Category: News

Letter From CTE Director to LEAs Announces CATS System Opening (February 21, 2023)

A February 21, 2023 PennLink message from Lee Burket, Ed.D., Director, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, to all LEAs with the subject line 2023-2024 Career and Technical Education Information System (CATS) Secondary Program Approval File. The message read:

Dear Partner in Education:

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) encourages you to share this information pertaining to the reapproval 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.

Reapproval of PDE Programs in Conditional Status

For the 2023-24 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Career and Technical Education (PDE/BCTE) in accordance with Chapter 339.4(a)(2), will continue to review all programs that were given conditional approval this past year (2022-23) due to required documentation missing or not provided by the deadline because of the new system errors.

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 have been in contact with all CTCs and school districts to assist with the re-approval process in the new CATS system the previous year.

The FRCPP CATS system will open February 21, 2023. School districts and CTCs with programs in conditional approval will be required to enter data and complete the re-approval process as soon as possible and before May 31, 2023, to continue to have PDE-approved CTE programs. CATS can be accessed at the login on MyPDESuite.

2023-24 CATS Secondary Program Initial Approval

The 2023-24 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.

All FRCPP CATS information should be updated annually to include:

  • CATS contact information.
  • Upload new annual course catalog.
  • Update any common support services and upload new LAC and other meetings provided on the Common LEA page.
  • Updated letters of support that are dated, signed and on letterhead.
  • Update any OAC member changes and upload latest OAC meeting minutes and dates.
  • Crosswalk Phase IV task grids just released and uploaded.
  • Review and update accountability annual targets by selecting the correct year and review with school program performance and click yes if targets were met or click no if they were not met.
  • Update CTSO rosters.
  • Update any scope and sequence changes, due to course revisions or articulation agreement changes.
  • Update all one-to-one articulations and dual enrollment agreements annually.
  • Update any teacher changes or expired teacher certifications and any industry credential revisions.
  • Update any revisions to any apprenticeships/accreditations that may have occurred.

Schools must seek one of two deliveries. Where a Program of Study (POS) exists (state developed task grid, statewide articulation agreement), the school must apply for the POS delivery. Where a POS does not exist, the school must apply for a Career and Technical Education delivery. The deadline for seeking new program approval is May 31, 2023. CATS can be accessed at the login on MyPDESuite.

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 Pathway approval. Currently, there are 38 POS available on PDE’s website.

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 and uploaded in the FRCPP CATS system on the specific information tab/student technical competencies page. 

Your approved POS will provide the benefit of the articulated credits indicated by the statewide group of postsecondary institutions on CollegeTransfer.net.

If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Keisling at (717) 783-6996 or [email protected].

PennLink Informs LEAs of State Performance Plan Data Requirements – Postsecondary School Survey – Cohort 2 (POSTS) (February 18, 2023)

On February 17, 2023 PDE Bureau of Special Education Director Carole L. Clancy sent a PennLink message to all LEAs titled State Performance Plan Data Requirements – Postsecondary School Survey – Cohort 2 (POSTS). The PennLink was sent in reference to the accountability requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA).  It is regarding the secondary transition mandate by which each state is to determine, for the state as a whole, the extent to which students are achieving transition outcomes as stated in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) (State Performance Plan – Indicator 14). 

To meet this federal reporting requirement, once over a five-year period, each local educational agency (LEA) is required to survey all students with IEPs who graduate, dropout, or age out.  The Pennsylvania Post-School Outcome Surveys (PaPOS) will be used to gather this data.  The random sampling process used to assign each LEA to one of the five years in each cycle ensures that the LEAs selected each year are representative of the state as a whole with regard to LEA size, disability category, ethnicity, gender, and exiting status. 

During the 2021-2022 school year, LEAs assigned to Target Sampling Year 1 completed the exit survey.  The LEAs assigned to PaPOS Target Year 1 need to be aware of the following points as they must fulfill the post-survey requirements during the 2022-2023 school year: 
-No earlier than one year after the student left school and no later than September 30, 2023, the LEA will need to administer the PaPOS post survey to former students who had an IEP and who graduated, dropped out, or aged out at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.  (These former students should have been administered the exit survey in Spring of 2022).  All this information will be entered by your LEA through the Leader Services online system. 
-Intermediate Unit and Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) transition consultants will monitor the LEA’s progress and assist as needed with the PaPOS procedure.
-The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education will provide training on the implementation and electronic submission of the PaPOS Target Year 1 to LEAs via a webinar scheduled for April 19, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  Please register for this webinar at  PaTTAN – Session-38041 For questions about this process, or to determine LEAs are assigned to 2022-23 PaPOS Target Sampling Year 2, contact Elaine Neugebauer, Educational Consultant at the PaTTAN-Pittsburgh Office, at (800) 446-5607, ext. 6867 (inside PA) or via email at [email protected].

Medical Assistance and CHIP Renewal Changes Take Effect April 1 (February 17, 2023)

Starting April 1, Pennsylvania is required by federal law to review the eligibility of Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients every year, which means recipients must submit a renewal. Important information is posted here.

While the Department of Human Services (DHS) still sent renewal notices during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most people were not disenrolled from Medicaid or CHIP because of a change in eligibility. DHS is returning to the normal eligibility processes.

No one will lose their health coverage without having an opportunity to complete a renewal, and renewals will be completed over 12 months. Renewals due in March 2023 will be the first affected by the end of continuous coverage. If a person is found ineligible for their current coverage or does not complete their renewal on time, their coverage will end.

Information about when a person’s annual renewal is scheduled can be found on COMPASS or on the myCOMPASS PA mobile app. Anyone can set up a COMPASS account at www.dhs.pa.gov/compass and, if they have a mobile device, can download the myCOMPASS PA mobile app for free.

Penn State Seeks Participants  for Focus Group for Adolescents (February 16, 2023)

On February 16, 2023, LEAs were notified via PennLink the Penn State Project ECHO at the Penn State College of Medicine will be conducting focus groups with adolescents to obtain feedback on various methods for screening and educating youth about substance and alcohol use. The goal is to get teens the help that they need to address substance and alcohol misuse. We will seek broad answers that refer to teens in general, not specific individuals. Schools are asked to post/ distribute a flyer to help get participants for the project. All students under the age of 18 will be prompted to provide parent contact information for consent purposes. 

To access the program flyer, click here.

For answers to questions and/or additional information contact Ellie Hogentogler, Director of Programs & Outreach, Project ECHO, Penn State College of Medicine, at 717.468.5888.

PDE, USDE Visit Thaddeus Stevens College Of Technology for CTE Month (February 13, 2023)

On February 13, 2023, in recognition of National CTE Month, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Executive Deputy Secretary Angela Fitterer visited Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology with U.S. Department of Education (USDE) Under Secretary James Kvaal. During the visit, President Pedro Rivera facilitated a roundtable discussion with students, educators, and staff, and highlighted the college’s accredited, two-year course offerings that prepare students for the workforce.

“Schools like Thaddeus Stevens play a critical role in Pennsylvania’s education system—they are giving students the skills and experiences they need to leave school and obtain fulfilling, family-sustaining careers,” said Executive Deputy Secretary Fitterer. “There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to success, and it is critical that we continue to support and invest in the schools that provide students with an engaging, tailored approach to learning and will allow them to chart their own course.”

“Graduates of our programs are in high demand here in Pennsylvania and across the country,” said Pedro Rivera, President of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. “In two years or less, we equip our students with the skills they need to thrive in the growing number of hands-on, good-paying jobs that are waiting for them.”

CTE in Pennsylvania offers students the opportunity to develop critical skills through a combination of classes and hands-on learning experiences, which allow them to apply academics to real-world situations. These programs are built on foundations of academic rigor and high expectations for student learning and success.

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a premier, residential, two-year, accredited technical college that prepares students for skilled employment in a diverse, ever-changing workforce. Founded in 1905 with 15 students, Thaddeus Stevens College has grown to more than 1,300 students and 24 high-skill, high-wage technical programs. The college was recognized by the Aspen Institute, an independent research panel, as one of the top 120 two-year colleges in the country for six consecutive years; it was the only two-year, technical college in Pennsylvania recognized by the Aspen Institute.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website.