Academic Achievement
In December 2010, G A R Memorial Junior Senior HIgh School was identified as a Tier II chronically, low achieving school, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, in its application for the federal School Improvement Grant. Also identified as grant eligible were Dodson Elementary School – Tier III and Heights-Murray Elementary School – Tier III. In December 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Education identified six district schools as eligible for SIG funding due to chronically low student achievement including: G A R Memorial Junior Senior HIgh School as a Tier III, EL Meyers Junior Senior HIgh School – Tier III, Flood Elementary School – Tier III, Dodson Elementary School – Tier III, Heights-Murray Elementary School – Tier III, and Solomon Plains Elementary School – Tier III. A Tier II school, that is included in their district’s application for School Improve Grant funds must implement one of four “school improvement” models. Districts were not required to apply for SIG funds. Wilkes-Barre Area School Administration did not apply for this funding in 2009 nor in 2010.
Wilkes-Barre Area School District was ranked 412th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic performance based on the PSSAs for: reading, writing, math and two years of science.
- 2010 – 375th
- 2009 – 336th
- 2008 – 225th
- 2007 – 128th out of 501 Pennsylvania school districts.
In 2009, the academic achievement of the pupils in the district was in the 15th percentile among Pennsylvanian's 500 school districts. Scale (0–99; 100 is state best)
In 2008, the math proficiency of the students in the district ranked 8th out of 11 Luzerne County school districts. In reading skills, the district's students ranked 9th, in Luzerne County, for on grade level student achievement.
In 2009 Wilkes‐Barre Area School District demonstrated the largest increases in reading scores in Luzerne County: fifth grade improved 21.9% and eighth grade reading skills improved 12.9%. The district's eleventh grade score in on grade level reading, declined 10.8% from its 2003 level. This was the greatest decline among Luzerne County school districts.
Read more about this topic: Wilkes-Barre Area School District
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