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Excellence For All Objectives: Results

August, 2009

On May 12, 2006 Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt presented “Excellence for All: A Four-Year Comprehensive Framework for Improvement.”* Under the heading “How We Will Hold Ourselves Accountable,” the plan contains certain objectives for the four-year period ending with the 2008- 2009 school year. The 2008-2009 results are now available in the PPS's "2008-2009 PSSA District Results." ***

In the list of goals below, results in green indicate that the objective was met, while results in red indicate that the objective was not met. Six of the nineteen objectives were met. Five of these successful goals were for Grade 8. At least some progress was made toward all of the Grade 3, 5 and 8 goals, while little or no progress was made toward most of the Grade 11 goals.

Analysis of progress toward the goals is complicated by the fact that there does not seem to be a consistent set of figures for 2004-2005 PSSA results. "Excellence for All," “District Trends in Reading and Mathematics Achievement: Grades 3-8 and 11,” ** and "2008-2009 PSSA District Results" figures for a given grade and test usually vary by at least several percentage points. In the parentheses beløw the “Excellence” figure for 2004-2005 is followed in straight brackets by the “District Trends” figure for 2004-2005 and in curved brackets by the "2008-2009 PSSA District Results" figure for 2004-2005.

EFA goals for gains in the percentage of students at proficent or advanced levels between 2004-2005 and 2008-2009 ranged from 15 to 31 percentage points, with an average of about 20 percentage points per grade per test (reading or math). Actual gains in the percentage of students at proficent or advanced levels for the four year EFA period averaged 9 percentage points for reading and 6 percentage points in math. The percentage of students in Grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 at proficent or advanced levels in reading increased by an average of 3 percentage points between the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years, while the percentage of students in those grades at proficient or advanced levels in math decreased by about 0.2 of a percentage point.

 

Plan: 80% of 3rd grade students Proficient in Reading on the PSSA (49% {50} in 2004-05).
2009 PSSA Results: 62% of 3rd graders Proficient in Reading

Plan: 71% of 5th grade students Proficient in Reading on the PSSA (46% {48} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 52% of 5th graders Proficient in Reading

Plan: 25% of 5th grade students Advanced in Reading on the PSSA (13% [16%] in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 16% of 5th grade students Advanced in Reading

Plan: 17% of 5th grade students Below Basic in Reading on the PSSA (32% [34%] {30} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 27% of 5th grade students Below Basic in Reading

Plan: 71% of 5th grade students Proficient in Math on the PSSA (56% [60%] {57} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 63% of 5th grade students Proficient in Math

Plan: 34% of 5th grade students Advanced in Math on the PSSA (27% [30%] {28} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 35% of 5th grade students Advanced in Math

Plan: 9% of 5th grade students Below Basic in Math on the PSSA (19% [21%] {18} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 16% of 5th grade students Below Basic in Math

Plan: 69% of 8th grade students Proficient in Reading on the PSSA (49% [53%] {50} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 71% of 8th grade students Proficient in Reading

Plan: 31% of 8th grade students Advanced in Reading on the PSSA (21% [16%] {22} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 45% of 8th grade students Advanced in Reading

Plan: 15% of 8th grade students Below Basic in Reading on the PSSA (30% [27%] {28} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 16% of 8th grade students Below Basic in Reading

Plan: 66% of 8th grade students Proficient in Math on the PSSA (46% [49%] {47} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 59% of 8th grade students Proficient in Math

Plan: 28% of 8th grade students Advanced in Math on the PSSA (22% [24%] {23} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 27% of 8th grade students Advanced in Math

Plan: 24% of 8th grade students Below Basic in Math on the PSSA (34% [25%] {33} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 19% of 8th grade students Below Basic in Math

Plan: 66% of 11th grade students Proficient in Reading on the PSSA (51% in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 51% of 11th grade students Proficient in Reading

Plan: 31% of 11th grade students Advanced in Reading on the PSSA (24% [19%] {23} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 24% of 11th grade students Advanced in Reading

Plan: 18% of 11th grade students Below Basic in Reading on the PSSA (33% [31%] {33} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 31% of 11th grade students Below Basic in Reading

Plan: 58% of 11th grade students Proficient in Math (38% in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 43% of 11th grade students Proficient in Math

Plan: 28% of 11th grade students Advanced in Math (18% [16%] {17} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 17% of 11th grade students Advanced in Math

Plan: 25% of 11th grade students Below Basic in Math (43% [31%] {42} in 2004-05)
2009 PSSA Results: 36% of 11th grade students Below Basic in Math

* “Excellence for All” can be viewed at http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/1431106514449180/lib/1431106514449180/efappt5-12-06.pdf

** “District Trends” can be viewed at http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/143110829171011580/lib/143110829171011580/PSSAgradesk8.Results.pdf

*** "2008-2009 PSSA District Results" can be viewed at
http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/143110829171011580/lib/143110829171011580/2009Results/2009StudentAchievementResultsAppendix.pdf