Acting Secretary of Education Announces Results of 2013-14 School Performance Profile; Strong Performance in 72 Percent of Schools

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced the results of the 2013-14 School Performance Profile – www.paschoolperformance.org – that show 2,134 of 2,947, or 72 percent, public school buildings earning a 70 or higher.

Compared to the 2012-13 profile, the percentage of schools with a 70 or higher has held steady at 72 percent.

"These results show that, compared to 2012-13, the majority of our public schools are performing well even though the state has recently revised its academic standards and is transitioning to more rigorous assessments," Dumaresq said.  "I am pleased that our students and educators continue to meet the challenge of more rigorous academic programs, and I congratulate them for a job well done."

Dumaresq noted that, compared to last year, the percentage of schools that earned below 60 declined by nearly 1 percent, indicating that student achievement is improving as a number of schools target resources to improving student academic performance.

Over the past several weeks, the department has provided schools with several opportunities to review and verify the data used in calculating the School Performance Profile scores to ensure accuracy.

Due to this year's profile being the first in which student growth data for individual teachers will be used in the new educator evaluation system, the department provided additional time for schools to verify and correct their information.

"With nearly 120,000 teachers across the commonwealth being affected by the results of this year's profile, it is imperative to ensure the information in the profile is complete and accurate," Dumaresq said.

Released in fall 2013, the School Performance Profile provides the public with detailed information of the academic performance of public schools; satisfies requirements of Pennsylvania's approved federal No Child Left Behind waiver; and is one component the state's new educator evaluation system.

The profile does not only rely on results of the statewide assessments but it also incorporates other measures of student achievement, including year-to-year student academic growth; graduation, attendance and promotion rates; and increasing the achievement of all students, including historically underperforming students, such as English language learners and economically disadvantaged students.

In addition to www.paschoolperformance.org, the School Performance Profile can also be accessed by visiting the department's website at www.education.state.pa.us and clicking on the "PA School Performance Profile" graphic.

Media contact: Tim Eller, 717-783-9802

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Education

Related Links

http://www.education.state.pa.us/