HB 827 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for Cross-age Tutoring Program.

PRINTER'S NO.   854

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 827
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY FREEMAN, JAMES, GIRAL, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SANCHEZ,
        HILL-EVANS, KENYATTA, CERRATO, GREEN, CURRY, HANBIDGE, WAXMAN
        AND KAZEEM, MARCH 6, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 6, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
 6      providing for Cross-age Tutoring Program.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11   section to read:
12      Section 1529.    Cross-Age Tutoring Program.--(a)   The
13   Department of Education shall establish and publish on the
14   Department of Education's publicly accessible Internet website
15   evidence-based guidelines for the Cross-age Tutoring Program in
16   which public school students in grades eleven and twelve, under
17   the supervision of a certified teacher or paraprofessional, may
18   volunteer as a tutor to assist another student with their
19   studies. The guidelines shall, at a minimum, provide for the
 1   following:
 2      (1)    The qualifications of students eligible to serve as
 3   tutors.
 4      (2)    The qualifications of students eligible for tutoring.
 5      (3)    That participating tutors receive academic credits for
 6   serving as tutors.
 7      (4)    Ways to encourage students in grades eleven and twelve
 8   who are not meeting their academic benchmarks to volunteer for
 9   the program as tutors, if it is determined that serving as
10   tutors could improve their own academic performance.
11      (5)    Training for students serving as tutors.
12      (6)    Coordination with the certified teacher or
13   paraprofessional.
14      (7)    Structure of tutoring sessions for both content and
15   instruction delivery.
16      (8)    Frequency of tutoring sessions for both content and
17   instruction delivery.
18      (b)    The program shall be available to all public school
19   entities in this Commonwealth.
20      (c)    Tutoring services provided as part of the program may
21   not replace or diminish services provided by an employe of a
22   public school entity, but shall serve as a supplement to
23   instructional and educational services to aid in enhancing the
24   academic performance of the student to be tutored.
25      (d)    Nothing in this section shall be construed to:
26      (1)    Limit a public school entity's authority or ability to
27   develop and implement alternative cross-age tutoring programs.
28      (2)    Supersede or preempt the rights, remedies and procedures
29   afforded to school employes or labor organizations under Federal
30   or State law, including the act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563,

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 1   No.195), known as the "Public Employe Relations Act," or any
 2   provision of a collective bargaining agreement negotiated
 3   between a school employer and an exclusive representative of the
 4   employes in accordance with the "Public Employe Relations Act."
 5      (e)   As used in this section, the following words and phrases
 6   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
 7   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Cross-age tutoring."   Tutoring that a student in an upper
 9   grade level provides to a student in a lower grade level. The
10   term does not include tutoring that a student provides to a peer
11   in the same grade or in a higher grade.
12      "Paraprofessional."   An individual who provides services to
13   students to supplement an appropriately certified teacher in the
14   performance of the teacher's instructional duties.
15      "Program."   The Cross-age Tutoring Program established under
16   this section.
17      "Public school entity."   A school district, area career and
18   technical school, intermediate unit, charter school, regional
19   charter school and cyber charter school.
20      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 90 days.




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