Pittsburgh Charter Schools Rank in Top 21

The issue of academic progress and student achievement is at the heart of most discussions related to education. A Plus Schools, a local non-profit monitoring public education, reports that several Pittsburgh Public Schools struggle to increase academic achievement. As the district begins to make decisions about under-populated schools, academic achievement has become a community priority.

The part of the discussion that focuses on student achievement in these instances revolves around some pretty dismal statistics on grades, SAT, and other standardized test scores, and student retention and graduation rates in some of these schools. The District has implied that proposed and potential facility and curriculum changes would have a positive impact on these statistics.

Meanwhile, two Southwestern PA charter schools -- City Charter High School and Propel McKeesport -- were among the top 21 charter schools honored in 2009 by New Leaders for New Schools, a nonprofit that focuses on school leadership. The schools' programs have infused technology and educational supports to provide an environment of success.

Students at both schools have shown a dramatic increase in educational achievement, as measured by state test results in reading and math that factor the impact of a school on its students' achievement over time; and the progress students make from one year to the next, independent of proficiency targets.

Interested in learning what works and why? Representatives from City Charter High School and Propel McKeesport will present their educational models, curricula, educational challenges/solutions, and approaches to community/parents engagement on Tuesday, May 12, at the Bloomfield-Garfield Community Activity Center, 113 N. Pacific Ave. (corner of Dearborn). Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the presentation at 9 a.m.

Please RSVP to Rickf@bloomfield-garfield.org, or call 412-441-9833.