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Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Says 75 Percent of PA's Schools Reached Federal Benchmarks

Posted on: Wednesday, 9 November 2005, 15:00 CST

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that more than 2,000 schools - 75 percent of all schools in Pennsylvania - will receive a Keystone Achievement Award for reaching, or exceeding, federal benchmarks set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act for two straight years.

Governor Rendell said nearly all of the state's 501 school districts (490) had at least one school reach the goals, up from 443 last year. Also, the Governor said 2,234 schools met Adequate Yearly Progress targets set by No Child Left Behind in 5th, 8th and 11th grade reading and mathematics, while 1,567 schools reached the achievement level for the third consecutive year.

The accomplishment is even more impressive considering No Child Left Behind required nearly half of all students (45 percent) during the 2004-2005 school year to meet proficiency standards in math and more than half, or 54 percent, to become proficient in reading. The benchmarks in the previous school year included a 35 percent proficiency rating in math and 45 percent in reading.

"Despite the higher targets prescribed by the No Child Left Behind Act, Pennsylvania schools demonstrated an ability to adapt, demand more of their students, and succeed," Governor Rendell said. "We are also headed in the right direction as the number of schools that received or continue to receive multi-year awards has increased."

"We are investing in our children's education with historic increases in funding, accountability block grants, early intervention and tutoring. It's gratifying to see so many of Pennsylvania's schools are improving because without an educated workforce, our students will not be able to meet the competitive demands of the future," the Governor added.

The keystone-shaped award goes to schools across the state where students have exceeded the math and reading standards required by the state's accountability system and the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

This is the second year that the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Association of Federal Program Coordinators have partnered to create the Keystone Achievement Award, which is not funded by the commonwealth, but by the PA Association of Federal Program Coordinators.

"Educators, school officials, students and parents have worked hard to achieve at this level," acting Secretary of Education Gerald L. Zahorchak said. "We have set our expectations high, and the response from educators, families and students has been tremendous. We must build on this momentum to achieve even better results for our students in the years to come."

To further Pennsylvania's academic achievements, PDE has also added a value-added assessment system to set up supports and tools for schools that do not yet meet AYP status to allow students to achieve at a higher level.

For a list of schools that received Keystone Achievement Awards, visit: http://www.pdenewsroom.state.pa.us/ under "Latest News."

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

CONTACT: Kate Philips, +1-717-783-1116 or Abraham Amoros, +1-717-783-9800, both of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor.

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

CONTACT: Kate Philips, +1-717-783-1116 or Abraham Amoros,+1-717-783-9800, both of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

Web site: http://www.state.pa.us/http://www.governor.state.pa.us/http://www.pdenewsroom.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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