Daily postings from the Keystone State Education Coalition now
reach more than 3500 Pennsylvania education policymakers – school directors,
administrators, legislators, legislative and congressional staffers, Governor's
staff, current/former PA Secretaries of Education, Superintendents, PTO/PTA
officers, parent advocates, teacher leaders, business leaders, education
professors, members of the press and a broad array of P-16 regulatory agencies,
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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for
November 7, 2014:
Statewide coverage - Pennsylvania
EPLC "Focus on Education"
TV Program on PCN - Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 p.m.
Education Policy and Leadership
Center
Guest 1: Kathy Manderino, Campaign Manager of the new Campaign for Fair
Education Funding and Former
Pennsylvania State
Guest 2: Pennsylvania State
Representative and House Education Committee Chairman Paul Clymer who is planning to retire on November 30,
at the end of the current legislative session
All EPLC "Focus on Education" TV shows are hosted by EPLC President Ron Cowell.
Visit the EPLC and the Pennsylvania School Funding Project web sites for various resources related to school funding, adequacy and equity issues.
All EPLC "Focus on Education" TV shows are hosted by EPLC President Ron Cowell.
Visit the EPLC and the Pennsylvania School Funding Project web sites for various resources related to school funding, adequacy and equity issues.
Racial bias evident in Pa.
Mostly White
districts get more aid per student than equally poor districts with more
students of color.
the notebook By Dale Mezzacappa on Nov 6, 2014 10:39 AM
During the gubernatorial campaign, advocates emphasized that Pennsylvania is one of
the few states that has no education funding formula. In other words, it has no
rational, predictable, enrollment-based system for distributing state school
aid. The process now in place is based
on an accumulation of old formulas and ad hocdecisions made over
decades. And a new analysis shows in dramatic fashion that
this system, now under review by a special legislative commission, has a
discriminatory impact based on race.
Data analyst David Mosenkis of Mount Airy
Acting Secretary of Education
Announces Results of 2013-14 School Performance Profile; Strong Performance in
72 Percent of Schools
PDE Press Release November 06, 2014
Harrisburg – Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced the results of the 2013-14 School Performance Profile – www.paschoolperformance.org – that show 2,134 of 2,947, or 72 percent, public school buildings earning a 70 or higher. Compared to the 2012-13 profile, the percentage of schools with a 70 or higher has held steady at 72 percent. “These results show that, compared to 2012-13, the majority of our public schools are performing well even though the state has recently revised its academic standards and is transitioning to more rigorous assessments,” Dumaresq said. “I am pleased that our students and educators continue to meet the challenge of more rigorous academic programs, and I congratulate them for a job well done.”
PDE Press Release November 06, 2014
Harrisburg – Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced the results of the 2013-14 School Performance Profile – www.paschoolperformance.org – that show 2,134 of 2,947, or 72 percent, public school buildings earning a 70 or higher. Compared to the 2012-13 profile, the percentage of schools with a 70 or higher has held steady at 72 percent. “These results show that, compared to 2012-13, the majority of our public schools are performing well even though the state has recently revised its academic standards and is transitioning to more rigorous assessments,” Dumaresq said. “I am pleased that our students and educators continue to meet the challenge of more rigorous academic programs, and I congratulate them for a job well done.”
The results for each public
school in Pennsylvania
By Eleanor Chute and Mary Niederberger / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette November 6, 2014 2:49
PM
The overall results of the second round of state School
Performance Profiles is much the same as the first: 72 percent of public
schools statewide scored 70 or higher.
The state Department of Education Thursday released the
profiles, which include academic building scores of up to 107 when seven points
of possible extra credit are added. The profiles cover 2,947 public schools,
including charter schools. A total of 2,134 scored 70 or higher. The results for each public school in Pennsylvania can be found on the Internet at
paschoolperformance.org.
The SPP score is based largely on the results of the Pennsylvania System
of School Assessment tests, the state-required end-of-course Keystone Exams,
and the amount of growth students showed in one year as measured by the
Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System.
Other factors considered include graduation rates, attendance,
participation in Advanced Placement courses and PSAT, and advanced scores on
state and industry standards-based competency assessments.
"For some districts, in many cases
those in affluent communities with healthy tax bases, the scores were
affirming. For others, it was one more
indicator that the state's funding system penalizes lower-income communities
that have grappled with budget cuts over the last few years. …. Ten of the
14 cyber charters performed worse this year. The highest performer, 21st
Century Cyber in Downingtown, scored 66, below the minimum target of 70."
Pa.
KATHY BOCCELLA, DYLAN PURCELL, AND KRISTEN A. GRAHAM, INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS LAST UPDATED: Friday,
November 7, 2014, 1:08 AM POSTED: Thursday, November 6, 2014, 5:56 PM
For a second consecutive year, Downingtown STEM
Academy Philadelphia 's suburbs: Central Bucks High
School East and Lower Merion's Merion Elementary in Montgomery County
Grades for Pennsylvania
Trib Live By Megan Harris Friday, Nov. 7, 2014, 12:01 a.m.
Grades for Pennsylvania public schools dropped marginally in 2013-14, data from the state Department of Education show. School performance results from 2012-13 show nearly 73 percent of schools received a 70 or higher on a 100-point scale, about half a percentage point higher than in 2013-14. Statewide, no county's grade rose or fell more than five points from its average in 2012-13.Butler
County
Grades for Pennsylvania public schools dropped marginally in 2013-14, data from the state Department of Education show. School performance results from 2012-13 show nearly 73 percent of schools received a 70 or higher on a 100-point scale, about half a percentage point higher than in 2013-14. Statewide, no county's grade rose or fell more than five points from its average in 2012-13.
Schools in Pine-Richland, Mt. Lebanon, Moon Area and West
Jefferson Hills recorded the highest overall scores — all nearing 100 — while
schools in Pittsburgh, McKeesport Area and Propel showed the greatest
improvement, about 20 points each.
At 77.27, Allegheny
County
Pennsylvania school report
cards had no game changer for Gov. Tom Corbett
By Adam Clark, Jacqueline Palochko,Of The Morning Call November 7, 2014
Two days after election, Pennsylvania
releases school report cards.
The percentage of Pennsylvania schools that scored a 70 or
above on the School Performance Profile held steady at about 72
percent, the same as last year. The Department of Education's only mention of
improved achievement is that the number of schools scoring below 60 decreased
by nearly 1 percent.
Days after election, Pa.
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN
MCCORRY NOVEMBER 6, 2014
The Pennsylvania Department of Education released a trove of
academic data Thursday -– more than a month later in the year than usual. For the second year in a row, the state
downplayed year-to-year trends in standardized test score results, instead
trumpeting its School Performance Profile – an aggregate measure that
takes into account holistic factors including graduation rates and student
progress. In 2013-14, 72 percent of the
state's public schools earned a 70 or higher on the SPP scale. The Department
of Education considers 70 the benchmark of proficiency.
Compared with last year's metrics, the percentage of schools
with a SPP score 70 or higher has held steady at 72 percent.
More Pa.
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com on November 06, 2014
at 8:03 PM, updated November 06, 2014 at 11:13 PM
From a quick glance at the 2013-14 report card on Pennsylvania's public schools, it
appears little has changed from the previous year. Seventy-two percent attained an overall
academic score of 70 or better on a 100-point scale, which is the same
percentage from the year before. But a
deeper dive into the scores released publicly Thursday for the state's nearly
3,000 public schools shows a disturbing setback. More schools saw their score decline last
year from the prior year. Specifically, 1,539 schools experienced a drop in
their score and 1,405 either improved or stayed the same.
By Alyssa Passeggio | The Express-Times on November 06,
2014 at 5:15 PM, updated November 06, 2014 at 7:01 PM
It's the second year the state's issued the School Performance
Profiles, which are based on test scores as well as graduation and
promotion rates, increasing achievement of all students, and year-over-year
student academic growth. A score of 70
or better out of a possible 100 is considered an indicator that a school is in
good shape on track for success, state officials have said. All districts were provided the profiles this
fall since they're being used in educator evaluation systems, the department
said. Bethlehem Area
School District
For a look at how schools in Northampton and Lehigh counties ranked,
search by district, level of school or school name below.
Philly schools get mixed
results on state performance measure
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY
NEWS STAFF WRITER LEACHS@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-854-5903 POSTED: Friday,
November 7, 2014, 3:01 AM
THE STATE Department of Education yesterday released the
2013-14 School Performance Profiles for every public school in the
commonwealth, and roughly one in six Philadelphia schools was rated as
high-performing, district officials said.
Thirty-four of the district's 214 schools, or about 16 percent, earned a
score of 70 or higher, which the state considers high-performing. That's
virtually unchanged compared to 38 out of 242 district schools a year ago (24
schools were closed after the 2012-13 year).
Statewide, 72 percent of schools scored 70 or higher, the same figure as
a year ago, according to Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq.
In its second year, the SPP is calculated based on statewide
assessments; year-to-year student academic growth; graduation, attendance and
promotion rates; and academic growth for historically low-performing groups,
such as English-language learners and low-income students.
Starting this year, student growth data from the SPP will be
used as part of the new teacher evaluation system. As a result, the state gave
districts several weeks to review and verify the data to ensure accuracy. In Philadelphia ,
85 schools earned higher ratings, while 127 saw their ratings decline.
State releases school
performance scores
the notebook By David Limm on Nov 6, 2014 03:33 PM
The state's Education Department today released the scores it uses to rate Pennsylvania 's public schools. The number of schools meeting the state's
standard stayed flat this year, Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq announced
Thursday. Nearly three-quarters of the state's 2,947 district and charter
schools, she said, received scores of 70 or higher.
Schools are rated on a scale of 0 to 100 (107 with extra
credit), and Dumaresq has previously said that a score of 70 is the state's
benchmark for schools on the right track.
“These results show that, compared to 2012-13, the majority of
our public schools are performing well, even though the state has recently
revised its academic standards and is transitioning to more rigorous
assessments,” said Dumaresq in a press release.
Last school year was the first when schools began to partially
integrate the Pennsylvania Core Standards, the state's version of the
nationally aligned Common Core State Standards, into classrooms and on tests.
Beginning this year, the state will begin using student PSSA scores to evaluate
its teachers.
School scores provide data
for educators, community
The state
released results from 2013-14 on Thursday
York Daily Record By
Angie Mason amason@ydr.com @angiemason1
on Twitter 11/07/2014 06:01:32 AM
EST
Scores aimed at showing how schools around Pennsylvania are performing were released by
the state education department on Thursday.
In the School Performance Profile (SPP) system, every school is given a
score on a scale of 100. The number is based on several measures of performance
including state test scores, data that measures how much progress students make
in a year, graduation rates, attendance rates, and more.
"It is highly unusual for a sitting
Senate majority leader to be challenged; Republicans have controlled the state
Senate since 1980."
Pileggi faces a challenge for
Pa.
By Kate Giammarise / Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette November 6, 2014 10:47 PM
HARRISBURG — In a move that could mean a more conservative
shift in what has been a body controlled by moderate Republicans, Sen. Jake
Corman, R-Centre, will challenge Republican Majority Leader Sen. Dominic
Pileggi, R-Delaware, for his post in leadership elections next week, according
to several Senators and staff members. It
is highly unusual for a sitting Senate majority leader to be challenged;
Republicans have controlled the state Senate since 1980.
Mr. Corman’s office did not return a call seeking comment
Thursday. But in a letter to Republican senators obtained by the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, he said as majority leader he “will strive to establish ... unity
as we tackle the challenges of continual structural deficits and the Wolf
Administration in the future.” Senators
will have a behind-closed-doors vote on their leadership Wednesday in Harrisburg .
GOP
fight brewing in state Senate
Penn Live By Marc Levy | The Associated Press on November 06, 2014 at
1:38 PM, updated November 06, 2014 at 1:39 PM
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader
Dominic Pileggi is expected to face a challenge to his leadership for the first
time in eight years — a move that signals growing conservative influence in the
powerful Republican caucus just as Democratic Gov.-elect Tom Wolf prepares to
take office. Republican senators told
The Associated Press on Thursday that they expect Appropriations Committee
Chairman Jake Corman of Centre
County to challenge Pileggi, who is
from Delaware County Philadelphia 's
politically moderate suburbs.
Lawmaker asks state to delay
action on York City
A York County lawmaker has asked Gov. Tom Corbett's
administration to tap the brakes on financial recovery efforts at the York City
School District D-York City
Pa. auditor general launches
statewide intermediate unit review, starting in Lancaster County
The state auditor general is launching a focused review of
public intermediate units, beginning with Lancaster-Lebanon IU13. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said
Thursday the goal is to ferret out wasteful spending and, he hopes, funnel
money back into the schools. IUs provide
education services to schools throughout Pennsylvania .
DePasquale’s office will review contracts, contracted employees and procurement
processes between IUs and the state Department of Education.
Diane Ravitch's Blog By dianeravitch November 6, 2014
While Republicans made big gains across the nation, Pennsylvania was a stark
exception. Democrat Tom Wolf beat Republican Governor Tom Corbett by a large
margin. The main issue of the campaign was Corbett’s devastating cuts to public
schools. Other budget-cutting governors won; why was Corbett whipped? Here is the answer: Parent power. Parents never forgot what Corbett did and they
built a grassroots movement to keep alive the voters’ memory and outrage about
what Corbett had done to public schools.
Jesse Ramey–the blogger Yinzercation–explains here the victory strategy.
Parents were relentless. They never gave up.
Philadelphia City Council Hearings
on High-stakes Testing and the Opt-Out Movement, Wednesday, November 19, 2014,
3—5 PM
Education Committee of Philadelphia City Council
Wednesday, November 19, 2014, 3—5 PM, Room 400 City Hall
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, Councilman Mark
Squilla and The Opt-Out Committee of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public
Schools urge all who care about the future of education to attend: Parents, students and educators will testify
on the effects of over-testing on students and teaching, including the crisis
of the Keystone Exams as a graduation requirement.
Information: Alison McDowell or Lisa Haver
at: philaapps@gmail.com
DelCo Rising: Winning for
Education Nov18
7:00PM - 9:00PM
601 N. LANSDOWNE AVENUEDREXEL HILL, PA 19026
Delaware County students and taxpayers have sacrificed enough.
The state is not paying its fair share. Rising property taxes and school
budget cuts are not acceptable–help us change that.
Join your neighbors for a community workshop: Delco
Rising: Winning for Education
Learn about Pre-K for PA and the
Statewide Campaign for Fair Education Funding and how they can help your
community
Practice winning strategies to
advocate for your community
Create an advocacy plan that works
for you—whether you have 5 minutes or 5 days per month
This non-partisan event is free and open to the public.
Click here to download a PDF flyer to
share.
Webinar: Arts Education - Research Shows Arts Education Boosts
Learning, So Where's the Rush to Teach Arts?
Education Writers Association NOVEMBER 12, 2014
- 1:00PM - 2:00PM
Decades of research suggest that some types of arts education
can lead to academic improvements. But even though No Child Left Behind
designated arts a core subject, student access to dance, theater and visual
arts declined between 2000 and 2010. What are the challenges educators
face in teaching a discipline many researchers say spurs student achievement,
reduces absences and boosts graduation rates? This webinar will look at
state-level arts education policy and student access to arts programs, the arts
education research landscape, and offer a spotlight on city programs that are
galvanizing arts education.
Panelists:
James Catterall, Centers for
Research on Creativity, Professor Emeritus, UCLA
Sandra Ruppert, Director, Arts
Education Partnership
Moderator:
Mary Plummer, Southern California
Public Radio
Children with Autism - Who’s Eligible? How to get ABA services?
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
United Way Building 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
Philadelphia, 19103
Join us on November 19th, 2014 to discuss eligibility services for children with Autism. This
session will teach parents, teachers, social workers and attorneys how to
obtain Applied Behavioral Analysis services for children on the autism
spectrum. Presenters include Sonja Kerr (Law Center), Rachel Mann
(Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania), Dr. Lisa Blaskey (The Children's
Hospital of Pennsylvania), and David Gates (PA Health Law Project).
Registration: bit.ly/1sOY6jX
Register Now – 2014 PASCD
Annual Conference – November 23 – 25, 2014
Please join us for the 2014 PASCD Annual Conference, “Leading
an Innovative Culture for Learning – Powered by Blendedschools Network” to
be held November 23-25 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in
Hershey, PA. Featuring Keynote Speakers: David Burgess - - Author
of "Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your
Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator", Dr. Bart Rocco,
Bill Sterrett - ASCD author, "Short on Time: How do I Make
Time to Lead and Learn as a Principal?" and Ron Cowell.
This annual conference features small group sessions (focused
on curriculum, instructional, assessment, blended learning and middle level
education) is a great opportunity to stay connected to the latest approaches
for cultural change in your school or district. Join us for PASCD
2014! Online registration is available by visiting www.pascd.org
January 23rd–25th, 2015 at The Science Leadership
Academy , Philadelphia
EduCon is both a conversation and a conference.
It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both
in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will
be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the
big dreams.
