Category: News in the Field

Protect Medicaid (May 24, 2024)

School Nurses: Urge Congress to Protect School-Based Medicaid

School nurses understand better than anyone how vital Medicaid is to ensuring students receive the care they need to thriveā€”physically, mentally, and academically. But right now, Congress is considering significant cuts to Medicaid, and the implications for school health services are dire.
School-Based Medicaid is the fourth-largest source of federal funding for K-12 schools, helping districts provide essential services to Medicaid-enrolled students and the broader school population. These funds support the critical work of school nurses and other Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP)ā€”and help ensure students have access to care where they need it most: in school.
Without these funds, schools could face staff reductions, limited health services, and increased obstacles to student successā€”especially for our most vulnerable children.
Your voice as a trusted healthcare provider and a school nurse matters.
Please take a moment to contact your elected officials and tell them to protect School-Based Medicaid and the essential services it makes possible.
Compose your own message or use the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) provided template language, add your contact information and the platform will automatically select your Congress members, then click to Send Message.
Letā€™s stand together to defend the health of our students and the future of school nursing.

Click here to visit the NASN Advocacy Center to share your thoughts.

Ed. Sec. McMahon Provides FY 2026 Testimony (May 22, 2025)

On May 21, 2025, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon fielded questions at a House hearing about school choice, literacy achievement, and closing the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). In the process, she defended the Trump administrationā€™s proposed spending plan for fiscal year 2026 saying the budget will ā€œshrink federal bureaucracy, save taxpayer money, and empower states.ā€

The funding proposal also prepares for the eventual closure of the USDE, McMahon told members of a House Appropriations subcommittee saying, ā€³It is the mission to shut down the bureaucracy of the Department of Education.ā€

It also proposes maintaining spending for Title I, Part A and for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act while consolidating or eliminating other programsā€™ grants. Only money for charter schools is recommended for an increase. McMahon said the spending reductions are realized by eliminating duplicative or ineffective programs, reducing regulatory compliance, and giving states more flexibility in how they dedicate those dollars.

But Democratic lawmakers pushed back, saying a retreat in federal education funding and oversight would lead to fewer resources and protections for public school students.

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., voiced her incredulity by saying, ā€œYou think the federal Department of Education is not living up to what it ought to be doing, and you cite some statistics for students who are not doing as well as they ought to be. And yet, you decide that the answer to that is not to check on these investments and make sure students are achieving. It is to shut the whole doggone thing down. That doesnā€™t make any sense.ā€

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Funding for CTE Provides More Opportunities for Thousands of PA Students to Chart Their Own Course (May 21, 2025)

On May 21, 2025, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe announced that to help ensure every Pennsylvania student has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed the Shapiro Administrationā€™s investments in career and technical education (CTE) have increased funding for CTE and apprenticeships by more than 50 percent since taking office ā€“ a nearly $65 million increase. In addition, the Governorā€™s 2025-26 budget proposal includes an additional increase of $5.5 million for CTE.

According to Dr. Rowe, ā€œBy investing in CTE in Pennsylvania, we are equipping students with valuable skills that can be used throughout their lives, promoting lifelong learning and adaptability, and creating pathways to further education, apprenticeships, and advanced training.ā€

Career and technical education provides students with practical skills and knowledge directly applicable to specific, in-demand careers ā€“ increasing their employability and preparing them for the future. It also gives students the opportunity to explore different career paths while still in high school, helping them make informed decisions about their future education and goals, whether itā€™s pursuing postsecondary education, joining the military, or entering directly into the workforce.

Currently, there are more than 200 school districts, charter schools, and career and technical centers across the Commonwealth offering nearly 2,000 PDE-approved CTE programs providing education and training to thousands of students.

LEA Special Ed. Data Reports Online Preview Period Ends May 26th (May 21, 2025)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) requires states to report annually to the public on each Local Educational Agency (LEA)’s performance on the targets established in the State Performance Plan. Annually, states are required to report LEA performance on the following State Performance Plan school-age indicators for students with disabilities: Graduation Rates; Dropout Rates; Participation and Performance on Statewide Assessments; Suspension Rates; Educational Environments; School-Facilitated Parent Involvement; Disproportionate Representation by Race/Ethnicity Receiving Special Education; Disproportionate Representation by Race/Ethnicity in Specific Disability Categories; Timelines for Initial Evaluation; Individualized Education Program Secondary Transition Goals and Services; and Post-School Outcomes.

To fulfill the State Performance Plan public reporting requirement for the 2023-24 school year, each LEA will have an online Special Education Data Report (SEDR) that shows local performance on the above indicators. In some instances, an LEAā€™s report will not have data for every indicator (e.g., the data comes from cyclical monitoring and the LEA was not monitored in 2023-24, or the data set is too small to be reliable), and a reason code will be on the report.

Prior to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) publishing these reports publicly, LEAs will have an opportunity to preview the website and their reports. The preview period will begin May 19, 2025, and end May 26, 2025. To review your State Performance Plan SEDR, visit Preview of LEA SEDR and select your LEA from the drop-down list. The accompanying narrative explains how data are obtained and how to interpret the reports. It can be found at PennData > Public Reporting > State Performance Plan Narrative (psu.edu).

If your LEA has questions or concerns about the data displayed, consult your Intermediate Unit Data Manager to ensure that the data submitted to the state matches the data provided by your LEA. If questions remain following these internal reviews and verifications, contact Jodi Rissinger, Data Manager with PDE, via email at [email protected] or Dan Ficca at [email protected].

When the SEDR Reports go live on the public site, they can be accessed by visiting the Special Education Data Reporting (formerly PennData) website at SEDR Report Dashboard (psu.edu) and selecting your LEA from the drop-down list. The most current State Performance Plan approved by the U.S. Department of Education is available for reference on the PDE website at www.education.pa.gov and the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network website at www.pattan.net.

PDE Makes GEDĀ® Tests and HiSETĀ® Exams Available to Pennsylvanians for Free (May 13, 2025)

On May 12, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that $2 million is available to enable Pennsylvania residents to take a high school equivalency exam free of charge when they test at non-restricted public testing sites or take the exam via online proctoring. The funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma (CSSD) is a high school equivalency credential available to Pennsylvania residents at least 18 years of age who do not possess a high school diploma and who have met additional specified criteria.

Currently, Pennsylvania test takers can expect to pay between $120-$144 to take the full battery of GEDĀ® tests or HiSETĀ® exams. The GEDĀ® test has four subtests: Mathematics, Reading/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. The HiSETĀ® exam has five subtests: Mathematics, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing.

Test takers can use a promo code, found with instructions on test vendor websites, to register to complete the exams at no charge. New test takers will need to register for accounts to use the promo code. For the GEDĀ® test, register here and enter the promo code PAFreeGED in the Voucher/Promotion Code field on the payment page during checkout. For the HiSETĀ® exam, register here and enter the promo code PAFreeHiSET in the Coupon or Voucher Code field on the payment page during checkout. Test takers who already have a GEDĀ® or HiSETĀ® account will schedule the tests through their existing accounts and enter the appropriate promo code during checkout.

Individuals who passed some subtests of the GEDĀ® test or HiSETĀ® exam but have not passed a whole battery and earned their high school equivalency credential can complete the testing using previous scores from January 2014 to present. Test takers with test scores prior to 2014 must retake those subject subtests.

Additionally, individuals who have previously taken either the GEDĀ® test or HiSETĀ® exam in Pennsylvania can check their progress toward test completion in DiplomaSender, the company that maintains the Commonwealthā€™s high school equivalency records.

In Pennsylvania, approximately 650,000 adultsā€”or about 9.4% of Pennsylvania residents aged 25 to 65ā€”do not have a high school diploma. Obtaining a CSSD has many benefits, including increased access to postsecondary education, more employment opportunities, and a higher salary. The GEDĀ® test and HiSETĀ® exam provide a flexible option for individuals aspiring to attain a credential, advance their education, or switch careers. In his 2025-26 budget proposal, Governor Josh Shapiro has reiterated his commitment to helping learners of all ages chart their own course and have the opportunity to succeed. Through a proposed $6.4 million increase for Adult and Family Literacy programs, more Pennsylvanians will be able to earn secondary diplomas and join the workforce.