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Tags Posts tagged with "PA Department of Education"

PA Department of Education

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To:             All LEAs

From:
Secretary Pedro A. Rivera, Department of Education
Secretary Teresa D. Miller, Department of Human Services

Date:         December 2, 2019

Subject:     Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is pleased to unveil the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework.

This “framework” is a collaborative initiative between PDE’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), and includes family engagement resources and information for local education agencies (LEAs) aligned with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The framework is a tool to guide learning communities in the implementation of effective practices, use of shared language, and application of a family engagement continuum for families across their child’s educational lifespan.

  • Purpose: Effective family engagement, beginning with early learning programs through K12, are important to supporting a child’s learning and development. The framework fosters a clear path and identifies a set of common standards for how learning communities can plan and implement family engagement practice.
  • Audience: Many members of Pennsylvania’s learning communities can employ this framework. A learning community is defined as programs and schools to which PDE, including the OCDEL and OESE, provide funding, guidance, and monitoring. It also includes LEAs, such as school districts and associated community partners.
  • Goal: Research has demonstrated that regardless of socioeconomic background, when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children perform better academically, enjoy school more, remain in school longer, and have better long-term outcomes such as higher graduation rates and improved postsecondary educational attainment and career readiness.

Additionally, PDE is collaborating with the Mid Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) to launch a new state family engagement center — the Collaborative Action for Family Engagement Center (CAFE) — which is an online resource to provide opportunities for collaboration, learning, and to promote high-impact, culturally responsive family engagement. CAFE will serve diverse families who reside in Pennsylvania. More information on CAFE is forthcoming.

More information on family engagement and the framework can be found on PDE’s website.

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Governor Wolf signed the FY 19/20 budget at the end of June, which includes $2.5 million for the Parent Pathways initiative, led by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Education (PDE).

The departments are in the process of developing a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) to award Parent Pathway models. They are continuing to receive input on the initiative and explore options for distributing the $2.5M implementation funding. As previously shared, they plan to award grant funding in two phases for Parent Pathway models – first, for technical assistance for model planning and development, and second, implementation funding.

Parent Pathways seeks to establish community-specific comprehensive models to support access to, and success in, post-secondary education and training for single parents. Specifically, the departments propose to invest in holistic models that address the needs of parents and children together, and successfully leverage partnerships to offer sustainable post-secondary education solutions to the multiple barriers often facing families experiencing economic challenges.

The departments recognize that in order for Parent Pathways models to be successful, the awards should allow flexibility for communities to best meet the needs of potential participants in these programs. Stakeholders are asked to complete this survey by Friday, August 16, to help inform the development of this RFA.

Please visit this website for updates on the initiative and various resources available to assist you in community engagement and development.

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When Governor Wolf signed the FY 19/20 budget at the end of June, it included $2.5 Million for the Parent Pathways initiative, led by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Education (PDE). The Parent Pathways initiative is funded as a component of the DHS Cash Grants appropriation of $18.287 Million in FY 19/20.

Parent Pathways seeks to establish community-specific comprehensive models to support access to, and success in, post-secondary education and training for single parents. Specifically, the departments propose to invest in holistic models that address the needs of parents and children together and successfully leverage partnerships to offer sustainable solutions to the multiple barriers often facing families experiencing economic challenges.

Removing barriers to education empowers parents to pursue the skills needed for enriching, family-sustaining careers. Single parents, in particular, often face significant challenges around finances, housing, and child care that prevent them from accessing and successfully completing programs that could lift their family out of poverty, while also finding fulfillment in a meaningful career. Overcoming these barriers is often challenging for single-parent families on their own, but a network of support envisioned through the Parent Pathways model will create bridges to a life out of poverty that will shape families’ trajectories for years to come.

Next Steps
The departments are continuing to receive input on the initiative, explore our options for distributing the $2.5M implementation funding, and are developing a competitive Request for Application (RFA) to award Parent Pathway models later this calendar year. As previously shared, it is the plan to award grants in two phases for Parent Pathway models – 1) planning and development technical assistance and 2) implementation.

Prior to the release of the RFA, the departments will hold informational webinars for the public with more detailed information. In the meantime, we encourage interested parties to work with community partners, education institutions, and housing support entities to explore community-specific strategies to address the goals of Parent Pathways and meet the needs of single parents and their families in pursuit of post-secondary education.

Please visit this website for updates on the initiative and various resources available to assist you in community engagement and development. Contact Jim Sharp, RCPA Children’s Division Director, with questions.

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