Category: State Government Actions

Act 1 PDE & DHS Guidance Expected This Summer (June 5, 2022)

Act 1 of 2022 requires school districts to assign an individual who acts as a single point of contact to students experiencing “educational instability” (those who make one or more changes in school entity enrollment during a single school year due to homelessness, adjudication, dependency, delinquency, or as part of court-ordered  services under a voluntary placement or custody agreement). That point of contact person helps students coordinate and be rapidly placed in appropriate courses; helps connect students with mental health resources; ensures that academic records are obtained (which must be provided within ten business days) and credits are accurately transferred to their new school; creates a written “graduation plan” covering grades 9 through 12 describing the courses and other activities the student must complete to graduate in a timely manner; and ensures that any services or supports required under an existing IEP or Section 504 service agreement are implemented immediately as required by law.

In addition, pursuant to Act 1 of 2022, school districts may, but are not required to, waive a course requirement for graduation if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed in another district or if the student has demonstrated competency in a content area. If it declines to waive course requirements, the school district may not determine that a student is ineligible to graduate unless it provides him/her with an alternative or modified course of study currently available to any other student that will assist the affected student in establishing his/her competency. 

If after taking these steps, a school district determines that an affected student is ineligible to graduate, officials may, but are not required to, request that his/her prior school district issue a diploma for the student. The student’s prior district may, but is not required to, issue the diploma if the student has met its graduation requirements.

Also pursuant to the Act, students who have experienced educational instability and who transfer to another school entity, have the right to participate in extracurricular and student sponsored activities as long as they meet qualification requirements.

The Act also requires the PA Departments of Education (PDE) and Human Services (DHS) to issue “guidance and best practices” within 180 days of its enactment on January 26, 2022.

To View Act 1 of 2022, click here.

Act 1 Guidance Expected this Summer (June 4, 2022)

Act 1 of 2022 requires school districts to assign an individual who acts as a single point of contact to students experiencing educational instability (those who make one or more changes in school entity enrollment during a single school year due to homelessness, adjudication, dependency, delinquency, or as part of court-ordered  services under a voluntary placement or custody agreement). That point of contact person helps students coordinate and be rapidly placed in appropriate courses; helps connect students with mental health resources; ensures that academic records are obtained (which must be provided within ten business days) and credits are accurately transferred to their new school; creates a written “graduation plan” covering grades 9 through 12 describing the courses and other activities the student must complete to graduate in a timely manner; and ensures that any services or supports required under an existing IEP or Section 504 service agreement are implemented immediately as required by law.

In addition, pursuant to Act 1 of 2022, school districts may, but are not required to, waive a course requirement for graduation if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed in another district or if the student has demonstrated competency in a content area. If it declines to waive course requirements, the school district may not determine that a student is ineligible to graduate unless it provides him/her with an alternative or modified course of study currently available to any other student that will assist the affected student in establishing his/her competency. 

If after taking these steps, a school district determines that an affected student is ineligible to graduate, officials may, but are not required to, request that his/her prior school district issue a diploma for the student. The student’s prior district may, but is not required to, issue the diploma if the student has met its graduation requirements.

Also pursuant to the Act, students who have experienced educational instability and who transfer to another school entity, have the right to participate in extracurricular and student sponsored activities as long as they meet qualification requirements.

The Act also requires the PA Departments of Education (PDE) and Human Services (DHS) to issue “guidance and best practices” within 180 days of its enactment on January 26, 2022.

To View Act 1 of 2022, click here.

Coming Later this Month: PA Families to Receive Credit for Missed School Meals Due to COVID Closures (June 3, 2022)

According to the PA Department of Human Services (DHS), since federal officials approved Pennsylvania’s plan for benefits lost due to pandemic-related school closures eligible families should be receiving their benefits later this month.

The Pandemic-EBT program was set up to help families cover the costs of free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches kids would have normally gotten in school but that they missed due to pandemic-related school closures. Thus, despite being open for the most part  during the 2021-22 school year, many schools closed for days or weeks at a time because of staffing shortages and high COVID-19 case counts.

Since the Pandemic-EBT program was set up to help families cover the costs of free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches kids would have normally gotten in school but that they missed due to pandemic-related school closures, the state requested the ability make up for any benefits lost due to closures..

DHS is recommending that families who have previously received and activated P-EBT cards should keep them, and families who have an EBT card for other benefits will receive their funds through that card.

For more information about P-EBT, see this list of frequently asked questions from Just Harvest. If you need assistance with your P-EBT card, the state hotline is 484-363-2137.

Source: WESA

Gov. Wolf: Record Revenues Will Cover Historic Education Investment with Billions Left Over (June 2, 2022)

On June 1st, Governor Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania has collected a record $43.9 billion in revenues for the 2021-22 â€‹fiscal year. Gov. Wolf wants to use this revenue to make major investments in improving life and lowering costs for Pennsylvanians.

In May, Pennsylvania collected $3.2 billion in General Fund revenue, which was $402.4 million, or 14.2 percent, over estimate. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $43.9 billion, which is $4.9 billion, or 12.5 percent, above estimate.

“Right now, Pennsylvania has $4.9 billion in the bank over and above what we expected to bring in this year. That’s a big pot of money, and I want to use it to lower some of the barriers that keep Pennsylvanians from succeeding,” said Gov. Wolf. “We have the money in the bank to pay for the historic investment I want to make in K-12 education, as well as the Corporate Net Income Tax cut and reforms I have proposed to bolster Pennsylvania businesses, and still have $1.8 billion left over,” said Gov. Wolf. “At a time when Pennsylvanians are hurting and state government is not, there is no excuse not to use this huge pot of money to improve education, lower costs for taxpayers, and build a stronger economy. Investing in Pennsylvanians is how we guarantee future success for Pennsylvania.”

Over the past seven years, the Wolf Administration endeavored to right Pennsylvania’s shaky finances. When Gov. Wolf took office, Pennsylvania was operating with a $2-3 billion budget deficit, and the Rainy Day Fund had fallen to a mere $231,800. At present, the Rainy Day Fund contains a record $2.8 billion – more than 12,000 times what it was when Gov. Wolf took office – to protect Pennsylvania against future emergencies. The Rainy Day Fund is entirely separate from both Pennsylvania’s $4.9 billion surplus this year and the $2.1 billion in remaining federal American Rescue Plan funding that Pennsylvania must obligate by 2024 or lose.

The Governor’s plan to invest in lowering costs for Pennsylvanians is balanced based on recurring General Fund revenue and does not rely on one-time funding sources. Over the past seven years, revenues have grown an average of $2.2 billion per year, and data forecasts from nationally recognized economic forecasting firms Moody’s Analytics and IHS Markit point to continued tax revenue growth for the commonwealth.

Based on the latest revenue estimates, even if the governor’s proposed budget were implemented in its entirety, Pennsylvania would still have a multi-billion dollar General Fund balance at the end of 2022-23.

“Pennsylvania has taken in record revenues this year,” said Gov. Wolf, “and I want to take that money and invest it right back into the people of Pennsylvania by making our education system the best in the nation. This is an investment in a better future for all Pennsylvanians – one where students have the resources to succeed and workers have the skills to support themselves and their families. To ensure our economy continues to grow in the future, we need to invest in our next generation of workers, leaders and innovators.”

To learn more about revenue sources or to read the press release in its entirety, click here.

PDE Releases CATS Memo with Important Deadlines (May 28, 2022)

Lee Burket, Director of the PA Bureau of Career and Technical Education, sent a PennLink to all LEAs titled 2022-2023 Career and Technical Education Information System (CATS) Secondary Program Approval File – OPEN PENN*LINK. Here is the text of the message:

Dear Partner in Education:
I urge you to share this information pertaining to the re-approval of the Career and Technical Education Information System (CATS) program with high school principals, career and technical education (CTE) supervisors, curriculum coordinators, applicable department chairs, business managers, school counselors, CTE instructional staff, and school support personnel.
A new system for submitting your CATS program for PDE approval will be in place starting the 2022-23 school year. The new system will open May 16, 2022. New programs seeking PDE approval must be entered into the new system by June 30, 2022. School Districts with PDE approved programs will be required to enter data in the new CATS system for the re-approval process by July 15, 2022. Career and Technical Centers with PDE approved programs will be required to enter data in the new CATS system by December 31, 2022.
The information to be submitted will be similar but the input could be different. In some instances, some documentation will need to be uploaded into the new portal. Uploads will include task grids and a course title crosswalk, articulation agreements, letters of support from businesses, Career & Technical Student Organization rosters, and agendas and meeting minutes from advisory committees.
You should be able to prepare documents ahead of time in preparation for uploading into the new portal.
2022-23 CATS Secondary Program Initial Approval
The 2022-23 CATS Secondary Program Approval file is now open for new secondary CTE program approval requests. The CATS file is a series of individual pages containing data elements pertaining to various aspects of approved CTE programs.
BCTE recommends seeking approval for Programs of Study (POS) for which a POS exists. Programs for which a POS have not been developed, must be apply for a Career and Technical Education approval. All industry certifications must be entered for the teacher and students.
Previous POS now recognized as CTE delivery include the following CIPs:
01.8301 Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant (51.0808) 46.9999 Construction Trades, Other
47.0699 Vehicle Maintenance Technology, Other

48.0703 Cabinetmaking & Millwork
The deadline for seeking new program approval is June 30, 2022. CATS can be accessed at the login on PDE’s homepage.
The Career Pathway Option is a radial button in CATS to connect two or more Classification of Instructional Programs (CIPs) that are POS approved programs and offer the same foundational technical curriculum the first year. This pathway allows students to experience several related CIPs in a POS Pathway and requires specific elements for pathway approval. 
Any secondary school may submit a request for POS approval. Currently, there are 38 POS available on PDE’s website. CTE delivery include the following CIPs:
The competency/task grid for each POS is the foundational curriculum framework for the CIP. Therefore, all competencies/tasks must be addressed in the approved program.
POS competency/task grids have been revised and are posted on the PDE website. Local Education Agencies must use the most recent list available. Additional competencies should be added as recommended by your Occupational Advisory Committee. Each course in the scope and sequence must be cross walked to the task grid and aligned to the course where the tasks are taught in the specific information tab in block 2.
Training for the new FRCPP CATS Portal was held in January, February, and March, 2022 and can also be viewed as a pre-recorded session at https://www.careertechpa.org/approved-program-resources/ .
Your approved POS will provide the benefit of the articulated credits indicated by the statewide group of postsecondary institutions on CollegeTransfer.net.

CATS Program Re-Approval
For the 2022-23 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education/Bureau of Career and Technical Education (PDE/BCTE) in accordance with Chapter 339.4(a)(2), will begin to review all existing secondary approved programs currently being offered at school districts across the commonwealth. This Penn Link will serve as notification of a new CATS system in the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal which is accessed through “My PDE Suite.”
The CATS file is a series of individual pages containing data elements pertaining to various aspects of approved programs. All school entities with approved programs must ensure that all data element information in CATS is accurate. Failure to comply may result in programs no longer being approved. Professional staff from the PDE/BCTE will be contacting all school districts to assist with the re-approval process in the new CATS system.
School districts have until July 15, 2022, to enter the data elements for re-approval in the new CATS system. CATS can be accessed at the login on PDE’s homepage.
If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Keisling, at (717)783-6996 or email [email protected].