Category: State Government Actions

PA DHS Highlights Research and Best Practices in Data Analytics for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Dual Diagnoses (December 17, 2020)

On December 15, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) released the latest issue of the Positive Approaches Journal. The journal aims to provide the most recent research and resources for people with the dual diagnoses of an intellectual disability/autism and a co-occurring mental illness on living an everyday life.

“People with dual diagnoses often face challenges for true inclusion in their communities and require appropriate services and supports. The Positive Approaches Journal is one more way to help people understand and access the services they need,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “Our goal at DHS is to serve more people in their communities, and we want those services to be the best that they can be. We hope that by publishing these resources and advancements to professionals and supporters, we can foster more research and improved services for the people who need them.”

The journal is a collaboration of DHS’ Office of Developmental Programs and Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and collects resources, observations, and advancements in mental and behavioral health in order to better serve people with dual diagnoses in their communities.

For more information from DHS, click here. To view this edition of the Positive Approaches Journal, click here.

PDE to Begin Issuing Computer Science Certification (December 17, 2020)

Building on the Wolf Administration’s efforts to prepare students for a lifetime of success, the Department of Education is announcing the availability of the Computer Science Certification Test for educators seeking to become certified computer science instructors for grades 7-12.
“More than 300,000 jobs in Pennsylvania require STEM-related skills and there are at least 13,000 unfilled computer science related occupations,” said Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega. “In an effort to prepare our students to meet these demands, we need more educators trained in STEM and computer science instruction. The program framework guidelines will allow our educator preparation programs to increase the number of certified teachers who will be able to prepare our students to pursue careers in STEM industries.”
Computer science courses are currently taught by teachers with certificates in Math, Science, Technology Education, Business, and Computer and Information Technology. Educators are now able to complete a program that leads to Computer Science 7-12 certification. This new certification pathway, built on newly developed program framework guidelines released in December 2018, includes subject-specific competencies student teachers are expected to master and demonstrate as they begin their careers, including algorithms and programming, data and analysis, network communication and cybersecurity.
Certified educators can also add-on the Computer Science 7-12 certification by test and application. This provides for an immediate impact in the number of new computer science certified educators available in the workforce.
Click the following to view the program framework guidelines.

PDH Sec. Levine Issues State Face Coverings Order Update (December 15, 2020)

In the latter part of November 2020, PA Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine signed and published an Updated Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Requiring Universal Face Coverings. The order officially took effect at 12:10 AM on November 18, 2020.

To view the updated order, click here or visit the PAPSA website at www.papsa-web.org and go to “Downloads” under the “Resources” drop-down.

BSE Notifies LEAs of Act 26 Transition and Work Experience Data Collection (December 12, 2020)

On December 11, 2020, Carole L. Clancy, PDE Director of the Bureau of Special Education, released a PennLink memo titled Revision to Act 26 Transition and Work Experience Data Collection. The memo states that PA House Bill 400, known as Act 26 of 2016, the Work Experience for High School Students with Disabilities Act, was signed into law by Governor Wolf on May 17, 2016.  Act 26 directs the PA Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) to provide pre-employment transition services to students with disabilities and facilitate the process of job and career development between local educational agencies (LEAs) and public and private employers to ensure the successful transition of high school students with disabilities into competitive integrated employment.

To assist the PA Department of Labor and Industry in meeting the data collection requirements of Act 26 and to minimize any redundancy in data collection and reporting procedures, the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) added the relevant work experience/transition Data Elements to the existing Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) C4 Special Education data submission.  During the 2016-17 school year, LEAs began collecting data based on the items pertaining to work experience for students with disabilities involved in transition planning as part of their IEPs.  The data elements are reported annually on the PIMS C4 Special Education Transition/Exiting Collection for students 14 years of age or older or any student who has a transition plan as part of their IEP.

Through collaboration with Employment First PA, the PA Department of Labor and Industry and the PA Department of Education are committed to ensure the collected data regarding transition experiences correlates to the intent of the law.  For the 2020-21 school year, the PIMS data collection pertaining to work experience for students with disabilities involved in transition planning as part of their IEPs will be updated as follows:

  • Does this student have a transition plan as part of the IEP?
  • Does the student have an outcome goal of competitive integrated employment?
  • Did the student participate in a competitive integrated paid work experience?
  • Did the student participate in individual job coaching services funded by the school in a paid work experience?
  • Upon exiting high school, was the student employed in a competitive integrated setting?

After the PIMS C4 Special Education Transition/Exiting Collection in June 2021, BSE will be sharing this aggregated data with OVR for inclusion in its annual Act 26 reporting.  An updated PIMS manual will be forthcoming. 

PDE Releases Gifted Education Update (December 8, 2020)

On December 7, 2020, Carole L. Clancy, Director of the PDE Bureau of Special Education released a Gifted Education Update. According to the memo, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has the responsibility to ensure that all school districts, whether directly or by contractual arrangements, administer gifted education services and programs that are in compliance with applicable state laws and regulations. In order to fulfill this responsibility, PDE established contracts with two intermediate units (IU) (Allegheny IU 3 and Montgomery County IU 23) to provide professional development and technical training across the Commonwealth.

Join the PA Gifted Education team to hear information on the state of gifted education, answers to common questions and online resources on Thursday January 21, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and/or Thursday April 7, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Registration is open at http://giftedinpa.eventbrite.com/.  

School Administrators are strongly encouraged to attend one of the sessions. 

Questions may be directed to Shirley Moyer at 717.705.5186 or [email protected]; Amy Davis at 412.394.4193 or [email protected]; or Patrice Semicek at 610.755.9483 or [email protected].

BSE thanks you in advance for the work that has been accomplished in gifted education across the Commonwealth.  PDE recognizes the time and effort required on behalf of school districts to successfully administer gifted education programs.