Fugett Middle, Greystone Elementary, and Peirce Middle are all on a state watch list because students in those schools are experiencing a prolonged period of academic distress.
Consistent with ESSA requirements, Pennsylvania will use the same, basic three-step approach to designate schools in which one or more student groups face both academic and student success challenges (see above).
Like Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools, Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (A-TSI) schools will be designated every three years, when one or more student groups in a school perform below the CSI thresholds for academic proficiency, academic growth, and at least one additional indicator. Also consistent with CSI determinations, any school in which the combined four- and five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for one or more student groups is 67 percent or below will be designated for A-TSI.
To break that down, the state triages schools whose students are experiencing academic distress, using their School Improvement and Accountability Plan.
The schools on the triage list fall under three federally identified designations:
Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI): Schools facing the most significant challenges in academic achievement, student growth, and other areas; and
Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (A-TSI): Schools in which performance by one or more student groups is at or below the level of the CSI schools. Peirce Middle School is an A-TSI school.
Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI): Schools in which performance by one or more student groups is at or below state-established standards. Fugett Middle, Greystone Elementary, and Peirce Middle are all TSI schools.
The groups identified at each school include economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and Hispanic students. Back to Basics wrote about this decline back in February 2023 when we pointed out that 90 percent of 8th graders scored basic/below basic in math.
It is distressing that test scores have declined to the point that WCASD schools are now required to submit and improvement plan to the state.
How did we get here and how do we get out of this?
We got here due to the poor leadership of our school board.
We get out of this mess by electing new faces to the board in November 2023.
You can view the school board's review of the situation here, starting on page 16.
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