April- June Counselors Corner

At the heart of effective school counseling is one non-negotiable foundation: relationship. This idea, explored in a Forbes article on school counseling (opens in new window), reminds us that the connections counselors build with students, teachers, administrators, families, and the broader community are not incidental to the work. They are the work.

With students, trust is everything. Students who don't yet feel comfortable with their counselor are far less likely to engage meaningfully or seek help when they need it most. Rapport building, especially with students experiencing emotional difficulties, is the gateway to any real support.

With colleagues, consistency and presence matter. Simple habits like arriving early, checking in with teachers regularly, and attending school events build the kind of mutual understanding that helps counselors advocate effectively for students and be seen as true partners in the building.

With families and communities, school counselors serve as vital bridges. Family involvement increases student achievement and attendance, promotes career development, enhances school climate, and fosters resilience. Counselors who know their communities, including local resources, cultural dynamics, and neighborhood context, are far better equipped to connect families with what they need.

For students from marginalized groups, these relationships carry even greater weight. Building trust with families and the wider community helps dismantle barriers that have historically excluded and underserved certain groups within the school system.

SEL4 PA has a new name and a renewed sense of purpose. Now known as the Pennsylvania Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Mental Wellbeing (PA4SEMW) (opens in new window), the organization is driven by a clear vision: every child in every Pennsylvania community deserves access to proactive, aligned, and sustainable social, emotional, and mental wellbeing resources that support career readiness and healthy relationships with family and community.

Their website is a valuable hub for practitioners, families, and policymakers alike, offering resources, information, and a look at an organization that is actively working at both the local and statewide level to build better systems and stronger supports for social, emotional, and mental wellbeing across Pennsylvania. If this work aligns with yours, it is well worth a visit.

The Prevention Learning Portal (opens in new window) is offering a free one-hour course on how to make the most of the Pennsylvania Youth Survey, using the PAYS Guide as your roadmap.

The Pennsylvania Youth Survey, sponsored and conducted every two years by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, has been a cornerstone of youth data collection across the Commonwealth since 1989. Every other year, students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 complete the survey, sharing their attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge related to alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and violence. That data is a powerful tool, but only when people know how to use it.

That is exactly what this course is designed to help with. In just one hour and at no cost, learners will explore how to dig deeper into PAYS data, navigate the materials and resources available through the PAYS Guide, and walk away with practical strategies for turning survey results into meaningful local action. Whether you are a school counselor, prevention specialist, administrator, or community partner, this course offers an accessible and efficient way to strengthen how your work is informed by real data from the students you serve.

Every year, thousands of high school graduates who fully intend to go to college simply never show up. This phenomenon, known as summer melt, is explored in depth in this recent brief from the National College Attainment Network (open in new window). Nationally, somewhere between 10% and 20% of college-intending students fail to enroll in the fall, and the rates are significantly higher for low-income students. Students who miss that first fall enrollment are also much less likely to return to college later, with real consequences for their long-term economic stability and opportunity.

Why Does It Happen?

Summer melt is rarely about a student changing their mind. It tends to happen for three main reasons. First, financial confusion: many students struggle to interpret financial aid award letters or are caught off guard by unexpected costs like housing deposits, meal plans, or student health insurance, and may not realize key forms are still incomplete. Second, logistical overload: without support from counselors during the summer months, students can miss deadlines, get locked out of portals, or simply not know what step to take next. Third, emotional and social barriers: feelings of impostor syndrome, fear of leaving home, or doubt about whether college is truly for them can grow during the summer, particularly for first-generation students.

What Works?

Research points to four evidence-based approaches that schools and districts can use.

Behavioral nudges and text messaging are highly scalable and low cost. Randomized controlled trials have found that text messaging campaigns can reduce summer melt by up to 10 percentage points.

Counselor-led summer outreach is one of the most impactful strategies available. Students who received counselor-led outreach starting in their junior year were seven percentage points more likely to enroll in college than those who did not.

Peer and near-peer mentoring uses current college students or recent graduates to guide seniors through summer tasks. This approach is especially effective for Black, Latino/a, and low-income students.

Summer bridge programs offered by colleges help ease the academic and social transition, and high schools can play a key role by building partnerships with local institutions to connect students with these opportunities.

Key Design Principles for Counselors

The research is clear that the most effective programs start early, often in junior year, extend support past graduation, and target students at highest risk. Personalized, actionable communication tailored to a student's specific college and deadlines is far more effective than general reminders. And perhaps most importantly, technology can help scale outreach but works best when paired with genuine human connection.

As school counselors, you are uniquely positioned to lead this work. You already have the relationships, the data, and the trust that students need to navigate one of the most vulnerable transitions of their lives.

Did you know that College Board has a website dedicated to supporting the work of school counselors? Head over to collegeboard.org/counselors (Opens in new window) for the latest professional development events, toolkits, and resources for counselors to help students navigate their pathway to college and career.

Upcoming Webinars
We’re happy to share our upcoming webinars designed specifically to support the work of school counselors. In partnership with counselors in the field, these engaging sessions provide timely strategies and meaningful professional learning opportunities that can be used throughout the year. As an added benefit, participants can earn CEU credits while deepening their knowledge and strengthening their impact on students.

Middle School Matters: College and Career Conversations Now—Thursday, April 16, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Available On-Demand

Using BigFuture® School to Access Scores and Explore Careers—Middle School

Middle School Matters: Preparing Middle School Students for Rigorous High School Courses

College and Career Trends: What Every Counselor Should Know

Visit our professional learning page (opens in new window) to register for upcoming and on-demand webinars.

Chat with a Coordinator (Live Sessions)

Chats are live—register now! (opens in new window) Encourage your AP® coordinators to join their peers for this popular series of real-time collaboration and support. Each small-group Zoom chat is led by experienced AP coordinators. Review best practices, collaborate with peers, and share lessons learned. As always, you drive the conversation. Sessions are available at no cost. Come with questions, or just Zoom in to hear what others are talking about. Attend as often as you’d like!

New for spring 2026: Specific chats dedicated to exam security, setting up Test Day Toolkit, and preparing proctors for exam administration.

AP Coordinator Experience Channel on YouTube (On-Demand Videos)

It’s proctor training time! Encourage your AP coordinators to share this Proctor Training Playlist (opens in new window) with their AP proctors today! This series of videos can be accessed on the AP Coordinator Experience YouTube Channel (opens in new window) and is designed to help AP coordinators and proctors prepare to administer AP Exams. Videos include proctor eligibility, tasks proctors are responsible for, materials to have in the exam room, and more.

The Community Library introduces a centralized, searchable experience where users can:

Explore content by topic and grade level

Search for specific content by keywords and phrases

Access curated video and multiformat resources in one hub

Remind your students to claim their award on BigFuture (opens in new window) by May 21! The College Board National Recognition Program awards academic honors to high-performing students within the context of their community to celebrate their hard work and be seen by colleges. Students can receive up to three award designations—School Recognition, First-Generation Recognition, and Rural/Small-Town Recognition.

Encourage your students to opt in to Student Search Service™ (opens in new window). Student Search Service is the way thousands of colleges and scholarship organizations connect with five million students. Participation is free for students.

Building High-Quality School Counseling Programs: What the Research Says

Summarized from the EdResearch for Action brief by Harvard Graduate School of Education (opens in new window)

This research brief makes one thing unmistakably clear: school counselors matter enormously, and far too many students still do not have meaningful access to them. Here is what the evidence says about the problem, what works, and what to avoid.

The Case for School Counseling

Research consistently links access to school counselors with better academic outcomes, stronger social-emotional development, and higher rates of postsecondary enrollment. Students who work with a counselor are more likely to consider college, complete the FAFSA, apply to four-year institutions, and actually enroll. Counselors also improve attendance, reduce disciplinary issues, and create school environments where students feel they belong.

Who Gets Left Out

Despite this evidence, access remains deeply unequal. The national student-to-counselor ratio sits at 424 to 1, far above the 250 to 1 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association. Only 30 states even require schools to hire counselors. Over 1.6 million students attend schools with a sworn law enforcement officer but no counselor at all, and Black and Latino students are disproportionately represented in those schools.

What High-Quality Programs Look Like

The most effective counseling programs are comprehensive, meaning they address academic, social-emotional, and postsecondary needs together rather than in isolation. They are proactive rather than purely reactive, using data to identify students who need support before a crisis occurs. They are also culturally responsive, incorporating multicultural approaches that affirm students' identities and address the specific needs of immigrant youth and students of color. Evidence-based tools like universal mental health screening, the Student Success Skills program, and individualized learning plans for career and college readiness all have strong track records.

Caseload and Leadership Matter

High caseloads are not just an inconvenience. They are directly linked to worse student outcomes, lower counselor job satisfaction, and burnout. Colorado's experience showed that reducing caseloads saved the state roughly $20 in social safety net costs for every dollar invested. Equally important is the relationship between counselors and school leaders. When principals understand and respect the counselor role, communicate openly, and invest in professional development, counselors are far better positioned to do their jobs well. Notably, 84% of counselors in one national survey reported feeling only somewhat or not at all prepared when they entered the field, underscoring the need for ongoing, meaningful professional development.

What to Avoid

The brief is equally clear about practices that undermine good counseling. Assigning counselors non-counseling duties like scheduling, test coordination, hall monitoring, or administrative tasks directly reduces the time and energy available for students. Community-based college access programs, while valuable, are not a substitute for strong in-school counseling and can inadvertently increase inequity when they are not well coordinated with school-based services. And simply hiring more counselors without clarifying their roles and responsibilities is not enough on its own.

The Bottom Line

The research is unambiguous: when counselors are well supported, given manageable caseloads, and empowered to focus on actual counseling work, students thrive. The gap between what is possible and what most students actually receive is not a reflection of counselors' commitment. It is a structural and resource problem that demands attention at every level of school leadership.

Here is a summary of what is most noteworthy for Pennsylvania school counselors from the Education Law Center's 2025-26 Back to School Guide (opens in new window):

What Pennsylvania School Counselors Need to Know: ELC-PA's 2025-26 Back to School Guide

This comprehensive guide from the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania is an essential resource for any counselor working with vulnerable student populations. Here are the most relevant highlights.

Immigrant and Multilingual Students

Following the federal administration's rescission of the "sensitive locations" policy, ICE is no longer barred from conducting enforcement actions near schools. Schools cannot require documents that only U.S. citizens may possess, such as birth certificates, passports, or Social Security cards, and cannot inquire about immigration status during enrollment. Counselors should be familiar with the joint ELC-PA and ACLU-PA guidance on immigration enforcement and know that families have the right to opt out of sharing student directory information. Translated resources are available in Spanish, Chinese, Nepali, and Arabic.

Students Experiencing Homelessness

Pennsylvania saw an increase in students experiencing homelessness in 2023-24, with 70% living doubled-up for economic reasons. Counselors play a critical role in proactively screening students using the McKinney-Vento eligibility screener. Federal funding for McKinney-Vento programs is under threat, and counselors should be aware that their school's homeless liaison is a key partner. Black and Brown students continue to be disproportionately represented among students experiencing homelessness.

Students in Foster Care and Juvenile Justice

A major new statewide report revealed that more than 34% of students in foster care are chronically absent, compared to 22% of their peers. Best interest determinations must be convened no later than three days after a child changes placement or enters care. Counselors should know their school's Foster Care Point of Contact and understand that these students are highly mobile and need active connection to school supports.

Attendance and Truancy

Schools are best positioned to identify root causes of truancy such as poverty and racism, and Pennsylvania law limits referrals to court. Placement in foster care due to truancy should always be a last resort. Counselors should use the available attendance barrier screener tools to identify what is actually preventing a student from attending school.

Students with Disabilities

Schools cannot exclude students with IEPs or 504 plans for behaviors caused by their disabilities. When a disciplinary change of placement is proposed, a manifestation determination meeting is required. New self-advocacy tools are available to help families prepare. Counselors should be especially attentive to racial disparities in discipline, as Black and Brown students with disabilities are disproportionately affected by suspensions.

LGBTQ+ and Gender-Diverse Students

Despite ongoing political attacks, LGBTQ+ students still have legal protections in Pennsylvania public schools. Schools cannot require birth certificates to prove a student's sex. The recent Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor allows parents with religious objections to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ storybooks in elementary classrooms, but this must be applied narrowly. Counselors should know that their school has continuing obligations to protect students from sex-based harassment under existing law.

School Discipline

Counselors should be aware of a new ELC-PA fact sheet on creating equitable codes of conduct, which addresses how discriminatory and subjective language in student handbooks fuels racial disparities in discipline. New tools are also available for families to request that suspensions be expunged from student records.

Bullying and Harassment

With significant cuts to the federal Office of Civil Rights, including the closure of the Philadelphia regional office, families facing identity-based harassment are now directed to file complaints with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) instead. The PHRC also released new guidance in August 2025 explaining how it evaluates harassment complaints against schools.

DEI and Federal Executive Orders

School counselors should know that federal executive orders cannot override federal law, case law, or the U.S. Constitution. DEI practices in public schools remain lawful. Multiple courts have blocked the administration's attempts to eliminate DEI programming, and affinity graduation ceremonies remain legal as long as they are open to all students.

A Valuable Resource to Bookmark

The ELC-PA helpline is available at 215-238-6970 (Eastern and Central PA) or 412-258-2120 (Western PA) and offers interpretation services for most languages. The guide's extensive library of fact sheets and fillable self-advocacy tools, covering everything from IEP requests to suspension expungement, can be shared directly with students and families.

Join the PSCA and PDE for their April Symposium. Register here (opens in new window).

Check out this leadership opportunity for school counselors (opens in new window)

The American School Counselor Association has published the State of the Profession 2025 (opens in new window). In October 2025, ASCA distributed a state-of-the profession survey to nearly 66,685 members and nonmembers. The data shows that school counselors continue to experience substantial role strain: 59% cite assignment of inappropriate duties and 54% cite high caseloads as significant challenges (extremely challenging/challenging). Additionally, although 81% say their programs use data informed decision-making, alignment with the ASCA National Model declined slightly to 74%.

ASCA also released the Student-to-School-Counselor Ratio 2024– 2025, which notes that Pennsylvania has 5,330 school counselors and 1,691,456 students, which results in a 317:1 ratio.

The Commonwealth employs recruiters who can participate in your career fairs and speak at school events. If you are interested in requesting either virtual or in-person attendance at an event, please send the event invitation to the Commonwealth of PA’s event request resource account at RA-OAEventRequest@pa.gov

KEYSTONE SCHOLARS jumpstarts educational savings by providing a $100 scholarship for every child born to a PA family in 2019 and later for future education. The scholarship can be used between the ages of 18-29 for post-high school technical, collegiate, apprenticeship, and credentialing educational expenses.

You can encourage parents to claim their child’s account at pa529.com/keystone (opens in new window).

Only three pieces of information are needed:

o Child’s date of birth,

o Zip code on file when child was born, and

o State File Number from child’s PA birth certificate.

When claimed, parents may open a companion PA 529 account to contribute their own savings! Families can start savings with as little as $1/month.

Find out more information about Keystone Scholars on their website (opens in new window).

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) encourages 2026-27 college students, graduate students, and their parents to enter for a chance to win a $2,500 no essay scholarship sweepstakes through the PA Forward Student Loan Program. Anyone who opts in to receive communications, which will include tips on planning for and paying for college, between January 5 and May 1, 2026, will be entered into the scholarship sweepstakes. A total of 12 winners will be selected in May of this year. The PA Forward Scholarship Sweepstakes, offered by the PA Forward Student Loan Program, is open to Pennsylvania residents only. Enter the sweepstakes. (Opens in new window)

Want a 1:1 Consult with the PVAAS Team? Click HERE (opens in new window) to schedule!

Users can now select the focus for the consultation that best meets their goals or professional learning objectives.

Great Learning Opportunities Coming Up:

PVAAS Professional Learning Page (opens in new window)

Digging Deeper Guides (opens in new window) - these are a great resource for identifying root cause and diving deeper into your data! User friendly for all users!

Here are several links to resources to help build your understanding of this change:

• PVAAS Methodology Transition (opens in new window)
• Changes in PA’s Assessment System: Impact on PVAAS (opens in new window)
• PVAAS Methodologies (opens in new window) (see pages 10-13 for predictive model information)
• eLearning – District/School Value-Added (opens in new window) (view section on Predictive Methodology in menu)

Prepare to work in PEERS (Pennsylvania Educator Effectiveness Rating System) when SY25-26 information is pre-populated in the next several weeks. Familiarize yourself with how to complete Act 13 evaluations in PEERS and check out the new features released this summer!

Key Documents:
Using PEERS: A Getting Started Guide for Evaluators (opens in new window)

PEERS Frequently Asked Questions (opens in new window)

Webinar Recording:

PEERS Refresh: A Hands-On Tour of What’s New (opens in new window)

Prefer a 1:1 conversation? Book a 1:1 Online Session with a PVAAS Team Member (opens in new window)

The PA online testing landing page has been updated in order to be accessible. Educators and students will see this change in two ways:

1. Through the secure test engine
2. Through the public version used to access Online Tools Training and Tutorials

With regards to the secure test engine and administration of CDT, Firefly, PSSA and Keystone exams, LEAs do not need to take any action. The software has been updated already.

The public version of the landing page, which is used for the Online Tools Training (OTTs) and Online Tools Tutorials (videos) required a new URL. Educators and students can now access the OTTs and Online Tools Tutorials using this link: https://portal.te.drcedirect.com/PA (opens in new window)

Remember....

• The 2025-2026 Winter Biology Keystone Exam is based on the “legacy” Biology standards (for re-testers).
• The Spring 2026 Biology Keystone Exam is based on the new STEELS Biology standards (1st time test takers).
• The best score-to-date will not translate between the two (2) different standards-based tests.

There are a number of updates to the online calculators for PSSA Mathematics, Keystone Algebra I, Firefly and CDT. Please access this link https://www.desmos.com/state-pdfs/PA_Desmos_Calculators.pdf (PDF opens in new window) for specific details, including:

1. The calculators available for each assessment based upon grade level.
2. Functions turned off for Pennsylvania testing.

Also,

• There is a free Desmos App which can be downloaded to school owned devices. Students can also download the free App to their devices. I would suggest downloading the testing version of the App. The testing version has a green bar with Pennsylvania.

• If interested in downloading the App, this link may be helpful. https://help.desmos.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405003743757-Using-Desmos-on-In-Class-Assessments (opens in new window)

Additional notes:

• Students in grades 4-8 may continue to use a handheld calculator which complies with the PDE Calculator Policy (opens in new window) to answer calculator permitted questions.

• Students in grade 3 may not use a calculator.

• Students in grades 4 and 5 can access the Desmos four function calculator. I often receive questions regarding students having access to a handheld device with a fraction button. My suggestion is to ensure students in grades 4 and 5 can operate (add, subtract, multiply and divide) fractions as outlined in the Assessment Anchors/Eligible Content. Often, these questions appear in the non-calculator section of the PSSA. Also, if students are asked to show/explain their work for an open ended question, we would expect to see all the middle steps involved with converting to common denominators, etc. For example, grade 5 students might be asked to add . They should type If students are missing the middle steps, they will not earn credit for the work.

As a side note, students could also type fractions that are not stacked and would earn full credit by showing this work:

(2 3/5)+ (1 7/8) = (2 24/40) + (1 35/40) = (3 59/40) = (4 19/40); the parentheses are not needed. The equation editor in the testing platform does have stacked fractions, and I would encourage students to practice typing fractions using the Online Tools since they are accustomed to seeing and working with stacked fractions. Here is a link to the Online Tools Training: https://portal.te.drcedirect.com/PA (opens in new window).

• Students in grades 7 and 8 will have access to the Pennsylvania testing version of Desmos graphing tool for the PSSA in 2026. As noted above, certain functions are turned off for testing.
• The calculators in the OTTs will be updated in the coming weeks.

On Monday, May 18, 2026, from 6:00 – 7:30 PM, Homer-Center will be hosting the first-ever Wildcat Career Quest at the elementary school.

The goal of the Wildcat Career Quest is to introduce students to a wide range of career opportunities and connect their classroom learning with real-world work experiences. HC wants to spark curiosity by introducing students to local and regional careers through fun, age-appropriate, hands-on activities. During the event, students will have the chance to explore energy, technology, and community-focused careers by interacting directly with local professionals.

Shout out to our very own counselors collaborative member, Mrs. Jennifer Lieb, for making this happen! If you know of anyone who would like to take part in the quest, please email jlieb@homercenter.org.

Experience this 26-acre nonprofit farm that uses horses, nature, and hands-on experiences to help children, families, and groups grow.

Click here (opens in new window) to register.

We’re excited to share that the Western Pennsylvania Student-Centered Learning Summit will take place on June 17, 2026, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)—and we’d love to showcase the incredible work happening in our schools.

This one-day summit will bring together educators from across Western PA for learning, collaboration, and connection, with AJ Juliani joining us as our keynote speaker. Our goal is simple: to highlight practical, real-world examples of student-centered learning (SCL) already happening in classrooms across our region.

What do we mean by Student-Centered Learning?

Student-centered learning is less about a specific program and more about intentional choices that put students at the center of the learning experience—their needs, interests, voices, and ownership.

If you or teachers in your building are doing things like:

• Giving students choice in topics, products, or pathways
• Designing projects or real-world tasks connected to community or student interests
• Using flexible groups, stations, or blended learning to meet learners where they are
• Helping students set goals, reflect, or track their own progress
• Shifting from “delivering content” to facilitating learning

…then you’re already doing student-centered learning—and others would benefit from learning from you.

We’re inviting you to present!

We are especially hoping to feature educators and schools from our local area, since this conference is happening in our backyard. Sessions can take many forms—classroom practices, team-based work, leadership perspectives, or district-level initiatives. This is about sharing what’s working, not being perfect.

If someone in your building comes to mind—or if you’d like to present yourself—we’d love for you to submit a proposal.

Click HERE for the Request for Presenters Form (opens in new window)

Please feel free to forward this message to colleagues who are doing great work, or encourage them to reach out with questions. We want this summit to reflect the strength, creativity, and innovation already happening across Western PA.

Thanks for all you do for students—and we hope to see our region well represented on June 17!

The 2026 ARTEFFECT Competition (opens in new window) for middle and high school students is open through April 21, 2026! The first step for young artists in creating an ARTEFFECT submission is to select an LMC Unsung Hero —an individual who resonates as a role model.

Visit the PSCA Job Board (opens in new window), and share with others who are on the hunt for a job.

Congratulations to Pennsylvania’s 150 AP Honor Roll Schools

We’re proud to celebrate the 150 Pennsylvania high schools named to the 2025 AP School Honor Roll — an achievement that recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering strong results for students while broadening access to advanced coursework.

This recognition reflects a commitment to building a strong college-going culture, expanding opportunities for students to earn college credit, and strengthening readiness.

See the full list of Pennsylvania Honor Roll recipients (opens in new window)

District Data Clinics

Using Data to Inform Instruction and Expand Opportunity

Hands-on workshops for district and school leaders focused on using PSAT/SAT data and AP Potential™ to inform instruction, expand access, and support planning. Sessions include a featured segment from PDE’s statewide PVAAS team on aligning PVAAS AP projections with College Board data.

In-person and virtual options available statewide
Register: www.cb.org/pennsylvania (opens in new window)

Royal Family Kids offers a monthly mentorship club and summer camp for children who have a history of trauma, abuse, or neglect. Children who have been placed in foster care or kinship care placements from the court also qualify for the program. Families can apply for both programs, or choose to apply for just one. The Mentorship Club offers continuous enrollment; students are welcome to apply and begin at any point throughout the school year. Here is a flyer with more information: RFK Mentorship Club and Camp (opens in new window). To request paper applications and brochures, please contact the directors listed on the flyer.

Invitation The United States Marine Corps would like to extend a personal invitation for you to apply to attend the Educators Workshop. For hundreds of years, the Marine Corps has fought honorably to defend this Nation and our way of life. The Marine Corps is an organization built around success and the opportunity for growth and advancement. We are fiercely proud of our traditions and the way in which we create our Nation’s defenders - our greatest asset. We look forward to sharing our training and education process with you.

Requirements:

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Must be principal, superintendent, coaches, advisors, full-time high school (9-12) educators, board member or civic leader.
• Post secondary or collegiate professor, counselor, coach or school board leader. • Have ties to teenagers and/or young adults (youth group leader, after-school volunteer, program coordinator, etc.).
• Physically able to participate during the workshop as there are some periods of prolonged walking and/or standing.
• Have not previously attended a Marine Corps Educators Workshop.
• Must complete the Workshop Application and submit to Community@marines.usmc.mil.

Click here for more information. (opens in new window)

Personal Finance Professional Development Sessions

Presented by the Council of Economic Education (opens in new window)

April 10th | FULL Day | All High School educators who will be responsible for teaching Personal Finance.

• In-person workshop here at IU5 providing hands-on training, model lessons, and classroom-ready strategies for teaching economics and personal finance

Free classroom resources and instructional tools

Register HERE (opens in new window)

Get paid work experience while helping the environment! The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is for young people ages 15 to 25. Learn new skills, gain job experience, and improve Pennsylvania’s public lands. Please share this opportunity with interested students (opens in new window)

Building relationships is one of the most powerful ways to improve classroom climate and support academic success.

The resource is The First Five by Edtomorrow (opens in new window) which provides free daily connection activities for classrooms. Below is the link, along with a short video (opens in new window) that explains how to use it.

Want to help students in grades 9-12 to accrue scholarships? Visit Raise Me (opens in new window).

The Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences is a 5-week STEM residency program for rising high school seniors in PA. Students complete rigorous course work in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics while also getting hands-on experience in laboratory skills and research. We provide academic opportunities that even the best high schools cannot offer. Importantly, there is no cost to participate in PGSS: housing, meals, and tuition are completely covered for each student.

PGSS has two critical components: the academic and the social program.

The Academic Program

Students in PGSS take rigorous coursework in five core subject areas: biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Lecture and laboratory courses (opens in new window) are taught by CMU and Pittsburgh-area professors and industry experts. Students collaborate and learn together while completing homework assignments for their various classes. Importantly, there are no grades in PGSS. Students are encouraged to step outside of their academic comfort zones and explore topics they might have never considered without the pressure of grades.

In addition to the classroom work, students participate in Team Research Projects (opens in new window) during which they conduct real scientific research in one of the core subject areas. At the end of the program, students submit a written summary of their work to the Journal of PGSS (opens in new window) and present their projects at the annual Scientific Symposium.

The Social Program

Students live in CMU dorms with the other members of the program, learning how to navigate university life before embarking on their college careers. Residence Life Staff members live in the dorms with the students and plan an active social program to promote a academic/social balance. Staff members also provide academic support to the students outside of the classroom.

Each year the the Residence Life Staff design and host nightly activities for the students to participate in. Some reoccurring favorites include the No-Talent Show and a trip to PNC park to watch the Pirates play the Phillies.

Apply here (opens in new window)

Test Site Coordinator Training: Important Materials

Thank you to all who attended the mandatory Test Site Coordinator training in December. Below are important documents that came from the meeting.

• Presentation
• Recording
• FAQ

Post-testing

Schools can now order post-tests, provided their Test Site Coordinator has completed the mandatory training. The testing window is March 1 through April 30, 2026.

Need your certificates for your May ceremony?

Consider testing early in March.

Once you have tested, upload your scores to the NOCTI Client Center and send your test materials and disposal form as soon as possible; likewise for NIMs.

Special Accommodations

If you have a special accommodation request for a student, please fill out the form linked below as soon as possible.

All requests must be approved by the Bureau of Career and Technical Education and may take a few days to be processed.

• Student Occupational Testing Special Accommodations Request Form

We’re excited to announce NOCTI’s 2026–27 development projects—and we’re looking for passionate Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to help bring them to life!

This year's lineup includes:

• Building Trades Maintenance
• Computer Programming
• Criminal Justice
• Employability Skills
• Health Assisting
• Horticulture-Landscaping
• Production Agriculture
• Television Production

As an SME, you’ll help ensure each credential is accurate, industry-aligned, and truly reflective of real-world skills. It’s a great way to give back, influence national standards, and help shape the future workforce.

If you have expertise in any of these areas—or know someone who does—we’d love to have you on board. Thanks for helping build the next generation of high-quality NOCTI credentials!

Learn More and Apply! (opens in new window)

Want to know more about pre-apprenticeships?

Are you interested in learning more about how to start a pre‑apprenticeship program at your school? If your school already offers a pre‑apprenticeship, would you like to share your experience with others?

If so, sign up to receive updates about the ERC’s upcoming pre‑apprenticeship clinics. Beginning in February, these virtual sessions will bring together schools with CTE programs and experts in pre‑apprenticeship development to discuss best practices, common challenges, and practical tips for building and sustaining strong programs.

The date, time, and first guest speaker will be announced later this month. Sign up today (opens in new window) to be notified when registration opens.

The OMHSAS Garret Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention KEY-PPLE grant team, and partners are providing a range of suicide prevention trainings for mental health professionals working with youth across various settings. All training sessions are offered from 12:00-1:00 PM (ET). Visit: preventsuicidepa.org/webinars (opens in new window) to learn more and to register for each training.

Training Topics Include:
* April 7, 2026: Postvention Response: Special Considerations for Schools
* April 21, 2026: Suicide Prevention and Intervention Considerations for Autistic Youth
* May 5, 2026: Bereavement Through the Eyes of a Suicide Loss Survivor

Call, text, or chat 988

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, in partnership with the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness (OTDA) Public Service Announcement Challenge (opens in new window). This is a competition open to Pennsylvania teens in grades 9 -12. Your Challenge: Create a video explaining why being an organ donor is crucial and why you will designate yourself. Use the theme, “The Power of 1,” to demonstrate how the organs of 1 donor can save up to 8 lives and enhance the lives of 75 people through tissue donation. Be sure to include this fact in your entry to encourage your peers to become organ donors. Your Award: The statewide winning team (2-4 individuals) will receive a $3,000 award. The winning team members will receive certificates, and their school will receive a traveling trophy and a permanent trophy engraved with the school’s name. The team will also be invited to attend the Annual OTDA Spring Conference in State College on May 15, 2026.

Deadline for Submissions: 11:59 p.m. on April 13, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to address emerging local, state, and regional problems, driving innovation and the renewal of America in our nation’s Golden Age.

The Presidential AI Challenge seeks to inspire young people and educators to create AI-based innovative solutions to community challenges while fostering AI interest and competency. Students and educators of all backgrounds and expertise are encouraged to participate and ignite a new spirit of innovation as we celebrate 250 years of independence and look forward to the next 250 years.

The Presidential AI Challenge will foster interest and expertise in AI technology in America's youth. Early training in the responsible use of AI tools will demystify this technology and prepare America’s students to be confident participants in the AI-assisted workforce, propelling our Nation to new heights of scientific innovation and economic achievement.

Student participants will complete a project that involves the study, development, or use of an AI method or tool to address community challenges, while educators will focus on creative approaches to teaching or using AI technologies in K-12 learning.

Register here (opens in new window)

A-z Career Lab (opens in new window)

Future Jobs (opens in new window)

Careers that Work (opens in new window)

The Manufacturing in Motion (opens in new window) project gives students the opportunity to engage in career conversations with team members from participating companies.

If you’re interested in bringing Manufacturing in Motion to a group of students or young adults you work with, please contact Tara Lawrence at tlawrence@nwirc.org. (email address opens in new window)

The 2026 Farm City Day Central PA is coming up on May 6th and 7th. Link to register here (opens in new window).