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