Pittsburgh School Board Votes on Charter Schools

The Pittsburgh School Board voted Wednesday to renew the charter of City Charter High and not to renew the charter of Career Connections Charter High School. The District plans to schedule a public hearing before taking a final vote to not renew the school’s charter.

“We are charged with ensuring charters are meeting the terms of their charter agreements and are in compliance with all appropriate regulations and laws.” said Superintendent Linda Lane. “With this responsibility we will continue to recommend the renewal of those charters that continue to positively impact student achievement and the revocation of those that do not.”

The Board based its decisions on the recommendations of the District’s Charter Review teams, which conducted site visits, examined financial and student performance data, and assessed compliance with all code requirements for charter facilities. The findings were reported to the Superintendent and Board of Directors.

City Charter High

The District Charter Review team recommended the renewal of City Charter High from 2012 to 2017. The charter review team noted the student gains the charter has seen in reading and the strategies it has initiated to improve the school’s mathematic results. The team also said the charter provides the District with its senior internship component, extensive list of business partners, and innovative instructional strategies.

Career Connections Charter High School

A failure of the school to meet the conditions, standards and procedures contained in the original charter agreement prompted the District’s charter review team to recommend the Board not renew the charter of Career Connections Charter High School. The team found very few students were participating in authentic internships, a key component of the charter’s mission.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) showed the school has not improved student learning. The number of students scoring proficient in math decreased from 46.2% in 2010 to 16.7% in 2011. The number of students scoring below basic in mathematics increased 19.4 percentage points from 2009-10. This is the second time a District charter review recommended the Board not renew the charter for Career Connections Charter High School.

The findings of the District’s Charter Review teams for both charter renewal applications can be viewed at www.pps.k12.pa.us. A copy also can be obtained by calling the Parent Hotline at 412-622-7920 or visiting the Division of Communications, Room 204, Pittsburgh Board of Education, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.