Monday, January 15, 2007
Still Sub-Par
The most recent results for the statewide academic assessment tests show that students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools still have a long way to go. The percent of eleventh graders who scored proficient in reading remained stagnant from the previous year at 51 percent while in math the number of students scoring proficient increased from 38.4 to 40.2 percent. However, both sets of scores rank City students near the bottom of the state’s 501 districts.
The tragedy in these scores is the amount state and local taxpayers pay for such sub-par performance. At more than $18,000 per student, there should be a higher return on investment. The trend is slowly creeping upward, as reading scores were below 50 percent and math scores were below 40 percent from 2001 to 2004. Still, not enough progress is being made for the outrageous sums being spent.
While the superintendent has made some changes designed to increase scores, closing some schools and shuffling students will not improve academic results enough to justify such enormous expenditures by taxpayers. Real changes need to be made and made quickly.
The best remedy for public schools in Pittsburgh is competition. Short of offering vouchers to parents, the district can create its own charter school system that demands performance from its students and accountability from its faculty. These schools can take a “No Excuses” approach to learning fosters the idea that all students can and will learn the material and make continuous improvement. “No Excuses” is an academic program that is clearly defined and constantly evaluated through a rigorous program of testing and feedback. But most importantly it rests the decision making responsibility to school principals who have complete latitude over hiring and firing decisions for teachers and staff as well as full authority to make curriculum choices.
Students and taxpayers deserve the best education possible for the money spent. Since it is clear that the current system is not achieving that goal, a new approach needs to be tried.
The tragedy in these scores is the amount state and local taxpayers pay for such sub-par performance. At more than $18,000 per student, there should be a higher return on investment. The trend is slowly creeping upward, as reading scores were below 50 percent and math scores were below 40 percent from 2001 to 2004. Still, not enough progress is being made for the outrageous sums being spent.
While the superintendent has made some changes designed to increase scores, closing some schools and shuffling students will not improve academic results enough to justify such enormous expenditures by taxpayers. Real changes need to be made and made quickly.
The best remedy for public schools in Pittsburgh is competition. Short of offering vouchers to parents, the district can create its own charter school system that demands performance from its students and accountability from its faculty. These schools can take a “No Excuses” approach to learning fosters the idea that all students can and will learn the material and make continuous improvement. “No Excuses” is an academic program that is clearly defined and constantly evaluated through a rigorous program of testing and feedback. But most importantly it rests the decision making responsibility to school principals who have complete latitude over hiring and firing decisions for teachers and staff as well as full authority to make curriculum choices.
Students and taxpayers deserve the best education possible for the money spent. Since it is clear that the current system is not achieving that goal, a new approach needs to be tried.
