| The High School Reform Task Force | | | | Lynn Spampinato, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, |
| Superintendent Mark Roosevelt announced the | | | | Assessment, and Accountability. It will meet for the |
| creation of the Pittsburgh Public Schools High School | | | | next six months to extensively study best practices |
| Reform Task Force. The High School Reform Task | | | | from national experts on high school reform and |
| Force, which consists of leaders of both secondary | | | | receive input on workforce development issues from |
| and higher education, private foundations and | | | | local and national corporate leaders, economists and |
| businesses, experts in workforce development, | | | | job-force training experts. Task Force members will |
| parents, and members of the community will carefully | | | | also visit nationally recognized highperforming high |
| examine these principles and determine how best to | | | | schools in urban systems throughout the country and |
| implement an action plan for high school reform within | | | | determine which of the best practices studied are right |
| the Pittsburgh Schools. The Task Force has been | | | | for the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The work of the High |
| created to evaluate and reinvent Pittsburgh's high | | | | School Reform Task Force is being funded through a |
| schools as part of the District's Excellence for All | | | | grant of $255,000 from The Fund in Excellence in the |
| reform plan, which provides a roadmap for improving | | | | Pittsburgh Public Schools, a new fund established by |
| the academic performance of all students in the | | | | the local foundation community to support the |
| Pittsburgh Public Schools. | | | | Superintendent's district reform agenda. |
| In an effort to make necessary educational reforms | | | | Excellence For All |
| and improve the rate of Pittsburgh Public Schools | | | | A central principle of Excellence for All is that all |
| graduates, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt | | | | children can learn at high levels, regardless of their age, |
| commissioned a recent RAND Corporation study that | | | | experience, or background. The Task Force is |
| revealed 64 percent of the district's high school | | | | charged with the creation and realization of a reform |
| students graduate. One of key measures in the | | | | initiative that supports this standard and prepares |
| Excellence for All reform plan is to increase the | | | | Pittsburgh's high school students for the promise of |
| graduation rate by 10 percentage points by the end of | | | | post-secondary education and career and technical |
| the 2008-2009 school year. | | | | employment. Their evaluation will be guided by the |
| "Developing a comprehensive high school reform plan | | | | following six core principles identified as necessary for |
| will be one of our most critical initiatives in the coming | | | | transforming high schools by the National High School |
| year," said Roosevelt. "With the changes in the | | | | Alliance: |
| economy, we must improve the academic rigor and | | | | • Personalized learning environment |
| preparation of our high school students so they have | | | | • Academic engagement of all students |
| the best opportunity to succeed in the workforce and | | | | • Empowered educators |
| higher education." Superintendent Roosevelt is | | | | • Accountable leaders |
| expected to present a comprehensive plan for high | | | | • Engaged communities and youth |
| school reform to the Board by April 2007. | | | | • Integrated system of curriculum, instruction, |
| The Task Force will be led by Jan Ripper, Principal on | | | | and assessment supports. |
| Special Assignment for high school reform and Dr. | | | | |