INDEX
OUR MISSION
Introduction
To Our Community,
If you’ ve ever attended a School Board meeting or seen one of our annual reports, you know that data is important to Perkiomen Valley School District. We like to share it, because it helps tell a story about the work that we do here every day. We like to collect it, because it helps us to make decisions that will help us to become a higher-achieving, more efficient school district.
INDEX
PV Fast Facts...................................................... Page 3 School Performance Profile( SPP) Scores............ Page 4 Grade 3 Reading Scores..................................... Page 5 PSSA English Language Arts Scores.................... Page 5 PSSA Math & Science Scores............................... Page 6 AP / SAT / ACT Test Scores..................................... Page 8 PVAAS( Academic Growth) Results...................... Page 9 Behind the Data.......................................... Pages 10-11 Student Highlights............................................ Page 12 Staff Highlights................................................ Page 13 Budget Information.................................... Pages 14-15 Grants & Corporate Partners............................ Page 16
OUR MISSION
In recent years, the terms“ big data” and“ data-driven decision-making” have become buzz words in many different industries and organizations. The ease with which data can now be collected, as well as the quantity and quality of available data, has grown tremendously over the past decade. As a result, the value that we- especially those of us in public education- place upon data has also increased.
Perkiomen Valley School District relies heavily on data to help us determine what changes we might need to make as we continue to improve the learning experience for all students. As you will see here in the pages of this report, we analyze all sorts of data- from the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment( PSSA) to the Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System( PVAAS) to the Scholastic Aptitude Test( SAT) and Advanced Placement( AP) Exams to exit surveys with our graduates- we collect an enormous amount of information about our students.
That information is often the reason behind changes that we implement in our district. One of the major changes that began in the 2015-16 school year was a schedule change in our middle schools. Class periods were increased from 45 minutes to 55 minutes for more direct instructional time with students and a remediation / enrichment / music period( Viking Block) was added to the beginning of the school day. This change was made as a result of data that showed our middle school students weren’ t making expected growth in reading and math. To continue to address this issue, the School Board approved new math curricula at both the elementary and middle school levels at the very beginning of the 2016-17 school year.
But using data alone to make decisions is not without pitfalls. After all, our students are human beings who are much more than numbers on a bar chart. We have to remain cognizant of the fact that while the data tell us quite a bit about how we( and our students) are doing, they do not often tell the whole story. That is why, as a district, we also strive to collect feedback from our stakeholders through meetings, surveys and observation. The anecdotal evidence of student success is also very important for us to consider as we make decisions.
The mission of the Perkiomen Valley School District is to provide a rich academic and cultural learning environment that maximizes available resources to assure that all students grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally, attaining the skills necessary to become successful citizens.
This is the difference between“ data-driven decision-making” and“ data-informed decision-making.” Being aware and appreciative of that difference is critical in a place where we are focused upon helping our students prepare for life in the 21st Century. We thank you for investing your time to better understand our district through your review of our annual report.
Clifford L. Rogers, Ed. D. Superintendent of Schools
Gerry Barnefiher School Board President During the 2015-16 School Year
2 • PVSD Annual Report 2015-16 Follow Us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube
Click here to watch an introduction from Dr. Rogers