Category: State Government Actions

PA Notified that It Meets Federal Special Ed. Requirements (August 16, 2022)

On August 15, 2022, Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty released a PennLink message to all LEAS titled Pennsylvania’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B 2022 – Determinations Notification. The message states that on June 25, 2022, Pennsylvania received notification from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that the commonwealth has received a “Meets Requirements” determination, the highest level that the federal government awards to states under Part B of the IDEA.

Pennsylvania was one of only 22 states and territories that received the distinction this year. The commonwealth’s excellent work in special education has been recognized with the “Meets Requirements” designation for 15 of the 16 years that USDE has been issuing its determinations. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of educators and staff in delivering high-quality services to students with disabilities and their families.

This determination is based on the totality of the commonwealth’s special education data and information, including the federal fiscal year 2020 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), other state-reported data, and additional publicly available information. Consistent with USDE’s Results Driven Accountability, 2022 determinations were based on the commonwealth’s compliance with the regulatory requirements of the IDEA, as well as the positive outcomes being achieved for students.

In making Part B determinations in 2022, the USDE Office of Special Education Programs considered the following results data for students with disabilities:

  1. Participation on regular statewide assessments.
  2. Participation and performance on the most recently administered (school year 2018-19) National Assessment of Educational Progress.
  3. Graduation with a regular high school diploma.
  4. Dropout rates.

Pennsylvania’s Part B SPP/APR is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website or the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network website. The USDE has developed state profiles as a resource for IDEA-related, state-specific information. Persons interested in reviewing that information may visit the USDE Office of Special Education Program’s Pennsylvania’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B 2022 – Determination Notification. 

Questions regarding this information may be directed to Amy Pastorak, Assistant Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education, at [email protected].

PDE: Today’s Educators Play Critical Role in the Commonwealth’s Future Workforce (August 12, 2022)

On August 12, 2022 Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Executive Deputy Secretary Dr. Debora Carrera thanked educators for their dedication and commitment to students across the commonwealth.

“We are inspired by educators across Pennsylvania every day. We recognize that things are not always easy, but we appreciate the work you put in daily for your students and their families,” said Carrera. “Education is an invaluable resource, and I know first-hand how challenging and rewarding the profession can be, and we are so proud of each and every one of you for your commitment and dedication.”

The Pennsylvania Educator Workforce Strategy, PDE’s strategic plan to recruit and retain more educators across the commonwealth has been unveiled in response to a decade-long significant decline in the number of new educators entering the field. Not only are teacher retention rates declining, a decade ago roughly 20,000 new teachers entered the Pennsylvania workforce each year, while last year only 6,000 new teachers entered the workforce.

According to Dr. Carrera, Pennsylvania’s educator workforce represents a critical sector of the commonwealth’s economy and helps prepare young learners to participate in and lead our communities, governments, businesses, and families in the future. The Pennsylvania Educator Workforce Strategy builds on the Wolf Administrations efforts and successes over the past eight years to ensure that learners of all ages have access to a world-class education system.

State and Local Officials Emphasize Importance of Children Getting Vaccinations Against COVID-19, Other Immunizations Ahead of Returning to School (August 11, 2022)

Wolf Administration officials today joined local school and health leaders, along with a parent, to educate and encourage others to get children vaccinated against COVID-19 before school starts.  

Acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson and Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Meg Snead joined Dr. Rodney Necciai, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services at Pittsburgh Public Schools and Dr. Debra Bogen, Director of the Allegheny County Health Department along with a local parent who recently had their child vaccinated, also emphasized the importance of receiving required, routine vaccinations ahead of returning to school this fall.  

“As children complete their routine vaccinations and head back to the classroom this fall, I strongly encourage students to get fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 even if they have already had COVID-19,” said Dr. Johnson. “Vaccinations have proven to be effective to prevent severe disease – and there is a safe vaccine available now to best protect our youngest learners from contracting COVID-19.” 

“As a mom, I want to do everything I can to keep my kids safe as they head back to school. One easy thing I could do was make sure they got their COVID-19 vaccines,” said Snead. “COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe, and effective, and they help protect children and families from serious illness. I encourage all fellow parents and guardians in Pennsylvania to get their kids vaccinated before the school year starts.” 

In partnership with UPMC, Pittsburgh Public Schools continues to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to children and their families, including but not limited to the approved pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for ages six months to four years. The school district will host its next community COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Aug. 29 and 30; appointments are required and can be made by visiting www.pghschools.org/backandvaxxed.  

“As we prepare to bring students back to school, we want to do all we can to keep students in the classroom and limit disruptions to learning,” said Dr. Necciai. “We continue to hold vaccination clinics, in partnership with UPMC, to ensure staff, students, and their families can stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.” 

“As a pediatrician, I focus on preventing illness and promoting health,” said Dr. Bogen. “Vaccinations are effective prevention tools including the COVID-19 vaccines which prevent severe disease in people of all ages. Please – to protect everyone in our schools – I ask everyone to get their COVID-19 and other age-appropriate vaccines.” 

In addition to upcoming vaccine clinic opportunities like the ones involving Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pennsylvanians can find a vaccine provider at vaccines.gov.  

While COVID-19 is not a required vaccination for those returning to school, there are other vaccinations that are required for children to enter and attend school in Pennsylvania. The vaccination requirements to enter and attend school vary depending on grade level, but all grade school students are required to receive at least:  

  • Four doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis 
  • Four doses of polio (unless the third dose was administered at age 4 years or older and at least six months after the previous dose then there are only three doses required) 
  • Two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) 
  • Three doses of hepatitis B 
  • Two doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity 

For information relating to required vaccinations for students in school, please visit www.health.pa.gov.

Gov. Wolf Touts Historic Education Budget (August 10, 2022)

Governor Tom Wolf joined students, educators and elected officials in the Erie School District to celebrate the administration’s historic $3.7 billion investment in public education over the past eight years.

“I promised the people of Pennsylvania that I would make education and the future of our children a priority again for the commonwealth. And I have fought every day to do just that,” Governor Wolf said. “This year’s budget includes a massive investment in our kids, our schools and our future. It’s also an investment that could free up local communities to reduce property taxes.”

This year’s budget alone includes a record $1.8 billion in education investments.

Speaking at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy today, Governor Wolf recalled that proper funding for education was his top priority when he took office in 2015. That priority held true in this year’s budget talks, resulting in:

  • $525 million increase through the Fair Funding Formula. On average Pennsylvania schools will see their funding increase by 8 percent. 
  • $225 million increase for Level Up to provide targeted support to the 100 most in-need school districts, ensuring that every child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to thrive and succeed through equal access to a high-quality education no matter their zip code. 
  • $100 million increase for Special Education. 
  • $79 million increase for Early Education through Pre-K Counts and Head Start. 
  • $220 million for public higher education. 

The investment in education includes $850 million in recurring funding to allow school districts to invest in student learning while simultaneously cutting local property taxes.

Level Up, first funded in last year’s budget, initially provided a $100 million equity supplement to the state’s 100 most underfunded school districts. The 2022-23 budget increases Level Up funding by $225 million.

“Governor Wolf’s commitment to Level Up funding is powerful recognition that inequity among Pennsylvania school districts must be addressed,” said Kate Philips, Level Up Coalition spokesperson. “This funding, which slowly begins to level the playing field, temporarily eases the burden that superintendents, school boards, and educators – and students – in rural, urban, and suburban school districts are faced with every day due to chronic funding disparities.”

Even before the 2022-23 budget was finalized, the Wolf administration had:

  • Invested more than $1.9 billion in education from pre-k through college, including the largest single-year education funding increase in state history in 2021.
  • Created the Level Up initiative to provide $100 million to the 100 most underfunded school districts.
  • Established the Public School Fair Funding Formula to help address chronic inequitable and inadequate funding for school districts in the commonwealth.
  • Invested $116 million in science, computer science and technical education, including $80 million in the innovative PAsmart program, and $36 million in apprenticeships and workforce training.
  • Modernized standards for science education.
  • Invested more than $130 million in School Safety Grants to make schools and school communities safer.
  • Reduced the age when students must start school to 6 and raising the high school dropout age to 18 to set students up for a lifetime of success.
  • Launched first-of-its-kind “It’s On Us PA” Campus Sexual Assault Prevention initiative to combat sexual assault and make colleges and universities safer.

Click here to view the press release.

LEAs Notified of Annual CHIP Notice Requirement (August 9, 2022)

In an August 9, 2022 Pennlink memo from PA Children’s Health Insurance Program Executive Director  Nicole Harris to all LEAs,  School Superintendents and Chief Administrators are notified that the Pennsylvania ACT 84 of 2015 requires that public and nonpublic schools receive electronic notice of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on an annual basis no later than August 15. A flyer has been created and is to be shared with every parent or guardian of every student enrolled in the district during the school year.
CHIP covers uninsured kids and teens up to age 19. With more than 128,000 uninsured children in Pennsylvania, this is great news for families!
CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health and much more. CHIP covers uninsured kids who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. For most families, CHIP is free – for others, it is low cost.
School Superintendents and Chief Administrators are advised to forward the CHIP flyer to each school under their jurisdiction at the beginning of the school year. The flyer can be sent directly through email, posted to a school website with a link distributed to students’ families, printed or distributed with other information that is being sent as caregiver packets, or prepared for students to take home. The flyer and many more resources can be found on the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com, under CHIP Resources.