Education

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Feb 3, 2025

SB 220: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in certification of teachers, providing for instructional certificate grade spans and age levels; and making an editorial change.

SB 220 amends Pennsylvania's teacher certification rules under the Public School Code by establishing specific grade spans and age ranges for instructional certificates. It creates five defined certificate types: Early Childhood (pre-K-grade 4/ages 3-9), Elementary (K-grade 6/ages 4-11), Middle (grades 6-9/ages 11-15), Secondary (grades 7-12/ages 11-21), and Specialized (pre-K-grade 12/ages 3-21). These changes apply to new certificates issued after December 31, 2025, while existing certificates remain valid. Teachers with current Elementary/Middle certificates may expand their scope through continuing education or PRAXIS assessments.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill clarifies teacher certification standards with defined grade spans, strengthening educator qualifications under Pennsylvania's Public School Code to improve instructional consistency and teacher effectiveness.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood K-12 Education Teachers

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 778: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in professional employees, providing for Pre-K Teacher Salary Supplement Pilot Program.

HB 778 establishes a three-year pilot program to increase pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) teacher salaries in Pennsylvania to match those of elementary school teachers with similar qualifications. It directly affects Pre-K teachers working in programs located in high-poverty areas (school districts with ≥20% poverty or census tracts at ≤80% of the statewide median poverty level). The program requires the Department of Education to calculate salary gaps using a specific formula, provide subsidies to eligible Pre-K programs to close those gaps, and collect data for a legislative report. The bill mandates strict use of funds solely for teacher salary increases and includes requirements for reporting program outcomes to the legislature.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds for Pre-K teacher salary supplements in high-poverty districts, directly increasing public education funding through mandated subsidies.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases Pre-K teacher salaries in high-poverty areas via subsidy program, directly supporting educators and improving educational access in underserved communities.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentDirectly increases Pre-K teacher compensation in high-poverty areas by requiring salary matching with elementary teachers, advancing wage standards for educators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood K-12 Education Teachers

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 2, 2025

HB 1536: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in certification of teachers, providing for career and technical administrative director certification flexibility.

HB 1536 modifies Pennsylvania's Public School Code to create new certification flexibility for career and technical education (CTE) administrators. It allows educators with a superintendent's letter of eligibility to become CTE directors if they have at least three years of relevant experience in CTE schools or districts and complete approved graduate-level training in CTE administration. The bill specifically prohibits the Department of Education from requiring a minimum time or percentage of duties dedicated to CTE supervision. This directly affects school districts seeking to hire CTE directors who may not hold traditional administrative certifications, streamlining their path to leadership roles in CTE programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates certification flexibility for CTE administrators, enabling qualified educators to lead programs without unnecessary barriers, strengthening CTE program access and quality in K-12 education.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Teachers

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House May 2, 2025

HB 1373: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in high schools, further providing for assessment of civic knowledge.

HB 1373 requires Pennsylvania high schools to administer the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Test as a civic knowledge assessment to students in grades 7-12 starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Students must score at least 60% on this test to meet a high school graduation requirement. Schools must report compliance data, including participation and passing rates, to the state education department every other year. The bill specifically exempts students with individualized education programs (IEPs) if their IEPs indicate they are not required to take the test.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates civic knowledge assessment as graduation requirement, strengthening curriculum standards and student civic education in K-12 schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 30, 2025

HB 1680: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for proposed curriculum changes and online curriculum availability.

HB 1680 requires school entities (including districts, charter schools, and cyber charters) to follow specific processes for curriculum changes and increase public access to course materials. It mandates that school boards present proposed curriculum changes at a regular meeting and cannot approve them until the next meeting. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, schools must post online links to primary course resources, syllabi, and state standards within 30 business days of updates, without violating copyright laws. The bill applies to all public and private schools covered under Pennsylvania's Public School Code.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates public access to course materials/syllabi and requires deliberate curriculum change processes, enhancing transparency and accessibility per education topic indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 20, 2025

HB 613: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in higher education accountability and transparency, further providing for comparison tool.

HB 613 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to require a public comparison tool for higher education institutions to include each school's endowment data. This change directly affects students, families, and researchers who use the tool to compare colleges, as it adds financial transparency about institutional resources. The bill mandates that the existing comparison tool must allow users to identify and compare institutions based on endowment size, alongside other metrics. It does not alter college operations or funding but expands available data for informed decision-making. The requirement becomes effective 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates endowment transparency in college comparison tool, enhancing access to financial data for informed educational decisions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 20, 2025

HR 80: A Resolution urging the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education to collaborate on conducting a Statewide study of school cafeteria services provided to every school district.

This resolution urges Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture and Department of Education to jointly conduct a statewide study of school cafeteria services across all school districts. The study would establish meal quality standards (including portion sizes and vegetarian/vegan options by grade level), compare current meals to those standards, analyze preparation and student meal costs, and recommend legislative actions to improve nutrition. It requires the departments to issue a public report with findings and recommendations within one year. The resolution directly affects all Pennsylvania public school districts by initiating a formal review of meal services and costs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates study to establish school meal quality standards, improve nutrition, and recommend legislative actions - directly advancing student health and educational access within K-12 schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 11, 2025

HB 869: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for nonpublic school and home education program exemption.

HB 869 exempts nonpublic schools and home education programs in Pennsylvania from state emergency orders during disaster declarations, such as those issued by the Governor or the Secretary of Health under Pennsylvania law. This applies to institutions like church schools, home school groups, nonprofit schools, and one-room schools that meet legal requirements for educating students. The bill adds this exemption to the Public School Code of 1949, meaning these schools would not be required to close or follow specific health directives during declared emergencies. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts nonpublic/homeschools from emergency closures, maintaining educational access during disasters for these programs.80% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 780: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, establishing the Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Program and the Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Fund.

HB 780 creates a tuition assistance program for early childhood educators in Pennsylvania. It provides grants to cover tuition costs (minus other financial aid) for individuals pursuing associate degrees or certifications in early childhood education, targeting those earning under 400% of the federal poverty level, enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester, and working 25+ hours weekly in approved early childhood programs. Recipients must agree to work in Pennsylvania early childhood education for two years after completing their program. Funding comes from a new state fund, with annual reports tracking enrollment, retention, wages, and job demand. The program aims to support workforce development in early childhood education through financial assistance tied to service commitments.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tuition grants for early childhood educators to pursue degrees/certifications, targeting low-income workers in approved programs, directly supporting educator development and workforce access.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides tuition grants to early childhood educators, enhancing workforce development and career advancement opportunities within labor sector.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood Student Financial Aid Teachers Workforce Development

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 465: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school finances, providing for commercial property tax redistribution.

HB 465 (2025) amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to redirect a portion of commercial property taxes collected by school districts to intermediate units for redistribution. School districts with commercial properties valued at $10 million or more must send increasing percentages of those taxes (starting at 10% in year one, rising to 70% by year seven) to their intermediate unit's commercial property tax group. The intermediate unit then redistributes these funds to school districts based on each district's average daily student enrollment relative to the total enrollment of all districts it serves. This bill directly affects school districts containing high-value commercial properties, changing how their commercial tax revenue is collected and allocated.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects commercial property tax revenue from larger districts to redistribute funds, strengthening equitable school funding through fiscal reallocation within the tax system.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRedirects commercial property taxes to redistribute funds among school districts, aiming to balance school funding resources per bill's redistribution mechanism.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Revenue School Funding

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