District Continues Commitment to Lifelong Student Success ...

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING 341 S. BELLEFIELD AVE. PGH., PA 15213

For Immediate Release

Contacts: Ebony Pugh (412) 622-3616

District Continues Commitment to Lifelong Student Success with Plan to Transform Career and Technical Education

PITTSBURGH, March 2, 2010 ? After three years of planning, extensive community collaboration, Board workshops and input from independent expert consultants, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt presented a plan for a new delivery model for the District's Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming at this evening's Board Education Committee Meeting. This plan proposes creation of a Regional Clusters model designed to ensure all District students have access to high quality CTE programming in the most efficient and cost effective manner.

"We are committed to having all students complete a post-secondary degree or workforce certification," said Superintendent Mark Roosevelt. "The technical skills required of students to enter the workforce today are higher than once required. That is why this plan focuses on creating a new delivery model that provides access for all of our students to quality CTE programs that will prepare students for the priority jobs of today and tomorrow. "

The proposed new CTE delivery model will provide higher quality educational opportunities that are aligned to current economic trends and the jobs of the future. This model also provides the District with the most cost efficient program by maximizing existing programmatic CTE spaces in the District.

New Model Provides Access for All Students to High Quality CTE Programs The District proposes the use of a Regional Cluster model that creates three distinct regions that each provides access to three CTE programs: Health Careers, Information Technology/ Business Finance and Culinary Arts. Locating these three high priority programs in each the three regional clusters will ensure access for all students to these programs, as well as to signature programming available in each region.

Students interested in the Health Careers, Information Technology/Business Finance or Culinary Arts programs would take their academic classes at their home school and attend CTE classes at a Regional Center. Students will continue to use Port Authority transit to get to and from school but transportation within each regional cluster will be provided on District shuttle buses. Signature programming will also be available in each Regional Cluster, requiring interested students to enroll in a school within the region providing the signature program.

The chart below details the District's proposed regional clusters and signature programming.

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Regional Cluster

East Pittsburgh Allderdice Pittsburgh Milliones Pittsburgh Peabody Pittsburgh Westinghouse

South/West Pittsburgh Brashear Pittsburgh Carrick Pittsburgh Langley

Proposed Regional Cluster Model

Regional Program Locations

Signature Programming

Pittsburgh Westinghouse Health Careers Culinary Arts

*Location TBD Robotics

Pittsburgh Milliones Information Technology/Business Finance Pittsburgh Carrick Information Technology/Business Finance Culinary Arts

Pittsburgh Langley Health Careers

Pittsburgh Brashear

Transportation Auto Body Repair Automotive Technology

Pittsburgh Langley

Advanced Machine Operations

North

Pittsburgh Oliver

Pittsburgh Oliver

Pittsburgh Oliver Pittsburgh Perry

Health Careers Information Technology/Business Finance Culinary Arts

Building and Trades HVAC Welding

Cosmetology

*Pending recommendation provided to the Superintendent regarding the location of Pittsburgh Obama ISA 6-12 and the impending

recommendations of the East Region Advisory Committee the Robotics signature program may be located at Pittsburgh Peabody or Pittsburgh

Allderdice.

In this plan Pittsburgh Allderdice will retain its Engineering Magnet, with access limited to those students admitted through the District's magnet registration process. Students within the Engineering Magnet may obtain CTE certification. Pittsburgh Allderdice students who are not a part of the Engineering Magnet can take advantage of CTE programs located in their Regional Cluster.

Regional Centers will be located only within District secondary schools. The District has developed a "CTE and ME" marketing campaign to encourage students to `Get Educated. Get Experienced.' The proposed capital budget for the CTE plan has been estimated at $38,043,123. The costs for operating the District shuttles within the Regional Clusters are estimated at $147,600 per year.

Pittsburgh Oliver Proposed Gateway to the Promise Center ? Early College The plan also establishes Pittsburgh Oliver as the District's Gateway to the Promise Center ? Early College, providing a college-preparatory program infused with Career Academies linking students to certified programs with post-secondary institutions. The proposal links students to certificated programs with post-secondary institutions. The center was envisioned as a part of the Multiple Education Pathways partnership among the District, the City of Pittsburgh and the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board.

"We know that the District needs to improve student achievement at Pittsburgh Oliver. To better serve these students we are proposing the Gateway-Early College Center where every student will receive a personalized education plan that addresses individual needs," said Derrick Lopez, Assistant Superintendent of High Schools.

The Gateway to the Promise Center ? Early College will house the following CTE Academies which will lead to CTE certification and post-secondary options: Building and Trades, Health Careers, Information Technology/Business Finance and Consumer Sciences (Culinary Arts and Cosmetology). In addition to serving Northside feeder pattern students in grades 9-12, the Gateway Center will serve as the credit recovery site for students who have fallen behind on earning credits or who have dropped out of school. To accommodate these students the Gateway Center will be open year-round. Time frames that are being explored include: 8am ? 4pm, 10 am ? 6pm, or 12pm - 8pm.

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"The year-round schedule, based on student need, builds in time for acceleration or remediation," said Lopez. "A motivated student can complete high school by their junior year and enroll in a post secondary program, while a student who needs to master college readiness or workplace skills can have the additional time embedded in their schedule."

District Considering Pittsburgh Perry High School for New Teacher Academy In addition to announcing a plan to transform the District's CTE program into a high quality program that enhances the opportunities for student success, the District also announced that it is considering Pittsburgh Perry as the location for the Teacher Academy's 9-12 program. In developing the new Regional Clusters model CTE program, the District also had to identify a potential site for the new Teachers Academy because the academy site will not house a CTE program.

"Pittsburgh Perry is central to the District's academic ambitions," said Superintendent Roosevelt. "While there are still many details to work through, we are committed to developing a Teacher Academy that will create a learning environment and school culture that fosters a life-long appreciation of learning for teachers and students alike."

A District and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT) Teacher Academy design team must still work through various issues before bringing forward an official recommendation to the Board, including issues such as how Perry's current teachers might be affected, how will the academy be staffed, what items require collective bargaining and what facility improvements must be done to the Pittsburgh Perry facility. The District expects to bring forward a formal recommendation to the Board in April 2010. Any recommendation made by the District is subject to Board approval.

The proposed Teacher Academy, a cornerstone of the Empowering Effective Teachers Plan, will ensure that all new District teachers are prepared to meet the diverse needs of Pittsburgh's students, and that all experienced teachers will have the opportunity to continuously improve their practice. The Teacher Academy will support all new teachers in core content areas through a rigorous 13-month residency. It will also welcome experienced teachers for 5-6 week rotations to share, refresh, and improve teaching practices. Energized by the ideas and hard work of the new and experienced teachers who rotate through the program, and anchored by a select group of highly effective teachers, the Academy will prepare students to take advantage of the Pittsburgh Promise.

Additional Information The public can view a copy of the Career and Technical Education: Comprehensive Recommendations presentation by visiting the Pittsburgh Public Schools web site at pps.k12pa.us, visiting the Division of Communications, Room 201, or by requesting a copy by calling the Parent Hotline at (412)622-7920.

To learn more about the Teacher Academy and the District and PFT's Plan for Empowering Effective Teachers, please visit .

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The Pittsburgh Public School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability in its activities, programs or employment practices as required by Title II of ADA, Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504. It is the policy of the Pittsburgh School District to make all programs, services, activities and facilities available and to provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities.

For information regarding accommodations, civil rights or grievance procedures, contact Mrs. Susan Sinicki Employee Relations Manager, Office of Employee Relations, Pittsburgh Public Schools, 341 S. Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 152133516; Phone (412) 622-3691 (Voice/TTY/TDD); Fax (412) 622-7968.

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