After studying the PBT School Rankings Pittsburgh Business Times 2011 Guide to Western PA Schools, I am glad to see Dr. Steinhauer take charge with his reorganization plan including the reappointment of Dr. Deborah Allen in a new role as the Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education. My grandson is in the Upper St. Clair Schools and was pleased to see this:
Featured School
Upper St. Clair High School has ranked at the top of the 11th grade list for six years. But that doesn’t mean it’s willing to rest on its laurels: It’s constantly reviewing and improving curriculum to stay on top of the changing times.
As a Mt. Lebanon taxpayer, I am concerned. On Josephine Posti's Center Court blog, she lists some of the highlights. Here are some "highlights" that she forgot to mention.
Middle Schools:
Mellon dropped 2 spots for 7th grade
Mellon dropped 6 spots for 6th grade
Elementary Schools:
Fifth grade: Lincoln dropped 1 spot
Jefferson dropped 6 spots
Markham dropped 3 spots
Washington dropped 1 spot
Foster dropped 11 spots
Hoover dropped 9 spots
Fourth grade: Lincoln dropped 5 spots
Markham dropped 23 spots
Washington dropped 1 spot
Hoover dropped 51 spots
Third grade: Lincoln dropped 18 spots
Hoover dropped 16 spots
The District is all about *managed news* (absolute control), not true transparency. Their controlled "highlights" is an example and just reflects S.O.P..
ReplyDeleteBill Lewis
It looks like we are back to the days of "Stinkin' Lincoln," with some company from other sinking schools.
ReplyDeleteJohn Ewing
From "Education Week" April 11, 2011:
ReplyDeleteA study to be released this morning at the American Educational Research Association convention here in New Orleans presents an even earlier warning sign: A student who can't read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time. Add poverty to the mix, and a student is 13 times less likely to graduate on time than his or her proficient, wealthier peer.
"Third grade is a kind of pivot point," said Donald J. Hernandez, the study's author and a sociology professor at Hunter College, at the City University of New York. "We teach reading for the first three grades and then after that children are not so much learning to read but using their reading skills to learn other topics. In that sense if you haven't succeeded by 3rd grade it's more difficult to [remediate] than it would have been if you started before then."
Before some naysayers encourage everyone to move to USC and enroll their kids in the "featured" district, please also know that in the 3rd grade rankings, the 3 USC elementary schools DROPPED 5, 6 and 11 spots, respectively. In the 4th grade rankings, the USC schools DROPPED 10, 9 and 15 spots, respectively. And in the 5th grade, USC DROPPED 14 spots (they have one school dedicated to the 5th grade).
ReplyDeleteAnd as for stinkin' Lincoln, it ranks AHEAD of all 3 USC schools for the 3rd grade, AHEAD of 2 of the 3 USC schools for the 4th grade and a whopping 33 spots AHEAD of USC's only 5th grade.
Dave Franklin
Mr. Franklin, you have stated facts in your post. Who did your homework for you this time?
ReplyDeleteJohn Ewing
Numbers, schumners! Mr. Franklin, I'm probably one of those "naysayers" as you and Mr. Gardner like to paint us.
ReplyDeleteI said it before and I'll say it again, #3 in the region and #6 in the state in the Business Times rankings is pretty darn good.
If I were moving to Pittsburgh again and looking for a place to settle the 1 thru 3 districts would all get a look.
All other concerns being equal. If you worked downtown or in the South Hills, Mt. Lebanon as a community tops USC, in my opinion.
Here's an example of my "naysaying" issue with the district. I rather spend the approx. $900,000 for the Horsman bridge, on the good teachers, or books or technology. Didn't say I didn't want to spend, just opinionated on where and when.
Ms. Posti wrote that past superintendents had their eye on restructuring. Could it be that Marge Sable insisted on doing it [they gave Steinhauer the freedom to] and opposed the HS project and the board just couldn't accept the idea and packed her off with $500,000 to keep quiet? Then it took them 3 more supers and HS green light to finally get the message?
At Monday nights meeting, a woman from the guidance dept. seemed upset with the restructuring.
She referred to last years Harris survey, any one catch that? Are the results in and they haven't shared it with the people that paid for it?
Could there be something the board doesn't want the community to see, maybe the opposition to the HS project?
Just curious, Mr. Franklin?
- Giffen Good
All excellent points Mr. Good. Too bad we can't dive deeper over a cup of coffee.
ReplyDeleteDave Franklin
You and I converse fairly regularly here Dave.
ReplyDeleteThe school board is whom you should be having coffee with.
-- Giffen Good