancy Sends PennLink to LEAs to Review APSEM System Data (February 10, 2021)

On February 10, 2021, Bureau of Special Education Director Carole L. Clancy sent a PennLink to all LEAs titled Review of Enrollments in the Approved Private School Electronic Management (APSEM) System. The memo said that Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) ha recently received a notification about reviewing School Year 2019-2020, 4010 enrollments through the Approved Private School Electronic Management (APSEM) system.  LEAs were asked to review their Approved Private School (APS) enrollments by: Logging in as an APS or a LEA User; Clicking the Reports link on the header; Choosing the 4010 Enrollment Report from the report dropdown; Choosing 2019-2020 from the School Year dropdown; Clicking on the Run button; Clicking the Open button at the bottom of the screen to open the spreadsheet; and Reviewing the 4010 enrollments data, including the student name, date of birth, primary exceptionality, age category, etc.  Recipients of the PennLink memo are asked to forward the email to the individual responsible for the APSEM data review in their APS or LEA.  Questions regarding this information, should be directed to Jessica Burkey at 717-783-6906 or [email protected].

PDH Launches Your Turn COVID-19 Vaccine Alert Program (February 9, 2021)

On February 9, 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) launched a new tool called Your Turn to help Pennsylvanians understand where they fall in the vaccine prioritization effort and to be alerted when it is their turn to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Since all seniors are currently eligible to be vaccinated, Pennsylvanians younger than 65 can use this tool to determine if it is their turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “When it is your turn, we will direct you on how to find a vaccine provider. If it is not your turn yet, you will be able to enter contact information to receive updates about vaccine distribution in Pennsylvania and for us to let you know when it is your turn to get vaccinated.

If an individual does not have internet access or is unable to use the Your Turn tool, they can call 877-PA-HEALTH and speak with a representative to determine eligibility. If an individual is eligible, the representative will help the individual locate nearby vaccine providers and provide contact information so the individual can make a vaccine appointment directly with a provider.

With initial supplies extremely limited, the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in phases. Qualifying for a vaccine does not guarantee available doses or appointments. If someone does qualify, they can then visit the vaccine provider map to set up an appointment with a provider or get on that provider’s contact list.

Your Turn will be used for the sole purpose of determining eligibility for receiving a COVID-19 vaccination in Pennsylvania and will replace the current eligibility quiz on pa.gov. Using the tool does not register an individual to receive a vaccine and does not guarantee a vaccination appointment. Eligibility is based on prioritizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which have been implemented in the commonwealth’s COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan. A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.

Gov. Wolf Signs 13th Renewal of Opioid Disaster Declaration (February 9, 2021)

On February 9, 2021, Governor Tom Wolf signed the 13th renewal of his January 2018 opioid disaster declaration to help the state fight the opioid and heroin epidemic.

This declaration was the first of its kind for a public health emergency in Pennsylvania, and proved to be an important tool to allow the state to respond quickly, adapt to developing needs, increase access to treatment and save lives. The declaration allows the state to loosen regulations and work outside of typical procedures to expedite aid and initiatives to help those suffering from opioid use disorder and those who work to prevent and treat this medical condition. It also allows agencies more flexibility to coordinate and share resources to address the changing needs of communities throughout the commonwealth. To learn more, click here.

PDE Releases PA KEI Memo (February 8, 2021)

On February 7, 2021, Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega, sent a PennLink titled Kindergarten Entry Inventory – 2021-2022 School Year, which stated that all elementary schools are encouraged to implement the PA KEI in the 2021-22 school year to assist in meeting enhanced federal requirements. The PA KEI is available to all LEAs at no cost and remote implementation options are available if necessary. Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory (PA KEI) is a reliable reporting tool that offers teachers an instructional strategy for understanding and tracking a student’s proficiency at kindergarten entry. The PA KEI collects information on a consistent set of standards-based indicators across the commonwealth. The PA KEI is based on Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood and the Pennsylvania Core Standards. PA KEI includes 30 indicators and provides a comprehensive profile that includes the domains of: Social and Emotional Development; English Language Arts; Mathematics; Approaches to Learning; and Health, Wellness and Physical Development. PA KEI is intended to be used by kindergarten teachers to record a student’s demonstration of skills within the first 45 calendar days of the kindergarten year. More information is available at www.kei-pa.org.

 The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides opportunities to strengthen the contribution of high-quality early childhood education in school reform and improvement efforts. The law recognizes that school success starts before a student enters the K-12 setting. It calls on states to describe how they will assist school districts and elementary schools to collaborate with early childhood education programs, and to invest in evidence-based practices. ESSA supports early learning and local education agency (LEA) collaboration in three main ways: (1) expanding access to high-quality early learning; (2) encouraging alignment and collaboration from birth through third grade; and (3) supporting educators. The PA KEI is a tangible tool to assist districts in understanding the comprehensive learning strengths and needs of students entering the K-12 setting, in establishing common expectations and language for beginning and extending collaborative conversations with pre-kindergarten programs and families, and in planning and implementing joint professional development opportunities that focus on strengthening evidence-based practices for young learners.

Implementing the PA KEI requires a Point of Contact (POC) who will serve as the liaison between LEA administrative staff, implementing kindergarten teachers, OCDEL and data systems staff. A dedicated POC ensures effective communication and implementation throughout the PA KEI process.  To initiate PA KEI participation in the 2021-2022 school year, send the POC name, email address, and phone number to [email protected] by May 30, 2021.

All kindergarten teachers who have not previously participated must complete a required professional development on-line course and obtain a certificate of completion in order to gain access to the web-based data system. Teachers with an expired proficient user certificate (more than five years since certification) are required to complete the professional development protocol. Below is the tentative training schedule and timeline for participation:

  • March-September:                  Required professional development online course available
  • August-September:                 PA KEI systems professional development opportunities available
  • By the start of school:             Implementing kindergarten teachers must have a required professional development online course certificate of completion on file in order to gain systems access
  • 45 calendar days
    from start of school:                Observation and evidence collection/scoring completed
  • 60 calendar days
    from start of school:                Data submissions (student outcomes) finalized within data system

Questions about the PA KEI memo may be sent to [email protected].

 

2021-22 Budget: Gov. Wolf Proposes Historic Increase in Basic Ed. Funding (February 3, 2021)

Governor Tom Wolf is proposing a historic $1.35 billion, or 21.6%, increase in basic education funding in a budget proposal that has been met with great enthusiasm by school district advocates and is seen as as a long overdue change that will address funding inequities that have adversely affected poorer and predominantly black school districts for decades, while at the same time ensuring that no school district receives less than they received in 2020-21.

Click here for the full article from PennLive.