On January 15, 2026, the PA State Board of Education (Board) held its 389th meeting at the PDE building in Harrisburg and via Zoom. Ms. Sandra Dungee-Glenn opened the meeting at 1:00 PM due to the in-person absence of Karen Farmer White.
Committee reports began with the Hon. Maureen Lally-Green who reported on the progress of the Special and Gifted Education Committee. The essence of that report can be viewed on the PAPSA website at https://papsa-web.org/special-and-gifted-education-committee-makes-recommendations-to-pa-state-board-january-15-2026/.
Ms. Dungee-Glenn then reported on the work of the Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness Committee. That committee is providing recommendations for teacher certification testing. Her report recommended that evaluations for those seeking primary certification include early childhood education, evidence-based reading practices, classroom management strategies, be aligned with any applicable competencies, be accessible online and in person, provide access to test materials, and determine whether an alternate pathway might be available to those not attaining a qualifying score. Her report also recommended the need for reading competencies, performance-based measures for those not attaining qualifying test scores, the Secretary of Ed. to address problems with misalignment of items within the process of certification, the General Assembly to provide funds for waiving fees for those experiencing financial hardship, and to allow for internships prior to the successful completion of certification assessments.
Reports to the Board from PDE leaders began with Mr. Rick Levis’ update regarding Act 47 of 2025, which was passed in November 2025. He spoke of the certification fee reduction that limits fees to no more than $50. He also addressed the grade span changes in Section 1202.2 which are: Primary – Grades PreK to 6; Secondary – Grades 7 to 12; and Specialized Areas – Grades PK to 12. These changes are hoped to address staffing issues with a focus on the shortage of teachers for middle level classrooms. He also spoke of the Accelerated Special Ed. Certification Program that will address Special Ed. staffing vacancies. In addition, he said that those with PreK to 4 certification will also be able to teach grades 5 and 6 and that those certified to teach grades 7-12 will also be able to teach 6th grade content areas. He ended his report by stating that the Early Preparation Program (EPP) will go into effect on July 1, 2028.
In additional reports, Dr. Lynette Kuhn informed the Board that FAFSA completion numbers are up while Ms. Amy Lena reported that cyber schools are required to regularly conduct wellness checks on students and that beginning in 2027-28 LEAs must use universal screeners for evidence-based reading instruction from a PDE-approved list.
Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe concluded the PDE leader reports by informing the Board of her December 9, 2025 PA Senate confirmation as the new PA Secretary of Education as well as PA’s ranking tops in the nation in middle school CTE programming.
In a report by Council of Basic Education student members Nina Bhatia and Julia Antunes, whereby the importance of peer mentoring was stressed, it was recommended that the Board create a student-to-student video series for students to tell of their experiences in their K-12 education as well as their postsecondary endeavors. Dr Rowe responded favorably to the recommendation and work will begin to examine how it may come to fruition.
In the meeting’s only action item, there being no further discussion regarding the draft 2025 Annual Report to the Governor and the General Assembly, the Board unanimously approved that the report be accepted and submitted as such.