PA schools share funds for improvement from federal stimulus act

Thanks to federal stimulus funds, aid to help students in struggling schools is on the way.

The PA Department of Education Thursday announced that Pennsylvania schools will share in $101 million in grants designed to raise student achievement.

The department will distribute $85 million in School Improvement Grants, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, in combination with $16 million in regularly-allocated federal funds, to 57 schools. The U.S. Department of Education awarded the funds to Pennsylvania earlier this year. The PDE on Thursday announced how the funds would be distributed.

“Pennsylvanians need to know that when it comes to public education funding, the stimulus is working,” Testerman said. “The aid being offered to struggling students in these schools would not have been available in anywhere close to this amount. Their educational needs are being addressed in no small part because President Obama and the Congress passed the stimulus law.

“PSEA supports the efforts of local communities to improve their schools,” Testerman said. “Our members remain committed to providing the very best education to the Commonwealth’s students.”

About School Improvement Grants
The federal government established four school reform models for the School Improvement Grants. To receive the funds, schools had to agree to commit to one of the four school intervention models: Turnaround, Restart, School Closure or Transformation.

The Turnaround model requires schools to implement nine broad strategies, including replacement of the principals, high-quality professional development, adoption of new governance, and replacement of at least 50 percent of staff.

The Transformation model includes a new evaluation system for teachers and principals, high-quality professional development and design and development of curriculum with teacher and principal involvement.

The Restart model enables a district to re-open a school as a charter school or elect to have an education management organization run the school.
School Closure enables districts to transfer students to other, higher-achieving schools within the district's boundaries, within a reasonable proximity. 

Learn more at www.psea.org/sig.
 

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PA School Improvement Grant Recipients:

Allentown City School District
Central Elementary, Transformation, $1,950,000
Raub MS, Transformation, $1,500,000
William Allen HS, Transformation, $1,050,000
Trexler MS, Transformation, $750,000
Harrison Morton MS, Transformation, $1,050,000

Central Dauphin School District
CD East SHS, Transformation, $2,099,888

Duquesne City School District
Duquesne Consolidated School, Transformation, $1,391,872

Harrisburg School District
Career & Tech Academy, Closure, $300,000

Lancaster School District
McCaskey HS, Transformation, $1,854,809
Hand, Turnaround, $1,675,099
Reynolds MS, Transformation, $1,622,148

McKeesport Area School District
McKeesport Area HS, Transformation, $3,360,000

Mount Union Area School District
Mount Union Area HS, Transformation, $2,546,600

Penn Hills School District
Penn Hills SHS, Transformation, $2,745,862

Perseus House CS of Excellence (Erie)
Perseus House CS of Excellence, Transformation, $1,305,500

Philadelphia School District
Vaux, Turnaround, $1,399,996
Sayre, Transformation, $2,376,000
Olney West, Transformation, $900,000
West Philadelphia HS, Transformation, $2,221,238
Roxborough HS, Transformation, $2,123,044
University City HS, Turnaround, $2,772,000
King HS, Transformation, $2,376,000
Frankford HS, Transformation, $2,376,000
Fels HS, Transformation, $2,974,129
Germantown HS, Transformation, $2,608,517
South Philadelphia HS, Transformation, $1,800,000
Gratz HS, Transformation, $1,620,000
Edison HS, Transformation, $2,999,996
Lincoln HS, Transformation, $4,199,996
Alcorn, Transformation, $1,071,271
Stetson, Restart, $2,637,708
Daroff, Restart, $1,980,000
Smedley, Restart, $948,590
Bluford, Restart, $1,980,000
Allen ES, Turnaround, $772,526
Harrity, Restart, $2,538,785
Douglas ES, Restart, $913,805
Clemente, Turnaround, $999,988
Clymer, Transformation, $1,275,000
Locke, Transformation, $1,261,442
Feltonville Intermediate, Transformation, $776,063
Mann, Restart, $2,026,099

Philadelphia Montessori CS
Philadelphia Montessori CS, Transformation, $852,647

Pittsburgh School District
Westinghouse, Transformation, $2,523,374
Oliver HS, Transformation, $2,485,136
Rooney, Closure, $208,773
King, Transformation, $2,374,705
Perry HS, Transformation, $2,381,702
Langley HS, Transformation, $2,340,199
Brashear HS, Transformation, $2,444,195

Southeast Delco School District
Academy Park HS, Transformation, $2,634,625

Steelton-Highspire School District
Steelton Highspire HS, Turnaround, $787,050

Turkeyfoot Valley Area School District
Turkeyfoot Valley Area JSHS, Transformation, $898,000

West Phila. Achievement CES
West Phila. Achievement CES, Transformation, $892,648

William Penn School District
Penn Wood HS, Transformation, $1,751,400
Park Lane Elem, Transformation, $679,200
Penn Wood MS, Transformation, $855,000