A+ Schools Releases Annual Report to the Community on Public School Progress

A+ Schools Pittsburgh has released its 2024 Report to the Community on Public Schools Progress. The report tackles issues that prevent every child from being successful in schools and covers such topics as racial economic segregation, absenteeism, unequal access to resources, and more.

Skills for Success

A+ Schools notes that children need knowledge and skills that will help them succeed in college or careers. It lists several conditions that must be met for this to occur:

  • Every community has a place where children can get to school safely and on time.

  • Every family has what they need - from healthcare and child care to housing and work - so children can come to school ready to learn.

  • Every school is a place where all students and staff feel they belong and are excited to be.

Executive Summary

In its executive summary, A+ Schools cites racial economic segregation, unequal access to resources, and disparate opportunities for enrichment and academic success as issues that prevent children from succeeding.

Additionally, system issues that impact state and local measures of school success include:

  • Chronic absenteeism (how many students miss more than 10% of school days)

  • Suspensions (how many students miss school due to disciplinary practices)

  • Academic growth (how many schools grew student achievement as measured by the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System)

  • Academic proficiency (or, how many students meet state and national grade level standards on tests)

Next Steps

The report also examines student readiness for college or careers once they graduate. The measures it lists that provide a sense of whether students will be ready for the next step include:

  • College-ready GPA (how many students have a GPA of 2.8 or higher)

  • AP exam taking and AP and SAT scores

  • Graduation (how many students complete high within four years)

  • College and trade school completion (how many students complete one of these schools within six years of graduation from high school)

Figures

The report’s executive summary breaks down the numbers on some of the aforementioned issues. 

Some of the key findings in the report relating to system issues, measures for success or readiness include:

  • Approximately 2,402 Pittsburgh public school students have been suspended at least once.

  • The ratio of students to teachers is 11:1

  • A total of 80% of teachers believe that their school is a good place to work and learn.

  • Only 14% of public school teachers are teachers of color.

  • About 32% of students are chronically absent.

  • In 2023, 86% of students had graduated within four years.

  • About 27% of 2018 graduates completed a college or trade school program within six years of graduating.

The entire report is available on A+ Schools Pittsburgh’s website.

Families, News, ProvidersNathan DukeA+ Schools Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh public schools, racial economic segregation, SAT scores, AP scores