Category: Government Actions

CDC Survey: One in Five Low-income Children Report ACEs (July 26, 2023)

According to results from the National Health Interview Survey released on July 20, 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five children in families with incomes up to double the federal poverty level had experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) in 2021.Ā 

In addition, less than one in eight children in families with incomes double or more than double than the federal poverty level that had experienced at least one stressful life event in 2021.

Children in families with incomes up to double the federal poverty level were also more likely to be a victim of or witness to violence in their neighborhood and live with someone who had a substance abuse problem, was mentally ill or severely depressed, or was in jail.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

OSEP Releases a DCL and Revised Guidance on SpEd Noncompliance (July 26, 2023)

On July 24, 2023 Valerie Williams, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) disseminated Ā updated policy guidance and a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) which are aimed at helping states with timely identification and correction of a school districtā€™s noncompliance with early intervention services for infants and toddlers and K-12 special education services. The policy guidance document, titled Guidance on State General Supervision Responsibilities under Parts B and C of the IDEA, is intended to help protect the rights of children with disabilities and their families under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and to facilitate consistent implementation of IDEA among states. In essence, this general supervision guidance document will address requirements related to:
ā€¢ State general supervision responsibilities;
ā€¢ Identification and correction of noncompliance;
ā€¢ The IDEA State performance plan and annual performance report;
ā€¢ State annual determinations; and
ā€¢ State enforcement through determinations and other methods

Click to access the updated policy guidance.

Click to access the Dear Colleague Letter.

USDE Strengthens Guidance to Improve Equal Educational Opportunity for Children with Disabilities (July 24, 2023)

On July 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of Educationā€™s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released updated policy guidance, which takes immediate effect, to ensure and strengthen the rights and protections guaranteed to children with disabilities and their families under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

To View the updated policy guidance from OSEP, click here.

Applications for New Grant Funding to Help Paraeducators Earn Special Ed. Teaching Credentials, Put More Special Ed.Ā Teachers in Classrooms Due August 11th (July 22, 2023)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that $1.5 million in grant funding is available to establish or expand opportunities for practicing paraeducators in Pennsylvania schools to become special education teachers at no cost while actively learning and working in their school. PA Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin sees the grants as a way to “create a robust pipeline of high-quality educators is by allowing paraprofessionals to earn credentials while theyā€™re already working in the classroom [and can] transition seamlessly from paraprofessional to educator.ā€

The grants will create new special education career pathways for paraeducators; increase the number of practicing paraeducators earning certifications, and/or postsecondary credits/degrees; and increase the number of practicing paraeducators pursuing PK-12 special education teacher certification through enrollment in a PDE-approved special education PK-12 certification program.

Intermediate units (IU) that partner with at least one community college located in Pennsylvania and at least one local education agency (school district, approved private school, career technical education center, charter school, cyber charter school, or chartered school for the deaf or blind) may apply for the grant.

IU grant recipients must design and deliver a program to ensure paraeducators within their IU region can participate in networking with other paraeducators, receive academic support, attend courses at no cost, and obtain advanced Credentials of Competency for Special Education Paraeducators in Pennsylvania and/or associate of arts degrees. They must also partner with at least one community college to design and deliver a program to ensure completion of all required program competencies within a two-year period, provide instruction through a combination of in-person and virtual options to meet the needs of paraeducators working full-time, and establish or expand credit for completion of program competencies fulfilled on-the-job. Finally, grant recipients must partner with one or more schools in the IU region to provide paraeducators with mentoring by experienced special educators during the school year and provide scheduling flexibility to allow time for coursework during the school day. 

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, August 11, 2023. Applicants may request up to $50,000, and funding for each successful grant application will be available until December 2025.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit PDE’s website.

As Budget Impasse Continues, PA Office of the Budget Provides Q&A DocumentĀ (July 22, 2023)

What is a budget impasse? Answer: By June 30 of each year, the Commonwealth must approve a budget that sets funding levels for the following fiscal year (FY), which begins on July 1. If a budget has not been approved, the Commonwealth is prohibited from making many payments. This period, known as a budget impasse, continues until a budget is approved.

As the budget impasse in Harrisburg due to a disagreement over private school vouchers continuies, it appears that there is no relief in sight until the General Assembly returns in September. So, in response to these circumstances, the PA Office of the Budget is providing a Q&A document to help Pennsylvanians better understand what entails when there is an impasse.

To get answers to questions regarding the impasse, go to: https://www.governor.pa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Public-Info-Budget-Impasse-QA-FYE-6-30-24.pdf