2023 WMASD State of Education

2023

WMASD STATE OF EDUCATION A review of developments in the educational landscape over the past year at West Mifflin Area School District

SquiresK@wmasd.org The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

About the Author

Kevin Squires, M.Ed. is a 2011 graduate of the West Mifflin Area School District and was elected to the West Mifflin Area School Board of Directors in 2021. He serves as a member of the education, policy, and longterm strategic planning committees and chairs the technology committee.

He also serves as the district's representative on the South Hills Area School Districts Association (SHASDA). He was also involved this year as a member of the Comprehensive Planning Team.

Kevin has taught at top public and private schools throughout Western Pennsylvania after graduating with his masters from Point Park University and currently works as a laboratory manager at the University of Pittsburgh where he researches infectious diseases.

Goals of this Report Examining the state of education is something I feel is critical to ensuring success of the students our district serves.

While this is something I am constantly doing as a board member, I believe informing the public to be extremely important to highlight new initiatives, identify weaknesses, and promote the new things happening within the district's walls.

For 2023, I believe the state of education for our district is resourceful.

I say this as I believe we have entered a time where the needs of students are greater than ever and where we are more equipped than ever to handle those needs - from new staff to new programs to new facilities and resources.

Description The following report is a focused review of the new developments in the educational landscape over the past year at West Mifflin Area School District.

This year’s report includes changes to the high school curriculum, an updated comprehensive plan, information on the before and after school program, advances in technology, special education, recent test scores, and curriculum updates.

Outline of Report Page 1: Cover Page

Page 2: Index; About The Author Page 3: High School Curriculum Changes; Comprehensive Plan Page 4: Before & After School Program; Technology Page 5-6: Special Education Page 7-8: Test Scores Page 9-10: Curriculum

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

High School Curriculum Changes Addition of Intro to Debate; Journalism; Pre-Algebra; Sustainable STEM; Coding 1 (Technical Inquiry); 3D Character Animation; Addition of cyber courses: Foundational Skills; SAT & ACT; ACCUPLACER Prep; Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Prep; Beyond the Bookcase 1 & 2; German, French, Latin I Robotics course now includes a focus on Drones (removal of battlebots); Removal of German I (in-person); Removal of Honors Diploma

Updated Mission, Vision Statements

The 2023-2026 Comprehensive Plan was board approved and developed by a steering committee of 30 members of the school community, including administrators, teachers, parents, and school board members. As a part of the plan, the mission and vision of the district were updated. The full plan details goals set for the next three years and plans to achieve those goals and details a breakdown of schools, student demographics, and the community.

West Mifflin Area School District: Helping our students achieve their best.

MISSION

The West Mifflin Area School District exists to empower students socially and academically through collaboration between staff, families and the community.

VISION

The staff, families, and community members of the West Mifflin Area School District strive to engage all students to excel as lifelong learners while maximizing their contributions in an everchanging global society.

View the Full 2023-2026 Comprehensive Plan

The Outdoor STEAM room features the greenhouse, aquaponics system, pond, pollinator garden, and edible/sensory garden. The aquaponics system (photo) allows students in the new Sustainable STEM course to better understand sustainable agricultural practices.

BOARD APPROVED: Collective Bargaining Agreement with the West Mifflin Area Federation of Teachers for July 2023 through June 30, 2028

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

Before & After School Program The school board approved an agreement with Champions to provide a Before and After School Program.

Before School starting at 6:45 AM After School going until 6:00 PM Grades K-6 Food, Activities, Academic Support all included at the 3 sites (both elementary schools and the middle school) Learn more & register Before-School: 1-2 days: $30 per week 3-5 days: $42 per week After-School: 1-2 days: $45 per week 3-5 days: $72 per week

Advances in Technology

The board approved: Purchase of 24 Gaming PCs with 3-year warranties and ASUS TUF 23.6” monitors at a cost of $28,817.16 from Insight Public Sector for the Graphics Studio Purchase of 460 HP ProBook x360 at a cost of $175,260 from MRA International Implementing KnowBe4 cybersecurity training for staff Creation of High School and Middle School E-sports Clubs UPMC Children's AnywhereCare@School SchoolBased Telehealth Pilot Program at NO COST to students/families or the district Public WiFi was introduced at the High School stadium.

The AnywhereCare@School program will: Help keep kids in school. Being able to access a provider from school helps keep kids healthier and decreases their chances of missing days.

Offer convenience for parents. You can stay at work or home when your child has a video visit and is well enough to stay at school.

Make getting a prescription easy. The Children's provider can send an electronic prescription to the pharmacy that you list on the sign-up form.

To take part in the school telehealth program, you must:

Discounts: Multi-Child or Military: 10%

Enroll your child ahead of time, before they need care.

Sign a consent form.

The Titan ESPORTS Arena at the High School is a space for students to work together to compete against other high schools in video games. The goal is to increase attendance, grades, and positive behavior (Right).

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

Special Education

New Leadership; New Roles

Dr. Dayna Sikora Director of Special Education

Dr. Sikora joined the district from Hempfield where she served as the Supervisor of Special Education.

She holds a Doctorate of Education and Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from Point Park University and brings a breadth of experience in the field of special education and behavioral health.

Mrs. Noelle Haney Director of Pupil Services Mrs. Haney has meticulously served in multiple roles for the district over the years, including serving as the principal of multiple schools. No matter what, she has always acted in a way that makes meeting the needs of students her top priority and serving as the Director of Pupil Services will only allow her to expand on that.

New Programs

Official creation and recognition of the Titan Troop West Mifflin’s version of Best Buddies.

Creation of a Partial Program at the Middle School, fully staffed and run by Adelphoi Education Inc. A partial program provides an intensity of treatment similar to that available on an inpatient unit, in a less restrictive, community-based setting. It can provide a “step down” level of treatment when discharged from inpatient programs, or a “step up” level when outpatient treatment is not effectively meeting the needs.

Introduction of a School-based Therapist and a School-based Behavioral Specialist using SEEKS grant funds The Holistic Titan Sanctuary was created through SEEKS grant funds. Two rooms were created, stocked with exercise equipment, and staffed with counseling services to serve as designated hubs for students and staff to unwind, blow off steam and mentally clear their brains.

The Titan Sanctuary Fitness Center exists to address mental health, stress, sensory, and social needs for students and staff.

The new partial program provides an intensity of treatment similar to that available on an inpatient unit, in a less restrictive, communitybased setting.

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

Special Education

HIGHER SPECIAL EDUCATION PERCENTAGES: West Mifflin Area School District saw a small increase from last year in Percent of Students enrolled in special education (0.3%) with increases all of the most common disability categories.

Total special education percentage, Autism, and Emotional Disturbance categories are substantially higher than the State.

INCREASED INCLUSION: Strikingly, West Mifflin Area School District saw an increase from 59.6% to 71.6% of students enrolled in special education whose learning takes place inside the regular classroom 80% or more, substantially higher than the state average of 61.6%.

View the 2022-2025 Special Education Plan

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

PSSA Scores

Standardized tests have more weaknesses than strengths, especially in the current climate of education. The havoc of COVID continues to create challenges in making meaningful interpretations of testing data. I do not believe fixating on or emphasizing high-stakes testing is good for children or school districts. That being said, having some form of standardized test and paying some attention to the data is one of the few ways to get a picture of how our district is performing at meeting the educational needs of students.

For that reason, I looked at the PSSA results from 2019, 2022, and 2023 at the state and district levels.

Here are my interpretations:

West Mifflin Area School District exhibits PSSA trends similar to those seen statewide.

English scores decreased compared to 2022 (PA -0.9%, WM -3.9%) Math scores increased compared to 2022 (PA +5.0%, WM +3.6%) Science scores increased compared to 2022 (PA +3.3%, WM +14.5%) West Mifflin was lower than the state average in all 3 subject areas.

The district showed significantly higher improvement in Science than the state and considerably lower decreases in English compared to the state.

Science scores in the district are now higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

Keystone Scores The Keystone exams are administered at the end of a course, but scores are reported only when the test taker is in 11th grade. That means a test taken in one year might not be reflected until subsequent years.

Because of this reporting style, the wideranging scheduling of courses for particular grades or students based on ability within districts usually are not relevant - because the state data is just 11th graders across the board.

However, COVID, the shutdown of schools in 2020, and the cancellation of exams for that year has created a major problem in objectively analyzing Keystone data. A problem that will continue to exist to some extent for YEARS. For example, in biology, the 2022 sample size for West Mifflin was 14 students - West Mifflin typically students take biology in 9th grade which would have been 2020 when the exam was cancelled. The 14 students included likely had to take the course in 10th grade for some reason (such as failing or transferring from another school). The state average is including schools that typically teach biology to 10th graders - who would have had it the next year in a somewhat normal setting. To analyze these results in any truly meaningful way is not encouraged.

Algebra will be a mixed bag of years, with some students taking the course as early as 7th grade and others not taking it until 11th grade. Sample size for Algebra I was 76 students for 2022, but 210 for 2019.

Literature was 142 students for 2023, 158 students for 2022 and 208 for 2019.

My overall opinion of these results is that they remain useless.

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

New Science Curriculum: PA-STEELS This past year, the school board approved new purchases for the district's science curriculum, preparing for the new state standards, Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) which will be fully integrated into classroom instruction for all PA schools by the 2025-26 school year. The old standards, and some of our old textbooks, were dated from over 20 years ago.

In a 20-year-old textbook: 1. Pluto was a planet.

2. New elements on the periodic table had yet to be seen.

3. Birds and Reptiles were separate vertebrate classes.

4. Scientists were still working to map the Human Genome 5. The Higgs Boson was just an idea.

6. The first few exoplanets had been discovered, but none were potentially habitable, and almost nothing was known about the ones found.

7. CRISPR was not in use and gene editing was still considered extremely difficult.

8. Humans were better at recognizing faces than machines were.

Beyond the content, resources change. New curriculum materials include tons of digital resources, new ideas for BETTER teaching, and clearer ways to convey topics.

Teachers reviewed materials from multiple sources and made recommendations to administration for the board's final approval.

See the full list of science curriculum-related purchases below.

Science Curriculum

The board approved: Savvas grades 4-8 six-year print and digital subscription of Elevate Science at a cost of $181,806.25.

McGraw Hill grades 9-12 six-year print and digital subscription of Inspire Science Biology at a cost of $108,307.33.

Cengage Learning six-year print and digital subscription for 30 high school students of General Chemistry at a cost of $6,583.50.

Cengage Learning six-year print and digital subscription for 20 high school students of Physics for Scientists and Engineers at a cost of $4,403.05.

S cience Technology E ngineering Envirornmental L iteracy Sustainability

The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.

State of Education

Social Studies Curriculum

The board approved: 30 Psychology books and 30 Sociology books at a cost of $771.60 from PermaBound Books 30 Criminal Justice Today books and 6year digital licenses at a cost of $10,026.42 from Saavas Additional Social Studies materials will be purchased in 2024 as part of the WMASD Curriculum Cycle.

Other Curriculumrelated Purchases The board approved: 500 Spring Math Licenses and Ongoing Advantage Packages at a cost of $6,600.

1,175 IXL learning site licenses for grades 612 for three years at a cost of $36,836.

Edmentum for Study Island ELA and Math for three years at a cost of $7,235.08.

ALO Math K-6 & Reading K-6 Add-on at a cost of $3,500.

Social Studies

Arts/PE

Science

WMASD Curriculum Cycle ELA

Humanities

Math

Contact Me SquiresK@wmasd.org SquiresForSchoolBoard The views and opinions expressed in this report are solely those of Kevin Squires and do not necessarily represent those of the West Mifflin Area School District or the Board of Directors.