A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Friends,
One of my greatest sources of pride is that the Fox Chapel
Area School District continues to be one of the top-
performing districts in Pennsylvania. In fact, for the first
time in history, the school district was ranked in the top 10
in the state, placing eighth in the 2018 Pittsburgh Business
Times rankings. This kind of achievement can only happen
through the support of the many people and groups that
make the Fox Chapel Area School District stand out. This
includes the School Board, the administration, the teaching
and support staffs, parents, taxpayers, and, of course, our
amazing students.
One of the things our faculty is specially trained to do is
utilize effective instructional practices to meet the academic
and extracurricular needs of our students. This is no easy
task, as all students come to school every day with a variety
of learning needs and strengths.
One of the fundamental elements of the success of the
school district is our use of student benchmarking data as
part of a comprehensive process for instructional planning.
We implemented this process across the district in an
effort to maximize student growth and achievement. All
students in kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as
some students at the high school, engage in benchmark
assessments three or four times a year that provide
teachers and the administration with a variety of data
that are analyzed and used for instructional planning. The
materials we use for assessment are closely aligned to the
Pennsylvania Core Standards. These are standards to which
all school districts in the state must adhere.
Fox Chapel Area School District’s use of data to drive
instruction is grounded in the tenet that all students have
the ability to grow academically. Additionally, our use
of instructional differentiation for students promotes
continued growth and achievement to support them to
reach their highest potentials. These beliefs are shared by
staff members, and we work tirelessly to ensure that students
are afforded the very best instructional opportunities for
learning each and every day.
Benefits of a standardized, comprehensive benchmarking
process include the use of current data to determine student
needs. This is important, because relying solely on state
assessment data would only provide a yearly snapshot of
student progress. In order to more accurately assess our
students, we need more. Collecting data approximately
every two months allows teachers to identify areas of need
and opportunities for further enrichment for students.
In addition, the standardized nature of Fox Chapel Area’s
process has resulted in a common language and protocols
that are consistent throughout the districts’ six schools.
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FOX CHAPEL AREA
This process requires open dialogue between teachers
and administrators as they analyze data and design
instruction to meet the needs of a wide range of students.
The process encourages collaboration in planning and
the sharing of ideas and resources among staff and serves
to cultivate learning communities across grade levels and
departments.
Because of these efforts, we have observed the positive
results for students through state and national rankings,
and by analysis of local data that indicate that our students
are starting each year at a higher academic level than the
prior year. In fact, I attribute a great deal of our eighth-
place Pittsburgh Business Times state ranking to our use of
benchmark assessments.
While we reflect on the successes of the past, know that
we are also steadfast in working toward continued growth
and achievement for students, offering new and innovative
learning opportunities, and ensuring that our graduates
are prepared to leave the school district with the skills and
knowledge to be successful in whatever postsecondary
pathway they choose. The district’s mission states, “The Fox
Chapel Area School District exists to maximize student
learning, achievement, and development.” Starting with the
leadership of the School Board, we are able to continue to
serve that mission each day.
Sincerely,
Gene Freeman, Ed.D.
Superintendent