On December 16, 2022 Bureau of Career and Technical Education Director Dr. Lee Burket sent a PennLink to all LEAs titled Access to Career and Technical Education. The memo reads as follows:
“As you prepare for the 2023-24 school year, please ensure your local education agency is complying with state statutes regarding access to career and technical education.
As provided in the Pennsylvania Code (22 Pa Code 4.23 (d)(1)), Pennsylvania Department of Education (Department)-approved career and technical education (CTE) shall be made available to every student in a public high school program. If a school district or the career and technical center (CTC) in which the district participates does not offer a specific Department approved CTE program, the district of residence must work with another school district or CTC to make this program available to interested students. Additionally, the district of residence must pay for this education and must not limit the number of students who receive CTE.
If the Department-approved CTE program is offered at a CTC, the member districts of the CTC, through representation on the Joint Operating Committee, have determined how CTE courses should be sequenced. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved CTE programs based on a given sequence of courses and by grade levels. Thus, CTC member districts should offer career and technical education to their students for the grade levels the Department has approved the programs. The member districts must work with the CTC to make CTE available for each year the Department has approved the programs.”
Questions regarding the PennLink message should be directed to Lee Burket, PDE Bureau Director for Career and Technical Education, at [email protected] or 717-783-6977.
Category: News
PA to Receive $6.6 Million to Make Broadband Accessible for All (December 9, 2022)
On December 08, 2022, Governor Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania is receiving $6.6 million from President Joe Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative. These are the first funds to be awarded of the more than $100 million to be managed by the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority.
Pennsylvania’s $6.6 million award includes funding from two programs:
- $5 million from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs.
- $1.6 million from the Digital Equity Act to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the benefits of a digital economy.
The $6.6 million will be administered by the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority, which just last week released the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Statewide Broadband Plan to address the immediate and long-term needs of Pennsylvanians. Governor Wolf signed legislation to create the Authority in December 2021. The Authority was created, through bipartisan partnership, to serve as a one stop shop for all things broadband in Pennsylvania and manage more than $100 million in federal funds, working to close Pennsylvania’s digital divide.
“Families living without broadband face significant barriers in educational opportunities, employment opportunities and access to basic needs such as healthcare through telemedicine,” said Western Beaver County School District and Blackhawk School District Superintendent Dr. Rob Postupac. “For too long now, those in our rural communities have had to live in digital darkness. The time has come to tackle this issue.”
The Authority’s Plan to expand broadband across the commonwealth focuses on the challenges and opportunities including improving broadband service infrastructure and availability, digital equity and affordability, device and technology access, and digital literacy and technical support. With a clear picture of the current state of broadband in Pennsylvania outlined—including up to 800,000 unserved Pennsylvanians—the Plan includes actionable steps to achieve universal broadband access.
According to U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), “This ‘Internet for All’ funding will kickstart the commonwealth’s plan to bring high-speed internet to Pennsylvanians so that kids can do their homework, businesses can grow their operations, and workers can have more opportunities for good-paying jobs. We have the infrastructure law to thank for this robust investment that will lead to a boost in the economy, increased access to health care and educational resources, and better connected families and communities.”
IRRC Approves LGBTQ Anti-Discriminatory Regulations (December 08, 2022)
A new regulatory change formalizing nondiscrimination protection for LGBTQ people has been approved by the PA Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC).
The passage follows an executive order signed last year by Governor Tom Wolf. That ordered adds sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as protected classes under the commonwealth’s sexual harassment policies.
The latest final form regulation approved the IRRC provides individuals with protections from discrimination under the PA Human Relations Act and the PA Fair Education Opportunities Act. As a result of the approval, the new regulatory change is effective immediately. Currently, Pennsylvania is one of 21 states without a law banning this discrimination. To learn more about the PA Human Relations Commission or if you or someone you know believes they have been unjustly discriminated against, visit https://www.phrc.pa.gov.
FDA authorizes updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines for children down to 6 months of age (December 8, 2022)
On December 8, 2022 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the updated (bivalent) Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to include use in children down to 6 months of age.
“More children now have the opportunity to update their protection against COVID-19 with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and we encourage parents and caregivers of those eligible to consider doing so – especially as we head into the holidays and winter months where more time will be spent indoors,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, the more benefit there will be for individuals, families and public health by helping prevent severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.”
What parents and caregivers need to know:
- Children 6 months through 5 years of age who received the original (monovalent) Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are now eligible to receive a single booster of the updated (bivalent) Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine two months after completing a primary series with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
- Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet begun their three-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or have not yet received the third dose of their primary series will now receive the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as the third dose in their primary series following two doses of the original (monovalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
- Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have already completed their three-dose primary series with the original (monovalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will not be eligible for a booster dose of an updated bivalent vaccine at this time. Children in this age group who already completed their primary series would still be expected to have protection against the most serious outcomes from the currently circulating omicron variant. The data to support giving an updated bivalent booster dose for these children are expected in January. The agency is committed to evaluating those data as quickly as possible.
- The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include an mRNA component corresponding to the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component corresponding to the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
- Individuals who receive the updated (bivalent) vaccines may experience similar side effects reported by individuals who received previous doses of the original (monovalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
- The fact sheets for both bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for recipients and caregivers and for healthcare providers include information about the potential side effects, as well as the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis.
“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant, such as hospitalization and death. Based on available data, the updated, bivalent vaccines are expected to provide increased protection against COVID-19,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Parents and caregivers can be assured that the FDA has taken a great deal of care in our review, and we encourage parents of children of any age who are eligible for primary vaccination or a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to consider seeking vaccination now as it can potentially help protect them from COVID-19 during a time when cases are increasing.”
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
The monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized as a two-dose primary series in individuals six months of age and older and as a third primary series dose for individuals 6 months of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise. With this authorization, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is now authorized for administration in individuals 6 months through 5 years of age as a single booster dose at least 2 months after completion of primary vaccination with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is also authorized for use in individuals 6 years and older as a single booster dose at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
For the authorization of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for children 6 months through 5 years of age, the FDA relied on immune response data that it had previously evaluated from a clinical study in adults of a booster dose of Moderna’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that contained a component corresponding to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and a component corresponding to the omicron lineage BA.1.
In addition, the FDA conducted an analysis of data from a clinical study that compared the immune response among 56 study participants 17 months through 5 years of age who received a single booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completion of a two-dose primary series of the vaccine to the immune response among approximately 300 study participants 18 through 25 years of age who had received a two-dose primary series of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in a previous study which determined the vaccine to be effective in preventing COVID-19. The immune response to the booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in the 17 months through 5 years age group was comparable to the immune response to the two-dose primary series in the adult participants.
The safety of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for children 6 months through 5 years of age is supported by safety data from a clinical study which evaluated a booster dose of Moderna’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1), safety data from clinical trials which evaluated primary and booster vaccination with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, and postmarketing safety data with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent.
In one clinical study, the safety of a single booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine was evaluated in 145 clinical study participants 6 months through 5 years of age who received a booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completion of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine two-dose primary series. The most commonly reported side effects after a booster dose of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine across this age group included pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, swelling/tenderness of the lymph nodes of the injected arm or thigh, and fever. In clinical study participants 17 months through 36 months of age, other commonly reported side effects included irritability/crying, sleepiness, and loss of appetite. In clinical trial participants 37 months through 5 years of age, other commonly reported side effects included fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, and nausea/vomiting.
The data accrued with the investigational Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) and with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are relevant to the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent because these vaccines are manufactured using the same process.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
With this authorization, children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet received the third dose of the three-dose primary series with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will now receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent as the third dose of the primary series. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is also authorized for administration in individuals 5 years of age and older as a single booster dose at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
With this action, the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer authorized for use as the third dose of the three-dose primary series in children 6 months through 4 years of age. The monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine remains authorized for administration as the first two doses of the three-dose primary series in individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, as a two-dose primary series for individuals 5 years of age and older, and as a third primary series dose for individuals 5 years of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise.
The authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for administration as the third dose of a three-dose primary series following two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age is supported by the FDA’s previous analyses of the effectiveness of primary vaccination with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in individuals 16 years of age and older and individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, and previous analyses of immune response data in adults greater than 55 years of age who had received a two-dose primary series and one booster dose with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a second booster dose with the investigational Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1).
The safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for administration as the third dose of a three-dose primary series following two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age is based on safety data from a clinical study which evaluated a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) in individuals greater than 55 years of age, safety data from clinical trials which evaluated primary vaccination in individuals 6 months of age and older with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, safety data from clinical trials which evaluated booster vaccination in individuals 5 years of age and older with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and postmarketing safety data with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent.
The data accrued with the investigational Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) and with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are relevant to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 Vaccine, Bivalent because these vaccines are manufactured using the same process.
The amendments to the EUAs were issued to Moderna TX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.
USDE, DOJ, and HHS Release First Report to Congress as Part of the Interagency Task Force on Sexual Violence in Education (December 6, 2022)
The Interagency Task Force on Sexual Violence in Education (Task Force), created by the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022 Reauthorization), presented its first report to Congress today. As required by the VAWA 2022 Reauthorization, the report focuses on recruiting, retaining, and training the U.S. Department of Education’s highly qualified workforce who investigate complaints and enforce Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Clery Act). The reauthorization of VAWA and the work of this Task Force continue a long commitment to action by President Biden, who was the primary Senate sponsor of the original Violence Against Women Act, which was enacted in 1994.
The Task Force, which includes the USDE, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), was established on Sept. 1, 2022. The VAWA 2022 Reauthorization required the Task Force’s first report to be completed by Nov. 30, 2022, which is no later than 90 days after the Task Force’s establishment.
“The Department of Education is fully committed to ensuring that every student has the right to learn in a safe environment free from harassment and sexual violence,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
“Sexual violence prevention, particularly in educational settings, is critical,” said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. “This report is the first step to providing critical information about gaps in federal law enforcement and resources. HHS looks forward to working across the federal government to advance trauma-informed health care and advocacy services for survivors.”
As required by Congress, the report provides information from the USDE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Clery Group within the office of Federal Student Aid on the following topics:
- An assessment to identify gaps or challenges in carrying out such investigation and enforcement, which may include surveying the current investigative workforce to solicit feedback on areas in need of improvement.
- An examination of issues of recruiting, retention, and the professional development of the current investigative workforce, including the possibility of providing retention bonuses or other forms of compensation for the purpose of ensuring the USDE has the capacity, in both personnel and skills, needed to properly perform its mission and provide adequate oversight of educational institutions.
- An assessment of the benefits of outreach and training with both law enforcement agencies and educational institutions with respect to such workforce.
- An examination of best practices for making educational institutions aware of the most effective campus sexual violence prevention, investigation, and response practices and identifying areas where more research should be conducted. And,
- Strategies for addressing such other matters as the Secretary of Education considers necessary to sexual violence prevention, investigation, and responses.
In addressing the USDE’s work on best practices and strategies for preventing campus sexual violence, the report highlights a range of the Department’s programs, including its National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)’s recent Lessons from the Field webinars on engaging school communities in preventing gender-based violence. Both featured leaders of prevention programming who provided practical, ready-to-use strategies for preventing sexual violence and other gender-based violence on college and university campuses and in secondary schools.
A full copy of the report can be found here.