| State Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola issued the following statement today regarding the 2006-07 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test scores released by the state Department of Education.
“Once again, I am tremendously disappointed in the results of the PSSA test scores for the Harrisburg School District. There is nothing good or new in this data. When compared to comparable districts, it is another indicator of the need for dramatic change in the District.
“Some of the results are very disturbing. I am particularly shocked to see that in one school in the Harrisburg School district 100 percent of the fifth grade students scored below basic on the PSSA reading test. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, ‘below basic work indicates little understanding and minimal display of the skills’ in that subject area. These unfortunate children, if this continues, will be functionally illiterate. To say this is unacceptable is beyond understatement; this type of result demonstrates gross incompetence and a total failure of Dr. Kohn. With all of the assessments that are placed on the students in the Harrisburg School District, Dr. Kohn should have seen this coming and taken dramatic steps to assist these students. Whatever he has done, it clearly has not been successful in the least.
“The dramatic drop in math scores at Sci-Tech High School, which appears to have been Dr. Kohn’s priority and showpiece, are simply stunning. This is doubly upsetting considering Secretary Zahorchak’s repeated statements at his press conference today that the Commonwealth is witnessing dramatic improvements in mathematics scores across all grade levels and among all types of school districts and students of all races and economic categories.
“In comparison with the poorest performing districts in the state, Harrisburg test scores in math for 3rd and 5th grades are the worst in the state, and reading scores in 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 11th are the second worst. What disturbs me most is that scores for 3rd and 5th grades have remained so low, especially in comparison with similar school districts. Dr. Kohn has been the superintendent of this district for the entirety of the elementary education of these students. I refuse to believe that the children of Harrisburg School District cannot do better.
“I will continue to work for improvement in the Harrisburg School District, but without dramatic and significant change, I am deeply concerned that no real progress awaits the students of Harrisburg.”
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Piccola Press Release- “Shocked” at Harrisburg Schools
Category: Simply Amazing /
