Statement of Dave Clark, CEO, Chester Community Charter School Upon the Completion of the PSSA Audit by the Pennsylvania Department of Education

CHESTER, Pa., Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- We are pleased that the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has announced that its audit of the results of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA) for 2009, 2010 and 2011 at Chester Community Charter School is now officially closed without any disciplinary action taken against the school.  

Chester Community Charter has rapidly become known for groundbreaking education innovations.  The continued success and high value placement of our students in outstanding high schools is in large measure due to a dedicated, hard-working teaching staff, freed of administrative responsibilities to focus on educating our children.

To ensure the integrity of the testing process, and that any and all suspicions or accusations can be avoided in the future, Chester Community Charter is instituting the following supplemental testing protocols:

• All school employees will be trained by an outside agency familiar with PSSA test administration requirements on the proper administration of the PSSA,
• All test materials will be stored in a locked location, which will be recorded by a 24-hour surveillance camera and monitored by an outside security firm,
• Assessments will be administered in rooms equipped with a security camera,
• CCCS will engage an independent auditing firm to ensure that the school has followed all test administration requirements,
• CCCS will form a PSSA Security Committee, comprised of a CCCS parent, a CCCS teacher, a CCCS principal, the Assistant CEO and the Executive Director of Academic Services, which will be responsible for ensuring that the School follows all testing procedures, 
• No CCCS test administrators will be permitted to administer a statewide assessment to their own students, 
• No CCCS test administrator will be permitted to supervise any students taking a test without other students, teachers or administrators present, and
• Testing rooms will be made available to representatives of the PDE so that the department may also monitor the administration of future PSSA's at CCCS. 

CCCS is pleased that this matter is now behind us and our teachers and staff can focus on improving an already-stellar track record of success in providing a valuable education for the children of Chester.

To read the September 18, 2012 letter from Dr. Clark regarding PSSA testing results, click here.

SOURCE Chester Community Charter School