PA Education Secretary Pedro Rivera Talks Education Investments, School Performance on Schools That Teach Tour

MACUNGIE, Pa., Jan. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- East Penn School District today hosted the Schools That Teach tour as state Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera discussed investments in education and accountability measures with local leaders, district administrators, students, and teachers.  

"I have gained great insight into the atmosphere and operations at schools across the commonwealth on the Schools That Teach tour, and that knowledge serves as a valuable tool for the Department," said Sec. Rivera. "Each school – from its students, to its educators and community – has its own unique qualities and priorities, and it is critical that we consider the needs of all of Pennsylvania's students and schools as we consider education practice and policy."

Investing in schools and supporting students from pre-K to postsecondary, improving access and accountability, and providing access to a high-quality education for all Pennsylvanians are just some of the priorities of the Department of Education and the Wolf Administration. Since taking office, the governor has worked with the legislature to secure historic increases in education funding at all levels, totaling nearly $640 million dollars.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education has worked to improve student and school accountability measures, creating a more holistic process to evaluate student success. The Department conducted 30 feedback sessions dedicated exclusively to exploring ideas to modify the School Performance Profile, or SPP, soliciting feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, parents, students, policy makers, advocates, industry and higher education leaders.

The existing SPP, which was first used in 2013, is heavily reliant on standardized test scores, which only mark student performance at a single point in time during the school year. PDE's recommendations for the Future Ready PA Index retain several of the indicators from the current SPP; however the weighting of those indicators would be modified.

To date, the Schools That Teach tour has made stops at more than three dozen schools across Pennsylvania. A Google Map of all tour stops is available here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Reigelman, 717-783-9802                                

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Education

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us