On September, 12, 2024, the PA State Board of Education (Board) held its 382nd meeting. Highlights of the meeting included council reports and the approval of a Chapter 4 amendments.

In his Report of the Chair of the Council of Higher Education, the Hon. Pedro Rivera, informed the Board of an earlier Report by Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Postsecondary and Higher Education Dr. Kate Shaw to the Council of Higher Education.

According to Dr. Shaw, our state has seen a significant decrease in students enrolling in institutions of higher ed. and she spoke of the various barriers to college enrollment in PA, including the high cost of higher ed. enrollment and a lack of coordination across the state, as well as the impacts of such. As a result, Act 69, which was signed into law on July 17, 2024, is aimed to streamline community college credit transfers for students who have completed their associate’s degree. Her report also informed the Board of the creation of a new 21-member State Board of Higher Education. That Board of Directors will also have an Executive Director.  The higher ed. board will operate within PDE and must collaborate with the State Board of Ed.

Dr. Lee Williams, Chair of the Council of Basic Education, reported recommended final form amendments by the council in response to stakeholder concerns. A copy of the recommendations is posted on the PDE website.

PA Ed. Sec. Khalid Mumin reported on Acts 54 and 55, which are omnibus fiscal code bills for funding education in the commonwealth for 2024-25. He highlighted items included in the largest K-12 funding increase in PA history.

The meeting concluded with the approval of Final-form 22 Pa. Code Chapter 4 (Academic Standards and Assessment)​ amendments.