The opening week of Pennsylvania’s high school football season is in the books, and it was filled with some big-time individual performances.
But who had the best showing?
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Check out the list below and then vote in the poll at the bottom to let us know who you think Pennsylvania’s top player was for games played Aug. 25-26.
The poll, sponsored by Renewal by Andersen of Central PA, will be closed at noon Wednesday. The winner will be announced on PennLive.com on Thursday. Don’t see someone you believes belongs on the list? Coaches, fans, players be sure to follow @SportsByBlinder on Twitter to let us know when you believe someone should be included in this weekly poll.
Check out this week’s top performances below:
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Caullin Summers, QB, Sharpsville — Summer accounted for 515 yards — 411 passing, 104 rushing — and seven passing touchdowns in a 49-42 win over Wilmington.
Quadir Stribling, QB, Serra Catholic — Stribling was 32 of 48 passing for 429 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-42 loss to North Catholic.
Tyler Shuey, QB, Hamburg — Shuey accounted for 428 yards — 356 on 10 of 14 passing, 72 rushing — and six touchdowns — four passing, two rushing — in a 49-19 win over Halifax.
Vann Kavals, QB, OLSH — Kavals accounted for 401 yards – 350 passing, 51 rushing — and threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 32-10 win over Shenango.
Steve Vandiver, QB, Imani Christian — Vandiver accounted for 386 yards — 267 passing, 119 rushing — and a touchdown in a 42-27 loss to Steel-High.
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Matt Zollers, QB, Spring-Ford — Zollers accounted for 378 yards —306 passing, 72 rushing —and six touchdowns — four passing, two rushing — in a 49-19 win over Governor Mifflin.
Gavin Sidwar, QB, La Salle College — Sidwar threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-3 win over North Penn.
Danny Darno, QB, Notre Dame-Green Pond — Darno accounted for 320 yards — 188 passing, 132 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 48-20 win over Saucon Valley.
Eli Muthler, QB, Central Martinsburg — Muthler threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Bellefonte.
Payton Wehner, QB, Central Catholic — Wehner was 17 of 19 passing for 304 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-7 win over Woodland Hills.
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Jake Wolfe, QB, Montour — Wolfe accounted for 302 yads — 198 passing, 104 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 37-28 win over Mars.
Brady Heiser, QB, Gettysburg — Heiser accounted for 299 yards — 178 passing, 121 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 36-35 loss to Hershey.
Tyler Gee, QB, Loyalsock — Gee accounted for 292 yards — 231 passing, 61 rushing — and three touchdowns — two passing, one rushing —in a 25-21 win over Berks Catholic.
Drew Branstetter, QB, Camp Hill — Branstetter accounted for 287 yards — 265 passing, 22 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 21-0 win over Newport.
Drew Wyland, QB, Hollidaysburg — Wyland accounted for 282 yards — 103 passing, 179 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 21-13 win over Altoona.
Shawn Lee Jr., QB, Harrisburg — Lee Jr. accounted for 277 yards — 183 passing, 94 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 50-20 win over York.
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Hayden Johnson, QB, Manheim Township — Johnson threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another in a 35-6 win over Cumberland Valley.
Vitali Daniels, QB, Bentworth — Daniels threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more in a 42-6 win over Brownsville.
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Conner McChesney, QB, Fort LeBoeuf — McChesney accounted for 277 yards and four touchdowns in a 29-0 win over Conneaut.
Madden Patrick, QB, Danville — Patrick accounted for 266 yards — 235 passing, 31 rushing — and five touchdowns — four passing, one rushing — in a 53-6 win over Bloomsburg.
Matt Sieg, QB, Fort Cherry — Sieg accounted for 266 yards — 196 rushing, 70 passing — and four touchdown in a 42-6 win over Northgate.
Semaj Beals, QB, Roman Catholic — Beals threw for 264 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Wilson.
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Jaivin Peel, QB, Western Beaver — Peel threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-14 loss to Beaver.
Aiden Hess, QB, Catasauqua — Hess accounted for 257 yards — 213 passing, 44 rushing — and six touchdowns in a 48-22 win over Northern Lehigh.
Stone Saundes, QB, Bishop McDevitt — Saunders threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-14 win over Mount St. Joseph.
Pace Prosser, QB, Berlin Brothersvalley — Prosser accounted for 253 yards — 223 passing, 30 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 45-21 win over Claysburg-Kimmel.
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Alex Erby, QB, Steel-High — Erby threw for 248 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score in a 42-27 win over Imani Christian.
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Jacob Stephenson, QB, Waynesburg Central — Stephenson accounted for 243 yards — 143 passing, 100 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Carmichaels.
Tyree Turner, QB, Greensburg Central Catholic — Turner threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-24 win over Mt. Pleasant.
Derek Gibney, QB, Susquenita — Gibney threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-22 loss to West Perry.
Brad Rissmiller, QB, Pen Argyl — Rissmiller accounted for 231 yards — 179 passing on 6 of 6 passing, 52 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 49-20 win over Wilson Area.
Trevor Minalda, QB, North Schuylkill — Minalda threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-27 win over Mount Carmel.
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Keith Oates, QB, East Pennsboro — Oates threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for another score, and had 7.5 tackles in a 37-6 win over York Suburban.
Zander Telesz, QB, Hickory — Telesz threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score in a 45-7 win over Harbor Creek.
Caleb Wray, QB, Trinity — Wray passed for 208 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-12 win over Delone Catholic.
Trevor Smith, QB, Indiana — Smith threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over Freeport.
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Anthony Piasecki, QB, Connellsville — Piasecki threw for 175 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-13 win over Albert Gallatin.
Demaj Jalloh, QB, CD East — Jalloh threw for 167 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-6 win over Reading High.
Colt Sprankle, QB, Armstrong — Sprankle threw for 157 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-16 win over Valley.
Brody Almashy, QB, South Side — Almashy ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns in a 22-16 win over East Allegheny.
John Wetzel, QB, Latrobe — Wetzel threw for 136 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-14 win over Derry.
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Kye Harting, QB, Garden Spot — Hartin threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 42-3 win over Conrad Weiser.
Codi Mullen, QB, Knoch — Mullen threw four touchdowns in a 45-38 win over Hampton.
Brady Zapoticky, QB, Dallas — Zapoticky threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in a 31-28 win over Abington Heights.
Luke Hostetler, RB, Windber — Hostetler ran for 320 yards and four touchdowns in a 51-6 win over Glendale.
Evan Johnson, RB, Twin Valley — Johnson accounted for 303 yards — 278 rushing, 35 receiving — and two touchdowns in a 44-13 win over Schuylkill Valley.
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Juelz Goff, RB, Central York — Goff ran for 299 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-35 win over Central Dauphin.
Messiah Mickens, RB, Trinity — Mickens accounted for 251 yards — 185 rushing, 66 receiving — and three touchdowns in a 49-12 win over Delone Catholic.
Zack Fox, RB, Nanticoke — Fox accounted for 263 yards — 242 rushing, 21 on two catches — and three touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Carbondale Area.
Brady Mizenko, RB, Hazelton Area — Mizenko ran for 256 yards and a touchdown in a 28-7 win over Pittston Area.
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Landon Johnson, RB, Riverview — Johnson ran for 237 yards and a touchdown in a 41-20 win over Beth-Center.
Jake Williams, RB, ELCO — Williams ran for 231 yards and five touchdowns on nine carries and returned a kick 88 yards for a score in a 42-18 win over West York.
Cameron Epps, RB, South Allegheny — Epps ran for 226 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over Yough.
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Ben Miller, RB, Wilmington — Miller ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-42 loss to Sharpsville.
J.J. Ganska, RB, Mercyhurst Prep — Ganska rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown in a 43-14 win over Fairview.
Ethen Knox, RB, Oil City — Knox ran for 218 yards and six touchdowns in a 76-0 win over Warren.
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Das’jon Craggette, RB, South Moreland — Craggette ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-6 win over McGuffey.
John Jablunovsky, RB, Ligonier Valley — Jablunovsky ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over Springdale.
Bryce Keller, RB, Annville-Cleona — Keller ran for 208 yards and a touchdown in a 52-19 win over Hanover.
Neamiah Ewell, RB, Harrisburg — Ewell had 10 carries for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 50-20 win over York.
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Levi Porter, RB, Indiana — Porter accounted for 206 yards — 110 receiving, 96 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over Freeport.
Alex McCartney, RB, Bellwood-Antis — McCartney ran for 204 yards and a touchdown in a 33-12 loss to Penns Valley.
Tyler Welsh, RB, Freedom — Welsh ran for 203 yards and a touchdown in a 25-7 loss to Freedom.
Brandon Biagiarelli, RB, Avonworth — Biagiarelli ran for 201 yards and a touchdown in a 35-14 win over Avon Grove.
Boyd Skarbek, RB, Pope John Paul II — Skarbek ran for 197 yards and a touchdown in a 22-0 win over Chambersburg.
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Gabe Green, RB, Bethlehem Liberty — Green ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-0 win over Dieruff.
Aaron Crossley, RB, Wyoming Area — Crossley ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Tunkhannock.
Justin Kaplan, RB, Palmyra — Kaplan ran for 192 yards and two touchdowns in a 51-7 win over Lebanon.
Drew Engle, RB, Twin Valley — Engle ran for 192 yards and a touchdown in a 44-13 win over Schuylkill Valley.
Ty Watson, RB, Penns Valley — Watson ran for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 33-12 win over Bellwood-Antis.
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Grady Snyder, RB, Central Cambria — Snyder accounted for 191 yards — 145 rushing, 46 receiving — and three touchdowns in a 15-10 win over McCort-Carroll. He also intercepted a pass.
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Dimajio Locante, RB, Keystone Oaks — Locante ran for 188 yards and the game-winning touchdown in a 7-6 win over Deer Lakes.
Evan McCracken, RB, Richland — McCracken accounted for 186 yards — 171 rushing, 15 receiving — and three touchdowns in a 26-21 win over Penn Cambria.
Eric Doerue, RB, South Park — Doerue ran for 183 yards and a touchdown in a 22-16 win over East Allegheny.
Josh Vinton, RB, Western Wayne — Vinton ran for 177 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-13 win over Lake-Lehman.
Tucker Teats, RB, Selinsgrove — Teats accounted for 173 yads — 140 rushing, 33 receiving — and two touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Delaware Valley.
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Hunter App, RB, Otto-Eldred/Oswayo Valley — App ran for 172 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-22 win over Elk County Catholic.
Jack Fennell, RB, North Catholic — Fennell ran for 171 yards and three touchdowns and also returned an interception 39 yards for a score in a 49-32 win over Serra Catholic.
Dakota Sary, RB, Lower Dauphin — Sary ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-0 win over Middletown.
Angel Cabrera, RB, Hershey — Cabrera ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-35 win over Gettysburg.
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Carlo Buzzato, RB, Riverview — Buzzato ran for 164 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Beth-Center.
Cole Bartram, RB, Northern — Bartram ran for 164 yards and a touchdown in a 13-7 win over Red Land.
Ayden Harris, RB, Downingtown East — Harris ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns in a 43-0 win over Pennridge.
Elijah Palmer-McCane, RB, Ellwood City — Palmer-McCane ran for 161 yards and a touchdown in a 27-26 win over Brentwood.
Ronald Burnette, RB, Steel-High — Burnette ran for 157 yards and a touchdown in a 42-27 win over Imani Christian.
Tegan Veatch, RB, Beth-Center — Veatch ran for 156 yards and also returned a kickoff 72 yards for a score in a 41-20 loss to Riverview.
Preston Burnett, RB, Gettysburg — Burnett ran for 155 yards and a touchdown in a 36-35 loss to Hershey.
Zymere Hill, RB, Harrisburg — Hill ran six times for 152 yards and three touchdowns in a 50-20 win over York.
Karter Shrock, RB, Apollo-Ridge — Shrock ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 18-16 win over Leechburg.
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Chase Myers, RB, Council Rock South — Myers ran for 150 yards and a touchdown in a 27-3 win over William Tennent.
Nick Odom, RB, Plum — Odom ran for 149 yards and a touchdown in a 28-18 win over Kiski Area.
Issac Willinsky, RB, Portage — Willinsky ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-7 win over Conemaugh Valley.
Mason Dixon, RB, Central Valley — Dixon ran for 143 yards and a touchdown in a 36-35 win over Austintown Fitch, Ohio.
Naquan Prather, RB, CD East — Prather accounted for 141 yards — 96 rushing, 45 receiving — and three touchdowns in a 55-6 win over Reading.
Connor Green, RB, Big Spring — Green ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns and also had 7.5 tackles in a 17-14 loss to Greencastle-Antrim.
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Erik Schriver, RB, Cedar Cliff — Schriver rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-13 win over Shippensburg.
Isaiah Cobb, RB, Wyoming Valley West — Cobb ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-13 win over North Pocono.
Breydon Woods, RB, Waynesburg Central — Woods ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Carmichaels.
Caden Halajcio, RB, Montour — Halajcio ran for 133 yards and also caught a touchdown in a 37-28 win over Mars.
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Nate Deans, RB, South Fayette — Deanes ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-14 win over Chartiers Valley.
D’Antae Sheffey, RB, State College — Sheffey scored five touchdowns in a 49-20 win over Williamsport.
Qualan Cain, RB, Beaver — Cain ran for four touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Western Beaver.
Luke Winterbottom, RB, Plymouth Whitemarsh — Winterbottom, who is battling Hodgkin lymphoma and is slated to have a stem cell transplant in November, rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown in a 21-19 win over Upper Merion.
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Ty Werley, WR, Hamburg — Werley caught five passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-19 win over Halifax.
Reese Gaughan, WR, Riverside — Gaughan accounted for 252 yards — 145 receiving, 107 rushing — and accounted for four touchdowns — two receiving, one rushing, one passing — in a 47-39 win over West Scranton.
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Jacob Benton, WR, Central — Benton caught six passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Dalton Byerly, WR, Sharpsville — Byerly had nine catches for 219 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-42 win over Wilmington.
Mason Scott, WR, Spring-Ford — Scott had seven catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-19 win over Governor Mifflin.
Christopher Sholtis, WR, Lake-Lehman — Sholtis caught nine passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-13 loss to Western Wayne.
De’reon Washington, WR, Serra Catholic — Washington caught 13 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-42 loss to North Catholic.
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Benjamin Hays, WR, Bentworth — Hays had 184 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a 42-6 win over Brownsville.
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Jaylen Andrews, WR, Loyalsock — Andrews caught five passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-21 win over Berks Catholic.
Mateo Crummel, WR, Central Dauphin — Crummel accounted for 169 yards — 93 on two catches, 76 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 45-35 loss to Central York.
Samir Crosby, Greensburg Central Catholic — Crosby caught seven passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, threw for a touchdown and intercepted two passes in a 37-24 win over Mt. Pleasant.
Cody Patterson, WR, Freedom — Patterson caught 11 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-7 win over Quaker Valley.
Alex Moser, WR, Pen Argyl — Moser caught three passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns and returned a kick 81 yards for a score in a 49-20 win over Wilson Area.
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Dereon Greer, WR, OLSH — Greer caught eight passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-10 win over Shenango.
Manning Splain, WR, Otto-Eldred/Oswayo Valley — Splain caught eight passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-22 win over Elk County Catholic.
Sean Sullivan, WR, Thomas Jefferson — Sullivan caught six passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and also recovered a fumble in a 42-7 win over Franklin Regional.
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Rell Ceasar Jr., WR, Steel-High — Ceasar Jr. caught 10 passes for 138 yards in a 42-27 win over Imani Christian.
Carter Freeland, WR, Clearfield — Freeland caught seven passes for 136 yards and a touchdown in a 29-21 win over Tyrone.
Julian McFadden, WR, La Salle College — McFadden had two catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in a 34-3 win over North Penn.
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Ian Juica, WR, Catasauqua — Juica caught five passes for 125 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-22 win over Northern Lehigh.
Rico Scott, WR, Bishop McDevitt — Scott caught nine passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-14 win over Mount St. Joseph.
Aaron Johnson, WR, Danville — Johnson had four catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns in a 53-6 win over Bloomsburg.
Mason Fedor, WR, Abington Heights — Fedor had three touchdown catches in a 31-28 loss to Dallas.
Cohen Hoover, K, Lewisburg — Hoover kicked field goals of 39, 29 and 19 yards and also scored a touchdown on a fake punt in a 16-13 win over Shamokin.
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Damere Maxwell, LB, CD East — Maxwell had four sacks in a 55-6 win over Reading.
Michael Richardson, DE/OLB, Westinghouse — Richardson had 3.5 sacks in a 28-0 win over Clairton.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) is warning regional electricity grid operator PJM that the state will consider leaving the organization if it doesn’t do more to protect consumers against soaring power prices.
Shapiro’s letter marks a sharp escalation of his dispute with PJM, the largest U.S. wholesale power market and transmission coordinator, serving 65 million people from the Atlantic Seaboard to Chicago.
The risk of more power price escalation “threatens to undermine public confidence in PJM as an institution,” Shapiro said in his letter to Mark Takahashi, chair of PJM’s board of managers.
In a statement Tuesday, PJM said, “We appreciate the governor’s letter and have reached out to his office to discuss next steps.”
A group of lawmakers, university administrators and the head of the Department of Education heard Tuesday about the possibilities — and perils — of tying public funding of state-related universities at least in part to their performance and students’ academic outcomes.
The Performance-Based Funding Council was created by the General Assembly last summer and tasked with making recommendations on a performance-based funding formula by the end of April. Members include four lawmakers, Interim Acting Secretary of Education Angela Fitterer and three non-voting members from the state-related schools that would be affected: Penn State, Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh. Lincoln University, an HBCU and a fourth state-related university, would not be affected.
Currently, the three state-related schools collectively receive more than $550 million in state funding annually. The move to a performance-based funding formula has been supported by lawmakers from both parties, as well as Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“These legislative hearings offer a unique opportunity to fundamentally reassess how we align public resources and educational outcomes,” said Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford), the council chairperson. “I believe we need to show the public how those resources are used and why — why we invest in higher education.”
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More than 30 states already use a performance-based funding model. According to testimony heard by the council, the most common academic targets in states with performance-based funding models include graduation rates, student retention and degree or credential completion. But a potential formula could also take into account factors like research output, administrative efficiency, and employment rates of graduated students.
While policies vary greatly around the country, about 10% of money sent to four-year schools in states with performance-based funding formulas is based on the targeted metrics, according to testimony by Andrew Smalley, a policy specialist who focuses on higher education at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
But experts warned that coming up with a comprehensive formula can be “daunting.”
“Everyone knows that colleges and universities subject to these formulas find themselves in a bit of a Catch-22,” said Charles Ansell, vice president of research, policy and advocacy at Complete College America, a nonprofit focused on best practices in higher education. “They need funds for their performance and improved graduation rates, but they cannot access funds without demonstrating improvement first.”
One potential solution, another expert testified, could be awarding funds based on improvements at an individual school over time instead of an arbitrary benchmark, like graduation rate, that applies to all schools.
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Experts also warned that some performance-based funding models can exacerbate disparities in educational outcomes between high- and low-income students, and between white and minority students.
“Performance funding is typically tied to advantages for the advantaged students and disadvantages for the disadvantaged,” said Justin Ortagus, an associate professor of higher education administration and policy at the University of Florida. Though he noted that a funding formula can take these pitfalls into account by incentivizing enrollment and degree or certification attainment for students in impacted groups.
Speakers also highlighted the benefits of performance-based funding models. Ortagus noted that they can promote institutional accountability.
It could also provide predictability when it comes to school budgets.
As it stands, Pennsylvania’s method for funding these universities requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature, which has led to months-long delays in the past. Creating a predictable funding formula that would be distributed through the Department of Education would mean future appropriations would only require a simple majority.
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Moreover, lawmakers could use performance metrics to encourage specific educational outcomes. Part of the funding formula, for example, could rely on students enrolling or graduating in programs of study that would lead to them entering high-demand fields in the job market.
The state could also target specific outcomes based on goals like increasing low-income, veteran or minority student graduation rates, encouraging adult education and incentivizing students to enter high-demand jobs by focusing on particular majors. And the formula can be adapted when new needs or issues arise.
“It’s very common for states to revise these frequently,” Smalley said.
The council expects to hold three more hearings, some at the campuses of affected state-related universities. Its recommendations are due to the legislature and governor April 30.
NEWARK, Del. (WPVI) — If you feel like everyone around you is coughing and sneezing, it’s not your imagination.
The CDC says the level of respiratory illness, including flu, COVID, and RSV, is classified as “high” in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, while Delaware is classified as “very high.”
Doctors say they’re seeing it all.
“Everyone is sick. We have RSV going on. We have flu. We have COVID going on. We have GI distress. Essentially, you’re getting sick in some fashion,” said Dr. Theresa Metanchuk, the Regional Clinical Director for ChristianaCare.
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Dr. Claiborne Childs, the vice president of medical affairs at Riddle Hospital, is seeing the same thing.
“It’s sort of a confluence of all the different viruses all together. We’re seeing an uptick all around the hospital,” Childs said.
We’re at the center of the respiratory illness season.
“We still have some time to go. We have the rest of the month of January, February and early March,” said Dr. Childs.
That means there is still time to protect yourself with vaccines.
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Dr. Metanchuk said the latest statistics show this year’s flu shot is 40% beneficial, which she said is “better than nothing.”
“They’re meant to keep you out of the hospital. They are meant to limit how severe the illness makes you,” she said.
As people heal from those illnesses, their bodies are at greater risk.
“Whenever you get sick, our immune system has to get a chance to recuperate, bounce back, so we’re more likely to get sick with something else,” said Dr. Metanchuk.
Staying hydrated, working out, and eating healthy – common New Year’s resolutions – are good ideas for preventing these illnesses too.