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.
Category: State Government Actions
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)ās 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, āThis funding will provide resources to schools, educators, and families to help them provide equitable instruction to students who are deaf-blind.ā
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 stateās 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.
PA House Amends SB 1095, Sends Back to Senate (October 10, 2018)
On Tuesday, October 9, 2018 the PA House, after amending the bill, voted 191-0 to pass its version of SB 1095 that provides students with alternative opportunities for high school graduation in lieu of passing the Keystone Exams.
Under the amended bill, a student could earn a diploma in a number of ways. For example, they could earn a diploma if they meet their LEAās grade requirements and either achieve what the State Board of Education determines to be a passing score on the SATs; pass the military entrance exams; gain acceptance into a four-year college; or secure a full-time job that aligns with their career plan, doing an internship, and satisfactorily completing a pre-approved community service project.
The PA House also placed additional reporting requirements on school districts that would raise āred flagsā that would evidence chronic systemic problems that may exist, including if the number of waivers to the graduation requirements that a superintendent gives exceeds five percent of the membership of the graduating class. Further, under the amended bill the graduation testing requirement would remain in moratorium until the new requirements take effect in 2020-21.
The amended bill now returns to the Senate for concurrence on the changes made by the House. Gov. Tom Wolf is supportive of the bill and plans to sign it if it comes to him. In addition, if signed into law, the proposed statewide graduation requirements would take effect starting with this year’s freshman class.
According to the amended bill, a student would earn a diploma if s/he:
ā¢ Attains a proficient or advanced score on the three Keystone Exams in Algebra I, biology and literature.
ā¢ Attains a proficient score on at least one of the Keystone Exams and at least a basic on the other two and have the combined scores of these exams meet or exceed a state-specified score determined to be acceptable.
ā¢ Meets or exceeds local grade requirements in areas tested in the Keystone Exams and one of the following: attain at least a state-specified passing score on the SAT, PSAT, ACT, Advanced Placement exam in any subject area, international baccalaureate exam in any subject area, earn a gold or platinum score on a Work Keys certificate exam that determines career readiness, pass the military entrance exam, complete a dual enrollment course in any subject area, complete a pre-apprenticeship program, or gain acceptance into a four-year higher education institution and show evidence of the ability to handle college-level work.
ā¢ Meets or exceeds local grade requirements in areas tested in the Keystone Exams and obtain an industry-based competency certification related to the career and technical education student’s program of study or demonstrates a likelihood of success in an industry-based competency exam.
ā¢ Meets or exceeds local grade requirements in areas tested in the Keystone Exams and three pieces of evidence demonstrating “readiness for meaningful postsecondary engagement” consistent with the career plan that students, starting this year are required to develop. The evidence must include one of the following: a silver score on the Work Keys exam, a state-specified acceptable score on the SAT, acceptance into community college or postsecondary institution other than a four-year college and proof of ability to handle college-level work, attaining an industry-recognized credential, attaining at least a state-set score on an Advanced Placement exam or international baccalaureate exam, or completing a dual enrollment course. Additionally, this option allows for the following to be evidence of graduation readiness: completion of a pre-approved service learning project, attaining a proficient or advanced score on a Keystone Exam, a letter guaranteeing full-time employment, completion of an internship/externship/cooperative education program, attaining at least a 2.0 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s core courses for college-bound student athletes, or meeting or exceeding local grade requirements in any science, technology, environment and ecology course.
ā¢ Satisfactorily completes the program developed by an individualized education program (IEP) team in the case of a student with disabilities.
Acknowledgments to PennLive