Schools That Teach Tour Visits Two Western Pennsylvania Schools

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Education Secretary Pedro Rivera brought the Schools That Teach tour to western Pennsylvania this week, where he met with the faculty at Uniontown Area School District and, later, with teachers and administrators at Hopewell Township School District. The Secretary discussed the Pennsylvania Department of Education's (PDE) high-quality education initiatives, including the Future Ready PA Index and the newly released draft Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan.

"The Schools that Teach tour allows me to get out on the road and to meet with educators, administrators, and students to hear feedback and collaborate on innovative ideas," said Secretary Rivera. "The Future Ready PA Index and the ESSA Consolidated State Plan will move Pennsylvania away from standardized testing, and toward a more holistic approach to measuring student and school success."

The Future Ready PA Index would replace the School Performance Profile (SPP) as the school evaluation measurement. The Department developed the more holistic tool by seeking input from teachers, administrators, parents, students, policy makers, advocates, industry and higher education leaders, and other stakeholders across the commonwealth. 

The newly released Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan draft would replace the No Child Left Behind Act. The draft is available for public comment on www.education.pa.gov until August 31, and the final plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education on September 18.

Once implemented, the Future Ready PA Index and ESSA Consolidated State Plan will focus on the individual student to create diverse measures of school success, invest in great teachers, and expand college and career readiness pathways for STEM innovation and capacity. 

On the Wolf Administration's Schools That Teach tour, Rivera has traveled the state talking to educators, administrators, students, and families about how the Department can best serve communities across Pennsylvania. Improving access to quality and innovative programs through enhanced funding is a hallmark of the Schools That Teach initiative. A Google Map of all tour stops is available here.

For more information about Pennsylvania's education policies and programs, please visit the Department of Education's website at www.education.pa.gov or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.  

MEDIA CONTACT: Casey Smith, 717-783-9802 

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Education

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us