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Committee Chair:

Dr. Robert Johnson, Assistant Superintendent

Background

No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the federal education- reform law, requires more than 45% of students to be proficient in math and 54% of students to be proficient in reading. Although, PRSD currently is meeting Adequate Yearly Progress, by 2014 all students must be proficient in math and reading.

Recommendations

For students to develop, instruction should be appropriate to an individual’'s skills, needs and development. The committee recommends the district adopt the following framework:

  • Emphasize pre-testing and an overall increased rigor to challenge our students from kindergarten through graduation.
  • Provide the professional staff with greater access to in-service programs and curriculum resources to incorporate differentiated instruction into all curriculum renewals.
  • Provide additional assistance to the 10 to 15 percent of students who are testing “below basic” on the PSSA tests (possibly through additional tutoring and enrichment programs).
  • Provide students who opt out of the “college track” greater awareness and direction about technical programs such as the AW Beattie Consortium.
  • Augment the district’'s curriculum through electronic learning.
  • Examine participation in the Advanced Placement (AP) classes, while identifying and reducing barriers to taking AP exams.
  • Explore cyber-learning opportunities to augment the district’'s curriculum, to increase dual enrollment giving top students a head start on the college experience.
  • Provide students with opportunities to explore various careers and real world course applications (seminars, internships & work study programs).
  • Provide students with key “survival skills” which include basic business, financial and credit skills.
  • Ensure physical education classes remain a part of every schedule.
  • Investigate a formal character development program.

Parental Involvement

Recently, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked PRSD among the top 25 districts in the region. The district hopes to continue being evaluated with the best school districts in the country. The district realizes that this success will not be possible without parental involvement. That's why the curriculum committee would like to engage parents in the educational process by:

  • Encouraging parents to volunteer
  • Expanding communication to parents (internet/email options/grade level brochures)
  • Providing parents opportunities to learn or strengthen parenting skills
  • Providing guidance concerning kindergarten readiness

The committee views education and child development as a product of the influence of parents, schools and community, which is depicted in this graphic.

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