Pennsylvania recently took a series of steps to improve the academic achievement of its public school students:
- Adopting a rigorous set of national learning requirements
- Instituting end-of-course exams to ensure that students stay on track as they progress from grade to grade
- Introducing a new teacher and principal evaluation system
These policy directives present opportunities for significant student-centered change in public education, but they also pose a number of challenges, especially for those school systems facing serious resource constraints.
GWP is hosting a brown bag lunch discussion to learn more about these new directives, and to discuss what they mean to funders of public schools and educational initiatives.
The discussion will be led by two senior staff from Allegheny Intermediate Unit: Rosanne Javorsky, Assistant Executive Director, and Sari Brecosky, Curriculum and Reading Coordinator.
The presentation will highlight pertinent facets of:
- PA Common Core Standards - Pennsylvania's academic standards now have a concentration in synthesizing information, close reading, logical reasoning and academic writing. The revised standards set a new context for all student learning.
- Educator Effectiveness - Pennsylvania is in the process of revising teacher and principal evaluation to use multiple measures (including student achievement data). These evaluations will be key to assessing how well teachers are raising student achievement to meet the new national standards.
- Keystone Exams - End-of-course exams are required in Literature and Composition, Algebra I and Biology. These assessments are designed to measure a common knowledge base for high school graduates and are the tool for assessing students' mastery of the material.
Please join us for what promises to be a very informative and lively discussion. This is a brown bag lunch discussion. GWP will provide drinks and dessert.