On October 17, 2019, the Pennsylvania Joint State Commission on School Start Times released its report showing that later secondary school start times (i.e., after 8:30 AM), result in students getting more sleep, which helps to improve student health and educational performance. The report, a direct result of PA Senate Resolution 417, aligns with research that demonstrates the increased likelihood that, with later start times, teens will sleep the minimum recommended amount of time, which yields positive results.

To view the  report click on this title: “Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: The Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times.”

PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro is releasing the TeenTALK Report—a resource guide for students, parents, and educators with recommendations for preventing and intervening in bullying. The report summarizes the feedback gathered during the TeenTALK sessions hosted by the Attorney General’s Office throughout the Commonwealth during the 2018-19 school year. The students who participated in the TeenTALKs outlined three focus areas where improvement is needed regarding bullying prevention and mental health services in schools. They are: student mental health services staffing, data reporting gaps, and funding to support bullying prevention, mental health programs and other positive climate initiatives. Some of the recommendations include expanding mechanisms for students to report school climate and safety concerns, implementing trainings for staff to learn prevention and intervention techniques, and establishing a consistent policy for investigating reports of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment.

In January 2019, the Office of Attorney General began operating the Safe2Say Something anonymous reporting system, and students who participated in the TeenTALKs praised the program as an appropriate way to bring concerns to adults who could intervene.

The full report can be read by clicking here.

PDE has announced that the Dyslexia and Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program (Act 69 of 2014 or 24 P.S. §§17-1701-C et seq.) has been extended and expanded for two years.  This pilot will continue with the original schools as well as add up to 15 additional sites.  The pilot expansion will be phased in over the 2019-2020 school year with all schools identified and enrolled no later than November 15, 2019.  Interested districts should review the Dyslexia Pilot Application, print, and submit by October 31, 2019 at [email protected].The link to the Dyslexia Intervention Pilot Research can be accessed by clicking here.

Interested parties are also advised to contact Carole L. Clancy, BSE Director, at [email protected] for additional information.

On October 9, 2019, BSE Director Carole L. Clancy released a memo titled Special Education Students Placed in Homebound Instruction or Instruction Conducted in the Home. When a special education student is placed on Homebound Instruction or Instruction Conducted in the Home, the local education agency (LEA) must report the student’s status to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) via the Special Education Students at Home website. PIMS reporting of students receiving Homebound Instruction or Instruction Conducted in the Home does NOT fulfill this additional court-ordered requirement. Timely reporting of such students is required by PDE to meet its obligations of Intensive Interagency (also referred to as the Cordero Court Order).  When a student is reported, regional interagency coordinators will:

• Review each student report and contact the LEA in cases where interagency support may be needed to address student need (e.g., students who have behavioral health needs that are the reason for Homebound Instruction or Instruction Conducted in the Home placement); and
• Collaborate with Intermediate Unit interagency coordinators to support the LEA in connecting families with other county-level child-serving agencies and in collaborating with such agencies.

This reporting helps PDE to build capacity to meet the needs of all students with disabilities who require services from agencies outside of the educational system. While this reporting requirement applies to both Homebound Instruction and Instruction Conducted in the Home, it is important to understand the distinctions between the two arrangements.  The most important difference is that Homebound Instruction is NOT a special education placement while Instruction Conducted in the Home is a placement made by an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. 

Regional interagency coordinators at each Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network office are available for assistance: Pittsburgh – Hillary Mangis at  800.446.5607 or [email protected];  East –Amy Smith at 800.441.3215 or [email protected] ; and Harrisburg – Roni Russell at 800.360.7282 / 717.901.2262 or [email protected].  PDE’s Adviser/Single Point of Contact from the Bureau of Special Education assigned to your area can also assist LEAs in the procedures for Homebound Instruction or Instruction Conducted in the Home. Questions concerning Homebound Instruction or Instruction Conducted in the Home should go to Amy Deluca, Chief, Division of Monitoring and Improvement – West, at 717.736.2650 or [email protected].