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Committee hears PDE mandates: structured literacy, new training, cursive and FAFSA outreach
Summary
District staff told the committee the district already uses CKLA and triannual screeners for K–3, but must implement Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements: parental notifications and reporting for K–3 reading‑risk (2027–28 and reporting in 2028), expanded educator training expectations, a required cursive instruction component, and a FAFSA completion or opt‑out requirement for seniors.
District leaders briefed the Springfield Township School District Academic Affairs Committee on April 20 about recent Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) mandates affecting curriculum and educator training.
Structured literacy and assessment: The presenter said the district already uses CKLA for K–3 and administers benchmark screening three times per year (fall, winter, spring) with current screeners. PDE is requiring districts to document the curriculum used for K–3 and to notify parents three times a year when a student is identified as at risk of a reading deficiency; districts will begin reporting counts of at‑risk K–3 students to the commonwealth beginning in 2028. The presenter said specific thresholds and notification language are pending PDE guidance.
Educator training: The presenter summarized training expectations tied to certification areas (early childhood, elementary reading specialist, special education, multilingual education and middle‑level certificates). Initially districts were required to provide certain trainings for certificated staff; PDE is now expected to publish one or two 10‑hour series and later identify a subset of educators who will need advanced 30–90 hour coursework (for example reading coaches or administrators). The district said it is awaiting clearer guidance on which positions and how training will be funded.
Cursive instruction: The presenter said Act 2 adds cursive handwriting to ELA standards beginning this fall. The district will use CKLA’s existing cursive workbook for grades 3–4 and does not anticipate additional material purchases. Committee members asked how cursive would be scheduled and whether older students would receive any instruction tied to signatures; staff said local implementation decisions remain.
FAFSA outreach: Under Act 47 the presenter reported that every senior will be required next year either to complete the FAFSA federal student aid application or to submit an opt‑out form, and districts must document outreach and completion efforts for evaluation.
Committee members raised concerns about new mandates arriving without dedicated state funding; district staff said they will comply and will estimate budgetary impacts, particularly if PDE specifies extensive advanced coursework requirements.
The committee received the updates for planning; specific PDE guidance and timelines remain pending.
