Category: Government Actions

Act 82 of 2018 Signed into Law, Revamps Special Ed. Certification (October 25, 2018)

On Wednesday, October 24th, Governor Wolf signed into law House Bill 1386, which is now Act 82 of 2018. This legislation changes the grade spans and age levels for certification of special education instructional certificates in the Commonwealth. All special education certificates issued after Dec. 31, 2021 will cover PK-12, or up to age 21, and no additional content or dual certification will be required.

Teachers currently holding the special education certification for PK-8 and grades 7-12 will be able to expand the scope of their certificates under a yet-to-be determined PDE process. Teachers holding early childhood certification will be able to expand their certificate to include grades five and six by attaining the necessary scores on an assessment developed by PDE.

PDE Releases 2018 Keystone Exam Scores (October 24, 2018)

Keystone Exam scores for 11th graders taking the tests in 2018 have been released by PDE. Results show minor changes in data between 2017 and 2018. In algebra, 65.2% of students were advanced or proficient. In 2017, that number was 65.5%. In literature, 2018 scores showed 72.7% of students to be advanced or proficient, which was identical to 2017 scores. In biology, 2018 scores showed 64.4% of students to be advanced or proficient, a 1% increase from 2017. For more information, visit the PDE website at https://www.education.pa.gov/Data-and-Statistics/Pages/Keystone-Exams-Results.aspx.

Gov. Wolf Signs Bills into Law Aiding Grandparents (October 24, 2018)

On Tuesday, October 23rd, Gov. Tom Wolf signed two pieces of legislation that will help grandparents raising grandchildren in the Commonwealth. One piece, HB 2133, establishes the Kinship Caregiver Navigator Program, which is an informational resource for grandparents in the form of a toll-free hotline and a website. Under the legislation, the website will provide information on support and services available, as well as a specially trained navigator who can provide guidance and support. The second piece of legislation, HB 1539, grants temporary guardianship to grandparents when the child(ren)’s parents are unable to care for them primarily due to substance abuse issues. Temporary guardianship provides grandparents the right to make vital basic decisions for their grandchildren, including the ability to enroll the child in school and/or seek medical care for the child.

According to state officials, about 76,000 grandparents are caring for more than 83,800 grandchildren in the state. It is believed that the increasing opioid epidemic has added to these numbers and that, in the long run, grandparents keeping their grandchild

Special Ed. Certification Bill Heads to Governor (October 12, 2018)

On October 12th, House Bill 1386 as amended by the PA Senate was passed by the PA House and has been sent to Gov. Wolf to be signed into law. The bill changes the way special education teachers are certified and changes the grade spans and age levels for certification of special education instructional certificates combining the current special education certificates into one category. Further, all special education certificates issued after Dec. 31, 2021 would cover PK-12, or up to age 21, with no additional content or dual certification required.

Acknowledgments to PSBA

Secretary Rivera Announces Grants to Benefit Deaf-Blind Students (October 10, 2018)

On Friday, October 5th, PA Education Secretary Pedro Rivera announced that the Commonwealth will receive a $1.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to improve services to students who are deaf and blind. According to Rivera, “This funding will provide resources to schools, educators, and families to help them provide equitable instruction to students who are deaf-blind.”
Currently, PA educates 602 deaf and blind students from birth to 21 years old and have varying degrees of hearing and vision loss, which are often complicated by other disabilities.
According to the PDE, the Bureau of Special Education applied for the federal funds to implement the state’s Deaf-Blind Project, which provides resources to support schools, educators and families of those students. Rivera said the project is designed to address the complex needs of educators and families through a multi-tiered system, including implementing a regional model using the state’s intermediate units to establish deaf-blind resource teams; providing qualified paraprofessionals and interveners with training geared toward addressing needs of deaf-blind students; and facilitating family participation and engagement strategies to connect them with state and national resources. It will also evaluate education and employment outcomes for deaf-blind students.