In March 2019, the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award was created to recognize and promote the commitment and excellence exhibited by full- or part-time classified school employees who provide service to students in Pre-K through high school.
To learn more about who can be nominated and how to nominate someone, please visit the RISE Award webpage. The 2026 Nomination period opened on February 1.
Nominations can be submitted until August 30, 2026.
The Shapiro Administration today announced more than $1.6 million in Parent Pathways grant funding to help Pennsylvania parents achieve their goal of attending college and earning a credential, delivering on a critical component of Governor Shapiro’s plan to make higher education more accessible and affordable for all Pennsylvanians. Parent Pathways grants, awarded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), support parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding, and wrap-around services, and more.
Since 2024, the Parent Pathways grant program has invested more than $3.2 million in grant funding to 23 colleges and universities. This year’s awards bring the total investment to over $4.8 million in just three years, with 34 total institutions awarded across the Commonwealth.
The Parent Pathways Grant Program offers institutions the opportunity to apply for competitive funding:
The following institutions received Parent Pathways grants:
AlleghenyCounty
-Community College of Allegheny College, $150,000
-Point Park University, $150,000
BerksCounty
-Reading Area Community College, $150,000
BucksCounty
-Bucks County Community College, $150,000
DelawareCounty
-Eastern University, $150,000
-Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, $144,600
LycomingCounty
-Pennsylvania College of Technology, $150,000
NorthamptonCounty
-Northampton Community College, $150,000
PhiladelphiaCounty
-Chestnut Hill College, $150,000
-Saint Joseph’s University, $150,000
WestmorelandCounty
-Seton Hill University, $150,000
Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has improved education for all Pennsylvanians of all ages and backgrounds, invested in strategic investments that uplift all Pennsylvanians, and broken down barriers to opportunity. Under the Governor’s leadership, Pennsylvania has increased funding for public education by almost $3 billion in just three years. This includes nearly $2 billion more for K-12 public schools, $190 million more for Special Education, $65 million more for Career and Technical Education, and $52 million more for higher education.
The Shapiro Administration has also made the first significant reforms to Pennsylvania’s higher education system in nearly three decades, ultimately creating the State Board of Higher Education.
Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has made significant strides to improve higher education in Pennsylvania, giving all learners the opportunities they need to chart their own course to success, including:
In the United States, 132,270 counselors served about 49.3 million students last school year. According to figures released by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the national student-to-school counselor ratio improved by 1% to 372-to-1 in the 2024-25 school year, an improvement over 2023-24 when it was 376-to-1. That ratio means about 529,000 more students had access to a school counselor.
In addition, for the first time, the high school student-counselor range of 195 to 224 students for every one counselor has met the ASCA recommended ratio of 250-to-1. However, elementary and middle schools still do not meet the recommended student-counselor ratios, with a range of 571 to 694 students for every counselor. Pennsylvania’s student-counselor rate in 2024-25 was 317 to 1.
These figures are based on data from the 35 states that report counselor count figures for elementary and middle schools separately from high schools.
View the ASCA chart by clicking here.
Source: K-12 Dive
Comprehensive Plan for Phase 1 LEAs is Due March 31st, 2026
The Comprehensive Plan for Phase 1 LEAs are due on March 31, 2026. The report can be completed within the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FRCPP). Resources and a copy of the Master Phase list can be found under the resources area in FRCPP.
For questions regarding Comprehensive Planning please contact RA-EDFRCPP@pa.gov.
Comprehensive Plan for Phase 2 LEAs is Now Available
The Comprehensive Plan for Phase 2 LEAs is now live. The report can be completed within the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal (FRCPP).The due date for this report is March 31, 2027. Resources and a copy of the Master Phase list can be found under the resources area in FRCPP.
For questions regarding Comprehensive Planning please contact RA-EDFRCPP@pa.gov.
Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh recently shared the Shapiro Administration’s continued commitment to Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A). In fact, Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 budget builds on significant progress his Administration has made to eliminate emergency waiting lists for adults through the multi-year program growth strategy.
Since the Governor’s historic investment of $354.8 million in federal and state funding secured in the 2024-25 budget, there has been a 31% reduction in the ID/A adult emergency waiting list for services. Approximately 42,000 Pennsylvanians currently receive services in their home and community. An essential part of this strategy includes targeted investments in the direct support professional (DSP) workforce who serve the ID/A community. Investments in service rates are enabling providers to increase wages and support recruitment efforts, leading to the lowest job vacancy rate for DSPs since 2015.
To continue this progress, Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 proposed budget invests $30 million of state funding and $36.2 million of federal funding to expand home and community-based program capacity for adults with intellectual disabilities and autism. The additional funds will help enroll up to 1,625 new individuals in home and community-based Medicaid waiver services.
Through the multi-year growth strategy, DHS has shifted away from setting capacity in programs by numbers or “slots” and instead sets capacity by an overall budget-based system. This allows counties long-sought flexibility to make decisions based on local needs and not a pre-determined set amount of slots.
Expanding Opportunity for all Pennsylvanians
Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has met with families, advocates, and service providers across Pennsylvania to understand the challenges facing the ID/A community. Through historic investments, innovative partnerships, and close collaboration with the disability community, Pennsylvania is moving in the right direction.
The Governor’s commitment extends beyond ID/A services to broader disability inclusion and workforce opportunities. In 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) placed 6,000 Pennsylvanians with disabilities in jobs at more than 3,500 businesses. At First Lady Lori Shapiro’s encouragement, employers like Sheetz and Wawa are partnering with OVR to expand access to good-paying jobs for Pennsylvanians with disabilities. OVR also launched the MY Work program in Allegheny County in 2016 and since expanding it statewide in 2021 has connected more than 2,500 high school students with disabilities to paid summer jobs — including over 500 this summer at 100 worksites in 57 counties — building skills, confidence, and career readiness.
Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal builds on this progress by:
-Sustaining historic ID/A funding to continue reducing the emergency waitlist by a projected 1,625 people; and
-Investing $1 million in new funding for OVR to serve more Pennsylvanians with disabilities.
Through these historic investments and this continued commitment, the Shapiro Administration is delivering meaningful change for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism and building a stronger system of care that values workers who make it possible for people to live with more independence, supports families, and ensures more people can access the services they need. The Shapiro Administration will continue working alongside advocates, providers, and community partners to expand opportunity, strengthen the care workforce, and make sure every Pennsylvanian can live with dignity, independence, and respect.
Click to learn more about Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 Budget proposal.