Issues & Advocacy
When new legislation passes, PSBA is seen as the leader in analyzing it and helping members make sense of it.
Public education is always changing and keeping up to speed on the latest issues is a challenge. Not many school districts have the budget to afford a full-time research staff, but as a member of PSBA, you essentially have one. Our Web site offers articles, newsletters and other resources, arranged by topic -- a “one-stop shop” -- for round-the-clock access to help you understand the complex issues facing public education today.
Education Research Policy Center
Education Research & Policy Center
The PSBA Education Research & Policy Center develops materials to build understanding of the critical issues in public education. Available here are publications, including reports, white papers and other resources to advance public education and school governance.
Research
Research Quick Index
You know the research item you want, so here is a master list of all online research reports, surveys and data listed alphabetically.
Issues & Topics
Subject files on more than 130 topics are organized here by topic to provide quick access to research resources. Information not available online can be sent to you immediately upon your request.
Issues
Find articles, reports, data and newsletters organized by topic -- your "one-top shop" for resources on issues in public education.
Assessments, Testing, NCLB
PSSAs, Keystone Exams and graduation competency assessments. No Child Left Behind resources include act text, articles from the Bulletin on assessing achievement, district and school report cards, parent and public notification requirements, and a list of useful links.
Cyber-Charter Schools
Find links to the HB 446 legislation and bill summary, PDE's estimates for payment savings under HB 446, and a link for member districts to access sample collateral materials supporting HB 446.
Effective School Governance
PSBA's standards, benchmarks and code, and distinguished board and master board member accreditation program, school governance survey and committee report, and more related links.
Emergency & Pandemic Planning
Avian flu and crisis planning and preparedness issues.
Districts are required by law to fulfill hundreds of unfunded or underfunded mandates as established by the state and federal governments.
Marcellus Shale
New drilling technologies have made the Marcellus Shale region attractive to gas production companies, and will have significant short- and long-term economic and community impact.
Open Records, Right-to-Know
About Pennsylvania’s open records law, which permits requesters the right to inspect and duplicate certain records of government agencies.
Pension Reform
Over the next few years, the PSERS employer contribution rate is expected to increase by as much as 700%. The seeds for such a large rate increase were sown in part by the passage of Act 9 of 2001, and by the recent economic downturn.
Contracts & Strikes
Data on professional and classified contracts, negotiations and strike update, Act 88 fact-finding, school employee strikes
Public School Salaries
Information on public school salaries, including the five-year review of average annual salaries, annual salary study; salary data on school management, teacher and substute teacher, and supplemental positions.
Schools & School Boards
School facts and figures, school director profile, surveys on board operations, post-election board turnover, and finding and using substitute teachers.
School Funding & Finance
School funding and budgets, COLAs, mandates, average weekly wage (SAWW), actual instructional expense, consumer price index (CPI), revenue and expenditures, Pension Study Committee report.
Tax Reform, Act 1 of 2006
Act 1 of 2006, surveys on Act 1 ballot and local tax study commissions, tax reform.