On December 21, 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that $1.2 million in competitive grants was awarded to 33 Career and Technical Centers (CTC) and two school districts to purchase new equipment aligned to training students in high-demand occupations.

“Career and technical centers continually provide excellent educational and professional opportunities for students across the commonwealth,” said Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty. “Investing in career readiness and career exploration is a priority for PDE, and we encourage recipients to utilize this funding to enhance and expand these learning programs, which will help students excel in their chosen fields.

Under the program, the maximum grant is $50,000, and each grant must be matched dollar-for-dollar from a local source which could include local school funds or contributions from business and industry partners.

The Wolf Administration understands that not every student wants to go to a four-year college, but all students need the training and skills to succeed in today’s economy. To support those efforts, the administration has invested in CTCs and other jobs programs, expanded apprenticeships that provide an income during training and realigned workforce development programs.

Since Gov. Wolf took office, the number of career and technical education students earning industry-recognized credentials has increased by 49.5 percent and the number of credentials earned by students enrolled in CTE programs has grown by 32.6 percent.

There are more than 80 CTCs in Pennsylvania that offer a combination of classes and hands-on learning in programs approved by the Department of Education. Thousands of students earn industry credentials or certifications for local jobs in high demand, so they graduate on a path for success.

To view the awardees, click here.

According to Act 158 of 2018 (Act 158), starting with the Class of 2023 students must graduate through one of five pathways, Those pathways include: Keystone Proficiency, Keystone Satisfactory Composite, Alternative Assessment, Career and Technical Pathway, and Evidence-Based Pathways.

Waivers are available under specific circumstances at the discretion of a school superintendent or other chief school administrator on a case-by-case basis for good cause. Waivers may be granted for a student in grade 12 to accommodate a student who experiences extenuating circumstances (e.g., serious illness, death in the student’s immediate family, family emergency, frequent school transfers, transfer from out-of-state in grade 12).

Also, any student with a disability who satisfactorily completes a special education program developed by an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team and who does not otherwise meet the new statewide requirements (Act 158 or Act 6) shall be provided a regular high school diploma. A student with a disability also has the right to participate in commencement ceremonies with the student’s graduating class and receive a certificate of attendance even if the student is not graduating until later.

An English learner (EL) is required to participate in the Mathematics PSSA or Algebra I Keystone Exam and the Science PSSA or Biology Keystone Exam, with accommodations as appropriate, regardless of their enrollment date. However, an EL student whose enrollment in any U.S. public school is for fewer than 12 cumulative (not consecutive) months by the end of the year in which the PSSA ELA/Keystone Literature testing window occurs has an option to take the associated exam. An EL may be exempted only once from participation in the PSSA ELA or Keystone Literature Exam.

In addition, Act 1 of 2022 (provides additional pathways to graduation and extra school supports for students experiencing educational instability (i.e., homelessness or students who have been involved in the foster care or juvenile justice systems). According to an Education Law Center (ELC) Fact Sheet, the Act requires schools to accept full and partial credits a student earned in a prior school and to consider waiving locally required courses or consider how a student may demonstrate proficiency to earn credit in a different manner. If a student cannot fulfill all the courses required for graduation at their current school, the student may graduate from a prior school or, as a last resort, apply for a statewide diploma.

To learn more about Act 158 from the ELC click here or about Act 1 of 2022 click here.
To learn more from PDE about graduation requirements for special education students, click here.

On December 16, 2022 Bureau of Career and Technical Education Director Dr. Lee Burket sent a PennLink to all LEAs titled Access to Career and Technical Education. The memo reads as follows:
“As you prepare for the 2023-24 school year, please ensure your local education agency is complying with state statutes regarding access to career and technical education.
As provided in the Pennsylvania Code (22 Pa Code 4.23 (d)(1)), Pennsylvania Department of Education (Department)-approved career and technical education (CTE) shall be made available to every student in a public high school program. If a school district or the career and technical center (CTC) in which the district participates does not offer a specific Department approved CTE program, the district of residence must work with another school district or CTC to make this program available to interested students. Additionally, the district of residence must pay for this education and must not limit the number of students who receive CTE.
If the Department-approved CTE program is offered at a CTC, the member districts of the CTC, through representation on the Joint Operating Committee, have determined how CTE courses should be sequenced. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved CTE programs based on a given sequence of courses and by grade levels. Thus, CTC member districts should offer career and technical education to their students for the grade levels the Department has approved the programs. The member districts must work with the CTC to make CTE available for each year the Department has approved the programs.”
Questions regarding the PennLink message should be directed to Lee Burket, PDE Bureau Director for Career and Technical Education, at [email protected] or 717-783-6977.

A new regulatory change formalizing nondiscrimination protection for LGBTQ people has been approved by the PA Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC).  

The passage follows  an executive order signed last year by Governor Tom Wolf. That ordered adds sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as protected classes under the commonwealth’s sexual harassment policies. 

The latest final form regulation approved the IRRC provides individuals with protections from discrimination under the PA Human Relations Act and the PA Fair Education Opportunities Act. As a result of the approval, the new regulatory change is effective immediately. Currently, Pennsylvania is one of 21 states without a law banning this discrimination. To learn more about the PA Human Relations Commission or if you or someone you know believes they have been unjustly discriminated against, visit https://www.phrc.pa.gov.