State targets three Franklin County schools with support to help struggling students
Ashley BooksThree Franklin County schools are about to get extra support to improve the education of several struggling student groups.
Chambersburg Area Senior High School, Waynesboro Area Senior High School and James Burd Elementary School in Shippensburg were recently designated as Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (A-TSI) schools under Pennsylvania's Every Student Succeeds Act State Plan, according to a news release from the Department of Education.
About 6 percent of all public schools in the state received this prioritization, which is based on the performance of individual student groups, such as economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, special education students and federally established race and ethnic populations.
Several other learning facilities that had academic and student success challenges over a two-year period were also designated by the department as Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools. Schools were given this prioritization for being among the lowest performing 5 percent of buildings statewide that receive federal Title 1 funds, or a high school with an overall graduation rate of 67 percent or below.
In order to receive an A-TSI designation, schools saw one or more individual student groups performing at or below the level of CSI schools, or one or more groups reported a graduation rate of 67 percent or below.
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CASHS was given an A-TSI prioritization for its low graduation rate of English language learners, which data from the Future Ready PA Index show compromises 7.3 percent of its enrollment. In addition, Chambersburg, Waynesboro and James Burd were also put on the list for needing to provide additional support to students with disabilities.
In order to improve these pupils' educations, A-TSI and CSI learning facilities will enter four-year improvement cycles. Institutions with A-TSI designations will receive technical assistance from the state, while also developing and implementing locally approved improvement plans.
Although schools have not created a plan yet, officials from several districts discussed how they have already begun this process.
Superintendent Dr. Tod Kline said a team from Waynesboro recently met with the department to learn more about what is expected and how it should move forward to improve.
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Spokesperson Brian Miller said Chambersburg has started forming a steering committee that will begin the improvement planning process through a needs assessment, which will be provided by the Lincoln Intermediate Unit in mid- to late January.
The move is part of the state's new accountability system, which shifts from just using test scores to now including five more indicators, including academic growth, high school graduation rates, progress in moving English learners to proficiency, regular attendance and engagement in post-secondary readiness plans.
“The Wolf administration recognizes that students are more than test scores and that many factors contribute to student success,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “The schools designated today will receive a variety of supports tailored to their unique needs. Ultimately, this extra support will create a more successful learning environment for students.”
For more information on CSI and A-TSI schools, visit education.pa.gov/K-12/ESSA/Pages/Accountability.aspx.