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f ox c hapel a r ea s chool d is tr ict | s tat e of t he s chools
Message from the Superintendent
Dear Friends,
I was pleasantly surprised to fi nd out that Pittsburgh Magazine named Fox Chapel Area School District as the
top-ranked suburban district – but not
not really surprised. Our School Board, administrators, staff, and especially our
students, with the support of the entire community, have maintained a tradition of high performance for many years.
Once again, our district has demonstrated improvement in student achievement, and we are being recognized for our results.
• Fox Chapel Area has improved in the Pittsburgh Business Times annual rankings of schools. In 2018,
the district is fourth among Western Pennsylvania public school districts, and eighth in the state on
the list. Our third graders, districtwide, are ranked fi rst in Western Pennsylvania.
• Our PSSA and Keystone Exam profi ciency results have continued to improve every year since 2014-2015
when the Pennsylvania Core became the new standard. Our use of STAR benchmarking, which
assesses each student’s individual learning needs on a regular basis so that teachers can better guide
their instruction, has proven to work in improving student growth and outcomes incrementally since
we began using it in 2015. Other school districts are taking notice of our success and both local and
statewide districts are following our lead and implementing benchmarking. Benchmarking works
because it is an ongoing process of assessing student needs and allows teachers to plan and tailor
instruction that meets individual learners at their own academic levels.
Of course, we have set a goal to continue to grow and improve every year, and 2018-2019 will be
another exciting year.
We started the school year with the groundbreaking on the new Kerr Elementary School. While we
are building on the same site as the current Kerr and will continue the same nurturing culture and
traditions that were a hallmark of that historic school, our new school will feature some exciting spaces
that will enhance learning. Highlights include:
• The Spanish Immersion program that will be offered to one class per grade level, beginning with our
pilot program next year that will include fi rst graders who will be drawn from throughout the district;
• A full-day preschool for four-year-olds to better prepare them for kindergarten; and
• A collaboratory area that will feature innovative learning spaces where students will gather to work on
projects, conduct research, collaborate, and plan – skills so necessary for their future endeavors.
As you look at the pages of what students and staff accomplished last year, I hope that you will also join
me in looking at what the future holds. Although the goals of the Kerr construction process are easy to see,
there are many other projects and goals that are “under construction” at every grade level. I assure you that
we have the tools to achieve even higher goals for our students!
Sincerely,
Gene Freeman, Ed.D.
Superintendent
FOX CHAPEL AREA
❘
FALL 2018
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