Celebrate Success!

Shattering the Myths video from 2012 Conference

psba — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:35:06 +0000

Here’s the 2012 School Leadership Conference video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyH7dBLIzKY&feature=share&list=UUwHdH514u7HE5K0kCgv9Ctg

Video: Let’s create a movement (from 2011 School Leadership Conference)

psba — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:32:35 +0000

Here is the link to the video played during the opening session of the 2011 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference. Please note that this links to PSBA’s YouTube Channel, where you will find links for sharing with your internal and external stakeholders.

VIDEO: played at Opening Session of the 2011 School Leadership Conference

Help us share the stories by spreading the word to both internal stakeholders (school board members, professional staff, support staff, administrators, parents, teachers, retired teachers and students) and external stakeholders (community, legislators, media, business community, local government, senior citizens).

Dear Public Education Advocate: Let’s create a movement

psba — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:39:47 +0000

Dear Public Education Advocate:

At this moment…Let’s create a movement. Public education is under attack and now more than ever, we believe public education stakeholders must come together with a shared voice and proclaim their success in educating generations of Pennsylvanians. It’s time for you to tell your school entity’s story!

This movement starts with PSBA’s “Stand Up for Public Education” campaign, which will provide the tools your local school district needs to counter the few vocal critics who portray our schools as failing. We all know nothing could be further from the truth.

On this Stand Up For Public Education website you will find:

Ideas on how you can communicate your school district’s story to internal and external public education stakeholders
Fast facts on public education statewide
A template to develop a fast fact sheet for your own school entity
Information on sharing your “Public Education Standouts”
A link to the video played at the opening session of the 2011 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference
A resolution your board may adopt

Your leadership as a public education advocate for your community school is critical – now more than ever. We are counting on you to share your school entities’ successes. Thank you for telling your story!

Sincerely,

Marianne L. Neel, 2011 PSBA President
Thomas J. Gentzel, PSBA Executive Director

Fast Facts: The success story of Pennsylvania public education

psba — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:33:41 +0000

In November 2011, The College Board named 367 districts in the United States and Canada to its “AP Honor Roll,” for expanding participation in advance placement courses from 2009 to 2011, while increasing or maintaining the test results. Pennsylvania was awarded the most honor roll districts at 34.
Pennsylvania has made eight straight years of improvements in student achievement in math and reading. Three quarters of Pennsylvania students are now on grade level based on the PSSA scores in math and reading.
Pennsylvania was ranked seventh among states for K-12 student achievement and ninth overall, according to a new national report released by Education Week magazine titled Quality Counts 2011: Uncertain Forecast – Education Adjusts to a New Economic Reality.
Pennsylvania was recognized by the non-partisan Center on Education Policy as the only one in the nation to make significant progress boosting achievement in all subjects and grade levels between 2002 and 2008.
The number of Pennsylvania public high school students taking and testing in an Advanced Placement course continues to increase each year.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s 2008-09 School Safety Report, an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania’s students attend safe schools, and schools overall are becoming safer.
Fully 96% of all school districts, and 83% of all schools in Pennsylvania achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2009/2010 school year.
180 schools that failed to achieve AYP for the 2008/2009 school year, as well as five school districts, advanced to Making Progress status for 2009/2010.
Pennsylvania public schools are credited with a 90% graduation rate for 2009/2010.
75% of all students in the state scored at a proficient or advanced level in math on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test for that year, while 72% of all students performed at a proficient or advanced level in reading. These numbers are well ahead of the goals of 56% and 63% respectively for math and reading that were in place for the 2010 school year.
72.6% of PA graduates are college bound for 2009/2010 (95,380 students)
68.1 % of PA graduates were headed to 2 or 4 year college or university for 2009/2010

Public Education Standouts

psba — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:20:18 +0000

“Standouts” are the students, teachers, staff and parents who make us all want to “Stand Up for Public Education.” Throughout conference, attendees will see posters highlighting just some of our public education Standouts as well as some in this conference program. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Let us know who your “Standouts” are. Information on how to do this is located in the “Stand Up for Public Education” kit included in all conference attendee tote bags.

See the Standouts (at right) for all our Public Education Standout stories. Have a story to share? Contact Cassandra Davis, PSBA Editor, at (717) 506-2450, ext. 3309.

Share the good news about public education

psba — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:56:28 +0000

This past year at conference, PSBA launched “Stand Up for Public Education.”

This outreach campaign is our opportunity to share the good news of public education – the successes, the triumphs and the academic gains our students are making. It will require everyone involved with public education to stand together in the face of unwarranted criticism by those individuals and organizations that would prefer public education just go away. PSBA will share statewide successes but it is imperative for you to share your local story.

The main goal of the “Stand Up for Public Education” campaign is to provide board members, superintendents, administrators, teachers, parents and students with the tools they will need to spread the good word. These resources are available on this website and more tools will be added over time.