From the PG:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10187/1070670-53.stm
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Superintendent applied for position in Austin
On another post, Anonymous wrote:
"This is interesting.
http://mo.statesman.com/news/local/district-documents-reveal-applicants-for-superintendent-781558.html
Apparently Mr Roosevelt is not as committed to Pittsburgh as much as he professes!"
An Anonymous also noted a link to an article in the Tribune Review: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/education/s_688806.html.
- It is also interesting to consider this news about the superintendent applying for another position in February 2009 together with another news article from February 2009, reporting that the superintendent's house had been placed on the market: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_611123.html. In that article he stated that listing his house did not reflect on his commitment to Pittsburgh.
"This is interesting.
http://mo.statesman.com/news/local/district-documents-reveal-applicants-for-superintendent-781558.html
Apparently Mr Roosevelt is not as committed to Pittsburgh as much as he professes!"
An Anonymous also noted a link to an article in the Tribune Review: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/education/s_688806.html.
- It is also interesting to consider this news about the superintendent applying for another position in February 2009 together with another news article from February 2009, reporting that the superintendent's house had been placed on the market: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_611123.html. In that article he stated that listing his house did not reflect on his commitment to Pittsburgh.
"Thinking Skills"
On another post Anonymous wrote:
The Harlem's Children's Zone appears to be wonderful project and is certainly providing for the needs of children____educational and otherwise. We could replicate that here in Pittsburgh with results that would astound since in PA there is real clarity about the "Thinking Skills" needed to do well academically and in life. (In future posts I will list those skills, specifically.) If teachers were aware of those skills and taught them situationally as well as textually across content areas (including art, music and phys ed) we would see significant academic and life skills improvement___in the first year anywhere from 16% to 25% (personally accomplished with school districts) to 35% improvement. Professional Development for teachers on how people learn and strategies for teaching PSSA and PSAT "THINKING SKILLS" would see immediate 'quantum' leaps. Let me show you the way at no cost to the district! Nothing ventured nothing gained. We have the knowledge, but not the process____most likely due to greed and self-agrandizement._____It is not "laugh"able!
The Harlem's Children's Zone appears to be wonderful project and is certainly providing for the needs of children____educational and otherwise. We could replicate that here in Pittsburgh with results that would astound since in PA there is real clarity about the "Thinking Skills" needed to do well academically and in life. (In future posts I will list those skills, specifically.) If teachers were aware of those skills and taught them situationally as well as textually across content areas (including art, music and phys ed) we would see significant academic and life skills improvement___in the first year anywhere from 16% to 25% (personally accomplished with school districts) to 35% improvement. Professional Development for teachers on how people learn and strategies for teaching PSSA and PSAT "THINKING SKILLS" would see immediate 'quantum' leaps. Let me show you the way at no cost to the district! Nothing ventured nothing gained. We have the knowledge, but not the process____most likely due to greed and self-agrandizement._____It is not "laugh"able!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Test Scores -- PSSA-style
There's a thread about test scores at various high schools on the previous posting about the Promise. Those comments start on July 4th and list test scores for the PPS high schools.
On the Pure Reform website, this page has links to charts of performance from 2004 onward:
http://purereform.com/featured.html
The first link there compares changes in PPS versus state results as a whole. In a nutshell, any gains in the PPS have been mirrored by similar gains statewide. Whatever we're doing here isn't outdoing what everyone else is doing -- our scores don't seem to be improving any more than the statewide scores, despite all the changes.
There are a couple of things to remember as you read the test scores. HS students are only tested in 11th grade; younger students are tested in all grades 3-8. To compare schools solely on their scores is problematic, you should also consider demographics, magnet programs, etc.
This link at A+ Schools http://www.aplusschools.org/eq_reports_09.shtml gets you to the two page listings for each school. Those pages break out some of the information, like % of kids getting free or reduced lunch and scores by race, IEP, and by income status. There need to be 40 kids in a category for it to be broken out in the charts. For instance, in CAPA's 11th grade in 2009, there weren't enough kids with IEPs for their scores to be reported separately.
You can find the 2009 PSSA numbers for yourself at this site: http://paayp.emetric.net/
And you can find older PSSA results at this link:
http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442
On the Pure Reform website, this page has links to charts of performance from 2004 onward:
http://purereform.com/featured.html
The first link there compares changes in PPS versus state results as a whole. In a nutshell, any gains in the PPS have been mirrored by similar gains statewide. Whatever we're doing here isn't outdoing what everyone else is doing -- our scores don't seem to be improving any more than the statewide scores, despite all the changes.
There are a couple of things to remember as you read the test scores. HS students are only tested in 11th grade; younger students are tested in all grades 3-8. To compare schools solely on their scores is problematic, you should also consider demographics, magnet programs, etc.
This link at A+ Schools http://www.aplusschools.org/eq_reports_09.shtml gets you to the two page listings for each school. Those pages break out some of the information, like % of kids getting free or reduced lunch and scores by race, IEP, and by income status. There need to be 40 kids in a category for it to be broken out in the charts. For instance, in CAPA's 11th grade in 2009, there weren't enough kids with IEPs for their scores to be reported separately.
You can find the 2009 PSSA numbers for yourself at this site: http://paayp.emetric.net/
And you can find older PSSA results at this link:
http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Pittsburgh Promise in the News
In a video-taped message, city schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said, "The Promise is what makes everything go in the Pittsburgh Public Schools," at the moment.
from Post-Gazette article on the Pittsburgh Promise: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10182/1069700-100.stm
The total amount was not leveraged this year; there's no indication if there's any way of making that up in future years. It looks like a correction is needed to the amount of the match -- UPMC gives $1 for every $1.50 donated, not the other way around, according to the totals given for donations.
Interesting data about graduation rates is also mentioned.
from Post-Gazette article on the Pittsburgh Promise: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10182/1069700-100.stm
The total amount was not leveraged this year; there's no indication if there's any way of making that up in future years. It looks like a correction is needed to the amount of the match -- UPMC gives $1 for every $1.50 donated, not the other way around, according to the totals given for donations.
Interesting data about graduation rates is also mentioned.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Single gender education in PPS
PG article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10176/1068097-53.stm
The administration is quoted as stating that an experiment last year with single gender classes at Westinghouse, Peabody and Milliones drew "not a single complaint from a parent or student." However, others have told us of parents who did object. And, because families were not informed that they had a right to co-ed classrooms, they were unlikely to make that request.
It may well be that rather than objecting, a Westinghouse area student who is not enthusiastic about a single gender, 6-12, year round school with uniforms will just shift to a school in Wilkinsburg or Penn Hills, since there is already a lot of movement between these schools.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10176/1068097-53.stm
The administration is quoted as stating that an experiment last year with single gender classes at Westinghouse, Peabody and Milliones drew "not a single complaint from a parent or student." However, others have told us of parents who did object. And, because families were not informed that they had a right to co-ed classrooms, they were unlikely to make that request.
It may well be that rather than objecting, a Westinghouse area student who is not enthusiastic about a single gender, 6-12, year round school with uniforms will just shift to a school in Wilkinsburg or Penn Hills, since there is already a lot of movement between these schools.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
CTE Academy
There's going to be a Career and Technical Academy in Pittsburgh! According to materials from the Education Committee presentation (slide 39), in addition to the information technology, cosmetology, culinary arts and health careers programs offered elsewhere, it will also offer building trades such as carpentry, electricity and energy.
But it won't be called a CTE academy- it will be the "Gateway Center" at Oliver. And unless plans change, only students in the Oliver feeder can attend (in fact, students in the Oliver feeder not accepted into a magnet must attend and choose a career concentration).
But it won't be called a CTE academy- it will be the "Gateway Center" at Oliver. And unless plans change, only students in the Oliver feeder can attend (in fact, students in the Oliver feeder not accepted into a magnet must attend and choose a career concentration).
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