Pittsburgh Public Schools News

On October 2, Pittsburgh Public Schools shared with its Board of Directors the following definition of an effective teacher:

An effective teacher in Pittsburgh Public Schools is a professional, who knows his or her subject, and teaches it well, inspiring and engaging all students as individuals, and accelerating learning so that all students are Promise-Ready.

This definition was developed through the District’s work with teachers, national experts such as Dr. Pedro Noguera and Battelle for Kids, the Measures of Effective Teaching project, Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, our own Pathways to the Promise, and more. This definition will evolve as we continue our journey to understand effective teaching in PPS.

When we shared this definition with teachers, they were eager to provide feedback. The most consistent theme we heard was, “Bring this definition to life! It doesn’t capture the real power of what we do every day!” With this in mind, we are trying to find shining examples that help tell the complex story of teaching. This month, we’re featuring Cynthia Werner at Pittsburgh Westinghouse 6-12 because she engages her students as individuals.

Mrs. Werner, an English teacher at Pittsburgh Westinghouse 6-12, approaches her lessons in many different ways, engaging students in learning that extends beyond the pages of a book. Acknowledging that students can sometimes feel disengaged from literature set in different time periods or that covers topics with which students are unfamiliar, Mrs. Werner always tries to supplement her lessons with films, guest speakers, or field trips to ensure her students can connect with the subject matter.

Mrs. Werner’s 9^th grade English classes have been studying Elie Wiesel’s Night. Night details Wiesel’s experience in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps at the height of the Holocaust. The book asks students to learn about and grapple with the idea of genocide, a subject to which many students might find difficult to relate.

With this in mind, Mrs. Werner invited Jewish educators into her classroom to conduct workshops that helped students better understand how the genocide that occurred during World War II continues to impact the world in which they live today. Students also took a trip to SouthSide Works to see Nicky’s Family, a documentary about Englishman Sir Nicholas Winton and his efforts to rescue hundreds of Jewish children during the war. Her students also participated in the Jewish Israeli Film Festival.

Students also heard from the International Rooney Visiting Scholar Ms. Getrude Matshe from Zimbabwe, here in the United States for a semester teaching at Robert Morris University. Students were taken aback by her presentation; Ms. Matshe is a present-day example of how fearless perseverance can impact the lives of many others.

The message that it only takes one individual to make a change fully resonated with students as they read about bravery in Night, watched Sir Winton’s heroism in Nicky’s Family, and came face-to-face with a real life example of valor in Ms. Matshe. With new insight, Mrs. Werner’s students are now writing reflection pieces on these experiences.

What do you do in your classroom that makes you an effective teacher? Submit your story to Shannon Plush at splush1@pghboe.net!

On Thursday, November 15, 2012, Pittsburgh Public Schools held an inaugural State of the District community event to engage our families and community members in thoughtful reflection about the District’s journey to reach its three main goals:

• Accelerating student achievement;
• Eliminating racial disparities; and
• Becoming a District of first choice.

During the event and live broadcast, Superintendent Linda S. Lane shared the strengths, challenges, and opportunities currently facing PPS. Moderated by Lynne Hayes-Freeland of KDKA-TV, the evening included an interview with Dr. Lane and a discussion with a panel of influential community leaders. Panelists included Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director of The Pittsburgh Promise, Kiley Krizan, teacher leader at Pittsburgh Perry High School, Pam Little-Poole, parent of three PPS students, and Dr. Pedro Noguera, Professor of Education at New York University.

The evening identified five priority areas on which the District is focusing to ensure that all students achieve excellence:

• Re-envision the Future: We must be diligent and creative as we re-shape the District to drive achievement in spite of financial challenges.
• Achievement: We believe that every child, at every level of academic performance, can achieve excellence.
• Effectiveness: Teachers are the number one school-based factor for improving student results. Our goal is an effective teacher in every classroom, every day.
• Equity: We have a plan to ensure that all students – regardless of circumstances and race – will achieve at high levels and become career and college-ready
• Satisfaction: We’re listening and now have feedback and information from teachers, parents, and students to improve the learning environment, teacher effectiveness, and student outcomes.

If you missed the live broadcast, you can watch the video of the event here. You can also access event materials addressing each priority area and a comprehensive FAQ.

As a follow up to this event, which focused on District-level information, we will begin sharing school-level data early next year.

2011-12 Teacher-level Value-added Measures (VAM) reports will be available through the PPS Portal on December 21, 2012. Teacher-level VAMs help us estimate a teacher’s contribution to student growth by comparing a student’s performance to their own prior performance. While many factors influence a student’s academic growth, teacher-level VAMs take into account factors outside the control of teachers, helping to isolate a teacher’s contribution.

Last year, PPS distributed the results of teacher VAMs for the first time. As we continue evolving the way we use VAMs, we are listening to your feedback about the way we share data. On August 7, the RISE Leadership Teams from each school met for the first time in their new committees: RISE, Tripod, VAM, and Reaching a Combined Measure. The VAM Committee spent time discussing school and teacher-level VAM reports and recommended several modifications to increase their ease of use. Here is a quick summary of changes to teacher-level reports (click here to read about improvements to school-level reports):

1. The report you see in November will include section headers that describe each chart or graph in easy to understand terms. The VAM Committee felt that the current report was too technical, and that teachers would be better equipped to use their results to grow their practice if it were easier to understand.
2. This year, VAMs will be reported in Normal Curve Equivalents (NCEs) instead of percentiles. NCEs more accurately represent real differences in teachers’ contribution to student growth than percentiles. They’re also easier to compare to other measures when we begin combining multiple measures in 2013-14. If you’re interested, you’ll still be able to see how the NCE result converts to a percentile. Reports will include a normal curve chart that teachers can use to locate their NCE score and map that score to their percentile rank. If you want more details, log onto the PPS Portal and watch the VAM Percentile Rank vs. Normal Curve webinar on the Value-Added Measures page.
3. We’ve included additional assessments, including 3^rd grade PSSAs. This enables third grade teachers of Reading and Math to receive teacher-level VAMs for the first-time this year. For more information on assessments included in teacher-level VAMs please see the listing of assessments included in 2011-12 VAMs available through the PPS Portal.
4. The report you see in December will include information on the average actual and average predicted scores for students, based on PSSA performance. This information increases the transparency of how your VAM score was determined.

Beginning in 2013-14, the District will combine multiple measures to reach a teacher’s end-of-year summative rating, in alignment with recent state legislation (Act 82 of 2012). We understand that many teachers still have questions and concerns about value-added measures, and we encourage you to access the resources located on the PPS Portal or email us at empoweringpittsburghteachers@pghboe.net for clarifications.

Superintendent Mark Roosevelt visits the KDKA TV studios for a discussion about the continued progress of Pittsburgh Public Schools, achieving AYP in 2009, High School reform, the First Lady’s planned visit to Pittsburgh CAPA, and more.
» Watch the KDKA interview

Pittsburgh Public Schools has launched PPS Tube, an addition to the District’s web site that will house all audio and video files. The new site is available at http://www.ppstube.tv. The site also will provide a library of the District’s “Excellence for All” TV show episodes. (more…)

The Think-A-Thon is an academic competition designed exclusively for the Pittsburgh School District. It was designed to encourage creative problem solving, divergent thinking, teamwork and research across the disciplines. Schools bring teams of students to Brashear High School to compete in these seven events each spring. Teams are limited to 8 students. Many teams bring more students and rotate them in different events. Only eight students may compete at a time in any events, but parents and other students are welcome in the event sites to watch.
» Download the 2009 Think-A-Thon Results here (more…)

The public is invited to weigh in on the District’s newly proposed magnet registration process at two open dialogue sessions to be held Tuesday, April 7th from 5:30 – 7:00 in the library of Pittsburgh Brashear High School, located at 590 Crane Avenue or on Thursday, April 9th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the school library of Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5, located at 810 Arch Street. There will be a brief presentation, followed by small group discussions on key questions around the proposed process, which includes a weighted lottery system for admissions into oversubscribed magnet schools and programs. (more…)

At the Community College of Allegheny County, students from Pittsburgh Public Schools receiving Pittsburgh Promise scholarship money are retaining enrollment more often than the average undergrad.
» Read the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article here (more…)

Tuesday night, April 14 | 7:30-8:00 p.m.
We invite you to tune in to an unprecedented television event. For the first time WTAE, KDKA,WPXI and WQED will simultaneously broadcast “Keeping the Promise.” You’ll see how The Pittsburgh Promise effort can help transform the future of our children, our city and our region in remarkable ways. And how the promises made by students, businesses and this community will help realize that transformation. “Keeping the Promise.” It’s reality TV worth watching. (more…)

Our newest publication supports the District’s goal of “Improved public confidence and strong parent/community engagement” by highlighting positive accomplishments of students and staff and sharing news about major District initiatives.
» Download the Spring 2009 Pittsburgh Educator
» Please give us your feedback- Take the Pittsburgh Educator survey (more…)