Category: State Government Actions

BSE Announces No-cost Inclusive Programming through Mikalya’s Voice (September 25, 2023)

On September 25, 2023, PDE BSE Director Carole L. Clancy, Director sent a mesage to all LEAs titled 2023-24 Inclusive Programming Opportunities through Mikayla’s Voice. The message states that the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education (BSE) announces inclusive programming for the 2023-24 school year with no cost to districts, since it is grant funded. Mikayla’s Voice offers original programming to help build a positive and equitable school culture and ensure the well-being of your staff and students, and includes all of the following:

Two Inclusion Assemblies
Two school-wide inclusion assemblies are held in which the book Our Friend Mikayla is shared. One of the presenters is a student or young adult with a disability who also shares their personal story. Questions are encouraged to direct further discussion about having a friend with a disability. Each presentation concludes with an invitation for all students to serve as Mikayla’s “Voice.” High school students will be encouraged to serve as mentors to read books to the younger students.

One Inclusive Art Project
Participating schools choose one of the two projects in which 24 students of all abilities will work together to create a large-scale artwork to celebrate diversity and promote equity and inclusion in your school. Most important is the time your students spend together, what they learn from and about each other, and their pride when their art is permanently displayed as a beautiful reminder that it is always possible to include everyone!

Wheels of Friendship®
Inspired by Mikayla and her art class, Wheels of Friendship® is an original art program that incorporates wheelchair painting and tissue paper decoupage, both mediums that offer success for children of all abilities. Together the group of students choose the theme for their art and decide how best to represent diversity and inclusion. When joined by students with other disabilities, they find creative ways to include their friend’s unique abilities into the artwork. As they incorporate sign language, interesting textures, or braille, the artists are learning, and will ultimately teach others who view their art, about different challenges and supports.

Kaya’s Kaleidoscope
Kaya’s Kaleidoscope is created when students complete their own individual canvases that work together in an interactive, almost puzzle-like design. Symbolic of school communities, every canvas is as essential to the mural as each student to their school. And, in keeping with Mikayla’s Voice message, mission, and style, each canvas features wheelchair tracks, tissue paper decoupage, and a yellow spot. The canvases can be arranged and rotated any way, creating an endless number of options…each as unique and beautiful as the next. The interactive exhibits allow thousands of students to engage with the art and consider its many lessons: we are all individuals, each important to our school and community, connected in many ways, and definitely better together.

Artwork Unveiling and Installation
Once complete, all artists help unveil their collaborative artwork and share its message with the entire school community before it is permanently installed in their school as a reminder to celebrate diversity and promote equity and inclusion. This culminating, year-end school-wide celebration also provides an opportunity to highlight individual and class projects based on the books or lessons and revisit Mikayla’s Voice message and mission with all students.

Inclusion Books:
Mikayla’s Voice has published four children’s books written and illustrated by kids for other kids about having a friend with a disability. Mikayla was born with a brain injury, Jeffrey has Down syndrome, Brady is challenged by autism, and Dot has a yellow spot, but these books are not about the main characters or their disabilities. They are about friendship. And kindness. Two of each book are provided for your elementary school library and/or for your middle/high school students to share with younger students in your district.
-Our Friend Mikayla
-High Fives and A Big Heart
-Super Brady ~ Always on the Move!
-The Spot

Mikayla’s Bookshelf Enrichment Website
“Mikayla’s Bookshelf” includes electronic versions of all four books making it easier to share them with all classes, students, and families. The books are just the foundation upon which enrichment lessons for teachers and/or older students build to introduce and/or reinforce Mikayla’s Voice message and missions.
Mikayla’s Voice has partnered with Drs. Dever and Lindstrom as part of an ongoing program assessment for improvement and replication. Participating schools are required to help with pre and post data collection to measure the global quality of the programs and the ability to improve school culture and community.
Schools interested in participating can contact Rita Cheskiewicz, Executive Director, at 570-690-7113 or [email protected] or Sharon Jones, Program Director, at 484-854-1355 or [email protected].

Schools are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

2023-24 SY RISC Qtr. 1 Reporting End Date is Sept. 30th (September 24, 2023)

On September 22, 2023, PDE BSE Director Carole Clancy disseminated a PennLink message to all LEAs titled 2023-24 School Year Restraint Information System Collection Tracking and Training First Quarter Reporting Window. The message states that the Restraint Information System Collection (RISC) is open for data entry for the first quarter (restraints occurring between July 1 – October 19, 2023, of the 2023-24 school year). The RISC program has been enhanced and gives local educational agencies (LEAs) greater opportunity to provide both more detail about restraints and to analyze trends in reducing the use of physical restraints.

LEAs are required to report RISC data quarterly during the 2023-24 school year. This includes reporting zero restraints during a quarter when restraints did not occur. Additionally, LEAs still are required to comply with 22 Pa. Code § 14.133(f) or 22 Pa. Code § 711.46(f) Positive Behavior Support related to training of personnel in specific procedures, methods, and techniques. However, 22 Pa. Code § 14.133(f) and 22 Pa. Code § 711.46(f) Positive Behavior Support does not require LEAs to acquire specific certification in the use of restraints and leaves this up to the LEAs and their specific training model. The training of personnel should provide varied intervention and strategies needed to address problem behaviors. The types of intervention chosen for a specific student or eligible young child shall be the least intrusive necessary. The use of restraints is considered a measure of last resort, only to be used after other less restrictive measures, including de-escalation techniques.

The Bureau of Special Education (BSE) continues to require LEAs to report the restraints that occurred in each quarter. This reporting process permits LEAs to report restraints in a timely manner which, in turn, allows LEAs to monitor patterns of episodic behaviors and address them accordingly.

The quarterly windows of reporting for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:

Qtr 1
Begin Date: 07/01/2023
End Date: 09/30/2023
Last Day to Report: 10/19/2023
Zero Window Opens: 10/01/2023
Zero Window Closes: 10/18/2023

Qtr 2
Begin Date: 10/01/2023
End Date: 12/31/2023
Last Day to Report: 01/15/2024
Zero Window Opens: 01/01/2024
Zero Window Closes: 01/15/2024

Qtr 3
Begin Date: 01/01/2024
End Date: 03/31/2024
Last Day to Report: 04/14/2024
Zero Window Opens: 04/01/2024
Zero Window Closes: 04/14/2024

Qtr 4
Begin Date: 04/01/2024
End Date: 06/30/2024
Last Day to Report: 07/14/2024
Zero Window Opens: 07/01/2024
Zero Window Closes: 07/14/2024

The RISC reporting design provides an “End Date” for LEAs to comply with their end of quarterly reporting. In addition, there is a two-week window date labeled “Last Day to Report” to allow LEAs to gather and report on those students that attend an out-of-district facility where they were placed in a restraint during that quarter. This two-week period is also a designated time for LEAs that had no restraints during the quarter to report zero in RISC. BSE will continue to send out reminder PENN*LINKS about this quarterly reporting requirement.

BSE will monitor the restraint information reported by LEAs. RISC requires each LEA to report the event that occurred prior to the incident, the incident, the unsafe behavior, and the de-escalation techniques used. The LEA must notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the use of a restraint and schedule an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting within 10 school days of the use of the restraint in the educational program, unless the parent(s)/guardian(s), after written notice, agree(s) in writing to waive the IEP meeting. Restraints occurring during Extended School Year sessions should be reported within three weeks of the start of the school year.

In reviewing restraints submitted in RISC of school-age students with IEPs, the Special Education Advisers of BSE will continue to focus on LEA monitoring responsibilities, as well as:
-Training of staff in de-escalation techniques;
-Excessive time of restraint;
-Excessive use of parent/guardian waivers;
-Mechanical restraints;
-Injuries;
-Number of restraints;
-10-day window (school days) to convene an IEP meeting after a restraint occurs; and
-Handcuffing of students, students tased, or students charged with a safe school’s offense;
-Excessive law enforcement involved in restraints with staff not involved.

A RISC reporting webinar is posted on the RISC website at apps.leaderservices.com/_risc/index.aspx. This RISC reporting webinar link is located below the login box of the Leader Services RISC sign-in page. This webinar explains the reporting and investigation process and how to use the RISC program. The webinar also shares how to update your LEA’s contact information. All parties involved with RISC are highly encouraged to view this webinar to learn how to report restraints, how to use the system, and to understand the regulatory responsibility of LEAs.

Additionally, the Bureau of Special Education has recently updated the Restraint Information System of Collection (RISC) Program Guidelines. The “RISC Program Guidelines” are available for review on the RISC website.

Questions regarding RISC should be directed to Keith Focht: 717-783-6921 or [email protected] or to the RISC Resource Account – [email protected]. 

2022-23 SHARRS Reporting Window Closes on Sept. 30th (September 24, 2023)

On September 22, 2023, Director of the Division of School Health Colleen Schultz sent a PennLink message to all LEAs reminding them that the SHARRS reporting window will close on September 30th 2023. LEAs were urged to share the important reminder with staff responsible for completing the SHARRS report and ensure reporting information is submitted in a timely manner to ensure all school districts receive reimbursement for 22-23 School Year. The message also said to note the following:
-The Superintendent/CEO is the only person with the capability to submit the report. 
-SHARRS programming will close the reporting window September 30. Therefore, timely submission of information is essential in order to be reimbursed for the 22-23 School Year.
-SHARRS can be accessed at https://apps.health.pa.gov/SHARRS/Login.aspx. An “INSTRUCTIONS” button on each page provides additional guidance to assist in completing the report.

BEF Hearings Underway (September 20, 2023)

The Basic Education Funding Commission launched a series of hearings this week to gather testimony to help improve the state’s basic education funding (BEF) system. The commission is comprised of three members of each party from both the House and Senate, as well as three members of the Shapiro administration.
Earlier this year, the funding system was declared unconstitutional by Commonwealth Court, and lawmakers were directed to develop a remedy with attention to adequacy, equity, and timeliness.
Hearings held in Allentown, Harrisburg and Philadelphia provided feedback from public school finance experts, education advocates and others. Additional hearings are planned over the next several weeks, concluding with one in Bedford in November.
For more information, or to submit comments to the commission or watch the hearings, visit basiceducationfundingcommission.com.