State Board of Education
The State Board of Education consists of twenty-one members serving six-year terms, seventeen of whom are appointed by the governor with the approval of the Senate. The remaining four members are members of the House and Senate education committees. The membership is described in 24 PS § 26-2602-B. The Pennsylvania State Board of Education is divided into the Council of Basic Education and the Council of Higher Education. Under the powers delegated to it by the General Assembly, the State Board promulgates and adopts rules and regulations concerning educational programs in such areas as certification of school personnel, curriculum, pupil attendance and transportation, and special education. See 24 PS § 26-2603-B.
The State Board approves regulations through a regulatory process, which includes the publication of proposed rules in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. After comments and revision, the State Board gives approval to the regulations but the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, the House and Senate education committees, and the office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania must still approve them. When the regulations have been given final approval they are published in the Pennsylvania Code in volume 22. Statements of policy, standards, rules and regulations promulgated by the Board are binding on the Department of Education. See 24 PS § 26-2606-B.
School Code 24 PS §§ 26-2601-B - 26-2606-B