Parent Communication Guide for Pennsylvania Teachers

Pennsylvania is a state that rewards teachers who communicate clearly and consistently. The Keystone Exams are genuine graduation requirements with real consequences for students who do not meet them, and many parents do not understand the system until it becomes urgent. Philadelphia and Allentown have large communities of families who speak Spanish or Arabic as their primary language and deserve communication in those languages from day one, not only during crises. And Lancaster County's Amish families need paper newsletters because they do not use email. Getting these pieces right from the start of your first year will make every parent interaction you have afterward easier.

What Pennsylvania parents expect from classroom communication

Pennsylvania parents generally expect teachers to communicate regularly, explain test results in plain language, and give families enough lead time before important deadlines to take action. In the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia, many families have experienced schools that sent communication only in English despite the family's primary language being Spanish or Arabic. Building bilingual communication into your routine from the first week signals respect and builds the trust that improves everything else.

In Lancaster County, Amish and Mennonite families have their own expectations. These families want to be informed, but their communication channels are limited to what can be delivered on paper. They are not difficult to reach if you build the right system. They become invisible only when schools assume digital-first delivery is sufficient.

Pennsylvania law and what it means for your classroom

22 Pa. Code §4.52 establishes the state's assessment communication framework. 22 Pa. Code §12.1 covers student rights and responsibilities. The Pennsylvania Right to Know Law gives families rights to public school records. Together, these create specific expectations for classroom teachers:

• Proactive progress communication: Pennsylvania's parental rights framework expects that families are informed of academic concerns before they see a report card. If a student in your class is struggling significantly, communicate with the family early. A note home in October prevents a difficult conversation in January.
• PSSA interpretation: Parents of students in grades 3 through 8 receive PSSA score reports in the mail or through the school. Your newsletter should explain what the four performance levels (Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced) mean relative to grade-level expectations and what you are doing in the classroom to support students at each level.
• Keystone Exam communication (high school): For high school teachers, the Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Literature, and Biology are graduation requirements. You are not the counselor, but you are often the first person parents ask about whether their student is on track. Know the basics of the system so you can answer questions accurately and direct families to the counselor for detailed guidance.
• Conference participation: Pennsylvania schools must offer parent-teacher conferences. Your newsletter should communicate dates, how parents can schedule, and what to bring or prepare.

Reaching Pennsylvania's diverse urban communities

Philadelphia's diversity is well known, but the Lehigh Valley, particularly Allentown, often surprises new teachers with the depth of its Spanish-speaking community. Allentown has one of the highest ELL concentrations of any mid-size city in the United States, with roots in Puerto Rican migration that accelerated in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Philadelphia has significant Spanish-speaking communities in multiple neighborhoods, plus a substantial Arabic-speaking population drawn from Iraqi, Yemeni, and Egyptian immigrant communities. The Bhutanese refugee community in Altoona, which arrived in waves starting in the late 2000s, brought Nepali as another language schools in Central Pennsylvania needed to accommodate.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires meaningful access to communications for families with limited English proficiency. For your classroom specifically, this means checking with your school's ELL coordinator or family liaison before assuming all families can engage with English-only newsletters. Build bilingual formatting into your template from the start. It is far easier to maintain a bilingual newsletter than to explain to a parent why they were not informed.

Reaching Amish families in Lancaster County

Teaching in Lancaster County is a specific experience. Old Order Amish families do not use email, do not have home internet, and in many cases do not have phones in their homes. Paper newsletters sent home with students are the primary communication channel that works.

Write your newsletter for a print-first audience if you teach in districts like Pequea Valley, Solanco, or Eastern Lancaster County where Amish enrollment is significant. Use simple layouts that look clean on a standard printed page. Avoid multi-column designs that look cluttered when printed. Write in direct, plain English without education jargon. Pennsylvania Dutch is the home language, but families in these communities read English in print. Translation into Pennsylvania Dutch is not necessary.

Ask your principal which students on your roster are from Old Order Amish families. The front office typically knows. For those students, ensure paper newsletters go home consistently, not just when something important happens.

PSSA communication for grades 3 through 8

PSSA tests ELA and math in grades 3 through 8, and science in grades 4 and 8. The four performance levels are Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Testing happens in the spring, and scores arrive in the summer and early fall.

Before testing: give families two to three weeks of advance notice. Explain what PSSA assesses at your grade level, when your students will test, and what helps most (keeping normal routines, making sure students get good sleep during testing week, maintaining attendance).

When scores arrive: write a newsletter section explaining the four levels in plain language. Proficient means the student is meeting Pennsylvania's grade-level standards. Below Basic means the student needs significant additional support. Describe what you are doing in the classroom to address gaps. For third-grade ELA in particular, Pennsylvania's emphasis on reading proficiency means parents of struggling readers need clear information about what intervention programs the school provides.

Keystone Exam communication for high school teachers

Pennsylvania's Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Literature, and Biology are graduation requirements. Students typically take the Algebra I Keystone after completing Algebra I (often in 9th grade), the Literature Keystone in 11th grade, and the Biology Keystone after completing Biology.

Students who do not achieve proficiency have options: a project-based assessment (a portfolio submitted through the school), additional test attempts, or in some cases alternative pathways approved by PDE. These options exist, but they require planning.

Your newsletter role as a classroom teacher is to make sure parents understand the stakes early. A September newsletter for parents of 9th graders that explains the Keystone system and tells them which exam their student will take this year, and what the proficiency threshold is, prevents a lot of surprised parents in 11th grade. Point families to the school counselor for individual graduation planning conversations.

Building a Pennsylvania communication routine that lasts the full year

Pennsylvania school years are shaped by PSSA in the spring, Keystone Exams throughout the year, and the particular challenges of reaching diverse communities across a wide geographic range. New teachers often communicate well in September and October, then go quiet when the academic pressure builds.

The antidote is a template that makes each newsletter fast to produce. Sections that stay the same (upcoming dates, a classroom snapshot, a compliance section) mean you only need to update the fresh content each week or month. Daystage makes this easy with Pennsylvania-specific classroom templates. Set up once, update regularly, and publish in both digital and print formats without reformatting. No credit card required for the free plan.