Dear Friend of Education:

I am pleased to advise that Pennsylvania has submitted its proposed ESSA Consolidated State Plan to the U.S. Department of Education.  A copy of the plan may be viewed on the Department’s ESSA webpage.  We have also posted a PowerPoint presentation in both English and Spanish to assist Pennsylvanians in understanding the plan.  In addition, the Department has revised its ESSA webpage to include updated content on major elements of the plan, as well as a new section on Stakeholder Engagement. This page includes access to all stakeholder comments submitted to the Department during the formal 30-day public comment period.  Please stay tuned for additional resources and updates in the weeks ahead.

Submission of Pennsylvania’s Consolidated State Plan is a significant moment for public education in Pennsylvania.  The plan underscores the commonwealth’s commitment to creating more balanced and comprehensive school progress measures, reducing testing time, and supporting Pennsylvania’s educators and school leaders. 

Highlights of the plan include:

• A focus on providing a “well-rounded education” to students, by identifying the subjects and disciplines that should be part of every child’s education, including the arts, social sciences, health and physical education, STEM and computer science, and other areas;
• Broadening the scope of the indicators used to measure school success;
• A reduction of testing time on the Pennsylvania State System of Assessments (PSSAs) in English language arts and mathematics by 20 percent beginning in spring 2018;
• Strategies for addressing the needs of students through school-based supports and community partnerships;
• A strong focus on evidence-based professional development for educators and administrators that emphasizes equity; and
• Identifying ways to prepare students to successfully enter postsecondary, career programs, apprenticeship programs, or even the workforce.

The Department is grateful to the thousands of Pennsylvanians who participated in review and comment on plan proposals since ESSA was enacted in December 2015. We look forward to continuing these conversations through the USDE plan approval process and on to implementation in our schools and for the benefit of all of our students in Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,

Pedro Rivera, Secretary of Education

Pennsylvania Department of Education

333 Market Street

Harrisburg, PA  17126