KEYSTONE OAKS
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Building a Foundation of Excellence
KEYSTONE OAKS HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR RECOGNIZED
AS NMSI TEACHER OF THE MONTH
K
eystone Oaks High School Math & Computer Science
Teacher Kevin Gallagher was selected as the National
Math & Science Initiative (NMSI) Teacher of the Month
for October.
“Our Teacher of the Month
initiative is intended to
recognize and celebrate
partner teachers who are
engaging and inspiring their
students in exceptional ways
and working to spread the
joys of learning beyond their
classroom,” NMSI CEO Dr.
Bernard Harris said in a release.
Dr. Harris cited Kevin’s
dedication to increasing
Keystone Oaks’ enrollment
in Advanced Placement (AP)
classes, increasing students’ qualifying scores, and his
enthusiasm for these college preparatory courses as some
of the reasons that he was chosen for this distinction. In
addition. Mr. Gallagher was instrumental in bringing the
Laying the Foundation conference to Keystone Oaks last
summer.
“The work that Kevin has done over the past three
years has had a tremendous impact on the quality of the
educational opportunities provided to our students,” said
Keystone Oaks Superintendent William P. Stropkaj, Ed.D. “Not
only has Kevin worked to improve and grow our Advanced
Placement program, but he has also been instrumental in
bringing computer science courses to Keystone Oaks High
School. We are proud of his commitment to our students
and our District.”
Mr. Gallagher serves as the site coordinator for the
District’s participation in The National Math & Science
Initiative, a three-year program that strives to advance STEM
teaching and learning by increasing the number of students
taking and earning qualifying scores on AP math, science,
computer science, and English exams. NMSI provides
study sessions for students as well as resources, supplies,
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and professional development for teachers to help school
districts reach this goal.
Keystone Oaks has more than doubled the number of
students taking AP English, Math and Science exams and
has seen a 63 percent increase in the number of exams
students are taking. Additionally, the number of students
taking computer science courses has quadrupled over the
past three school years.
At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, Keystone
Oaks estimates that students will have earned more than
$500,000 in college credit and more than $40,000 in
scholarships by earning qualifying scores on AP exams.
Students who enroll in AP English, Math & Science
courses also have the opportunity to attend Saturday
Study Sessions that help them prepare for the exam. This
year, Keystone Oaks students will receive an additional 13
hours of instruction per course, or about 3,000 hours total
for all students. When combined with the previous two
school years, Keystone Oaks High School Students received
an additional 6,000 hours of invaluable instruction and
collaboration with students and instructors from throughout
southwestern Pennsylvania.
Additional benefits of participating in the National Math &
Science Initiative include:
4 $55,000 in classroom resources over the past three
years
4 More than 100 hours of training for teachers
between June 2019 and April 2020
4 NMSI’s Laying the Foundation program has
provided Keystone Oaks teachers with more than
2,000 hours of professional development in a three
year period
“When you look at the overall impact of Keystone Oaks’
participation in the National Math & Science Initiative, our
students have received close to $1 million in tangible and
intangible benefits,” Mr. Gallagher said. “There is no doubt
that our students are better prepared for post-secondary
success because of their participation in rigorous Advanced
Placement courses.”