Agencies and Organizations - The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Agencies – Pennsylvania

PA Department of Education – PDE is comprised of five Offices: Office of Child Development & Early Education (OCDEL), Office of Elementary & Secondary Education, Office of Postsecondary & Higher Education, Office of the State Library, the Office of Administration.

PA Training and Technical Assistance Network – Working with the Bureau of Special Education (BSE), Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), PaTTAN provides a full array of professional development and technical assistance targeted to improving student results. The site contains many resources for supporting policies relating to students with special needs, multi-tiered systems of support, inclusive practices, etc.

State Board of Education – The Pennsylvania State Board of Education has the power and duty to review and adopt regulations that govern educational policies and principles and establish standards governing the educational programs of the Commonwealth, upon recommendation of its two Councils Basic Education and Higher Education).

Center for Schools and Communities – The CSC provides professional learning opportunities, research and evaluation design, and customized consultation pertaining to topics ranging from school safety, youth violence prevention, out-of-school time, family-community-school partnerships and positive youth development.

Professional Standards & Practices Commission – The Commission promotes Pennsylvania’s Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators through its educational outreach programs to the educational community, its advocacy with the Department of Education and the State Board of Education, and its oversight and enforcement of the educator discipline system.

General Assembly

General Assembly of PA – Find your local legislators, track legislation, look up current statutes, and track the voting record of your representatives on this site.

Legislative Reference Bureau of PA – Created in 1909, the Bureau prepares thousands of bills, amendments, resolutions and citations for introduction by the members of the Senate and House of Representatives during each two-year legislative session.

Organizations – National

Education Commission of the States (ECS) – Education Commission of the States serves as a partner to state policymakers by providing personalized support and helping education leaders come together to learn from one another. Through their programs and services, policymakers can access resources needed to create effective education policy. The Commission provides excellent resources for comparing state policies on similar issues.

National Conference of State Legislatures – NCSL represents the legislatures in the states, territories and commonwealths of the U.S. Its mission is to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures and to foster interstate cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information among legislatures.

Council of Chief State School Officers – The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Education and the five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions.

National Governors Association (Education) – Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is the voice of the nation’s governors and one of the most respected public policy organizations in the country. The association’s members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the political spectrum, but NGA itself is bipartisan.

National Center on Education and the Economy – The National Center on Education and the Economy supports education leaders and practitioners, policymakers, researchers and community stakeholders in studying, designing and building equitable, high-performing, and cost-effective education and workforce development systems.

Organizations – Pennsylvania

These organization names are fairly self-explanatory. For more information go to their website using the links provided.