Category: Government Actions

PDE Sends Pennlink on PA Kindergarten Entry Inventory – 2022-2023 School Year (February 10, 2022).

On February 10, 2022, Noe Ortega, Secretary of Education and Tracey Campanini, Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released a joint Pennlink email titled PA Kindergarten Entry Inventory – 2022-2023 School Year. The email states that all elementary schools are encouraged to implement Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory (PA KEI) in the 2022-2023 school year to assist in meeting enhanced federal requirements. According to the email:

  • The 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 is available to all local education agencies (LEAs) at no cost and remote implementation options are available if necessary.
  • 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.
  • The 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.
  • The 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.

In addition, 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 and calls on states to describe how they will assist LEAs and elementary schools to collaborate with early childhood education programs, and to invest in evidence-based practices. ESSA supports early learning and 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 LEAs 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, the Office of Child Development and Learning (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 2022-2023 school year, send the POC name, email address, and phone number to [email protected] by May 30, 2022.

 All kindergarten teachers who have not previously participated must complete a required professional development online 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 this communication may be sent to [email protected]

Gov. Wolf Outlines Proposed Budget (February 9, 2022)

On February 9, 2022, Governor Tom Wolf outline his plan to build on his administration’s record investments in students over the past seven years with a $1.9 billion increase in education from pre-k through college.

According to Gov. Wolf. “We have reversed devastating ​funding cuts and invested in classrooms. These are historic increases and life-changing improvements, but our work is not finished.” The governor feels that Pennsylvania is primed for a major education funding increase and can now afford a major new investment in schools, students and communities without raising taxes or reducing support for a single district.

The governor’s budget calls for building on the momentum of previous years with a generational investment of $1.9 billion in education from pre-k through college, including:

  • $1.25 billion in basic education funding, bringing the total going through the Fair Funding Formula to more than $2 billion, or 26.5 percent of state funding.  
  • $300 million for the groundbreaking Level Up initiative launched last year to support the 100 most underfunded schools.
  • $200 million increase for Special Education.  

To view the press release, click here.

Philadelphia Inquirer Report: Judge Orders School District to Continue Masking to Protect Disabled Students (February 8, 2022)

As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, on February 7, 2022, a federal judge ordered the Perkiomen Valley School District to keep masking in place, granting a preliminary injunction sought by parents of children with disabilities that put them at higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19. The decision effectively extends an earlier order for masking during the school day and has no end date.

The case centers on three children with medical conditions ranging from asthma to chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, that in some cases require taking immunosuppressant drugs. Those children are thus thought to be in increased danger during the COVID pandemic and benefit from such safety measures as universal masking. Optional masking was considered by the judge as preventing affected students form “meaningfully accessing” in-person education, which would be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The judge also opined that the students with disabilities could not be expected “to protect themselves from discriminatory practices” and that schools  must “make reasonable accommodations” to provide those students with meaningful access to their education since such students have been adversely affected by virtual learning and are protected under the ADA .

The order does not affect extracurricular activities

The Inquirer also reported that two cases challenging mask policies in western Pennsylvania school districts are pending before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which could issue a decision that would affect districts across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Oral arguments are scheduled for March.

To read the excellent article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, click here.

USDE: New Updates to College Scorecard Make Tool More Useful for Students and Families With Data About College Costs, Graduation Rates, and Post-College Earnings (February 7, 2022)

On February 7, 2022, , the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released updates to the College Scorecard that make the tool more useful for students and families weighing college options.  The tool also includes new and updated information that may be beneficial to school counselors, college access providers, researchers, and other critical stakeholders. The Department has improved the College Scorecard interactive web tool, in addition to restoring several metrics that help students gauge how their prospective institution compares to other colleges across costs, graduation rates, post-college earnings, and other metrics. The changes reflect the Department’s priority of supporting and encouraging inclusive, affordable postsecondary programs that provide strong career outcomes for students.

According to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, “For so many students and families, the college search process can be overwhelming. But easily accessible, high-quality information about higher education institutions can help students determine which college or university is the best fit for them. The updated and enhanced College Scorecard shines a spotlight on affordability, inclusivity, and outcomes, over exclusivity and colleges that leave students without good jobs and with mountains of debt.”
Updates to the College Scorecard also include an annual refresh of the cumulative loan debt of student borrowers at both the institution-level and by field of study within each institution, as well as federal student loan repayment rates for the institution.

For the first time since 2018, the Department is publishing—both in the data files and on the consumer site—institution-level earnings data, which provide an overall sense of the career outcomes for alumni of the institution. The Scorecard also includes additional information about graduates who are better off for having gone to the college, by showing the percentage of those earning more than the typical worker with only a high school diploma.  
College Scorecard data provide essential details for students and prospective students across all colleges, helping them to make informed decisions about their postsecondary education plans. The data also shine a spotlight on accessible colleges that are serving their students well, including by closing gaps in the completion rates among students of color compared with white students and by ensuring programs lead to positive career outcomes with manageable levels of debt. Examples include:

  • University of Baltimore, a Predominantly Black Institution in Maryland, enrolls Black students as nearly half of its enrollment, charges much lower tuition than most four-year institutions, and saw median post-college earnings of more than $58,000.
  • Valencia College, a community college in Florida, enrolls three in four of its undergraduate population as students of color and has narrowed its college completion rate gaps; today, 45% of white students and 41% of Hispanic students graduate from the program.

The College Scorecard includes many other examples of institutions that are inclusive, often under-resourced, and are working to improve their students’ outcomes and helps to address barriers to college completion, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color, and increase accountability for institutions of higher education. Secretary Cardona discussed these efforts as part of his vision for education from early childhood education through higher education and career pathways, which he laid out earlier this year. These efforts include:

  • Launching the Institutional and Programmatic Eligibility negotiated rulemaking committee to develop strong rules to ensure career training programs lead to valuable credentials for their graduates;
  • Establishing an Office of Enforcement within the office of Federal Student Aid to identify and address major problems across institutions that pose widespread risks to students and taxpayers;
  • Providing billions in federal COVID relief funding for institutions that serve high populations of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds;
  • Canceling more than $15 billion in student loan debt for 675,000 borrowers across the country; and
  • Proposing expanded access through more funding for Pell Grants for students.

To view the USDE press release, click here.

Wolf Administration Reminds Pennsylvanians to Submit Their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (February 3, 2022)

On February 3, 2022, PA Secretary of Education Dr. Noe Ortega joined the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology to remind Pennsylvanians to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) by May 1, 2022.

All first-time applicants enrolled in a community college; business, trade, or technical school; hospital school of nursing; designated Pennsylvania open-admission institution; or nontransferable two-year program do have an extended deadline the first year they file: August 1, 2022.

Additionally, individuals financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may be able to adjust their FAFSA and qualify for additional aid. More information about adjustments and eligibility can be found on the Federal Student Aid website or students may contact their institution.

The FAFSA is an important tool for students seeking postsecondary education opportunities. Current and prospective undergraduate and graduate students should submit the FAFSA to the U.S. Department of Education to determine eligibility for federal student aid.

By filling out the FAFSA, students can receive federal grants, work study, and loans for each year of postsecondary education. Many states and colleges award aid to postsecondary students based on federal aid eligibility, and states and many colleges will award their own aid based on that data.

To read more, click here.