StateofEducation
KevinSquires,M.Ed.isa 2011graduateoftheWest MifflinAreaSchoolDistrict andwaselectedtothe WestMifflinAreaSchool BoardofDirectorsin 2021. Heservesasamemberof theeducationand technologycommittees andchairsthe communicationsand communityengagement (CEC)andpolicy committees
KevinalsoservesastheBoardPresidentandas thedistrict'srepresentativeonthePennsylvania SchoolBoardsAssociation(PSBA).
Hehastaughtattoppublicandprivateschools throughoutWesternPennsylvaniaafter graduatingwithhismastersfromPointPark Universityandcurrentlyworksasalaboratory managerattheUniversityofPittsburghwhere heresearchesinfectiousdiseases
AbouttheAuthor GoalsofthisReport
Examiningthestateofeducationis somethingIfeeliscriticaltoensuring successofthestudentsourdistrictserves. WhilethisissomethingIamconstantly doingasaboardmember,Ibelieve informingthepublictobeextremely importanttohighlightnewinitiatives, identifyweaknesses,andpromote thenew thingshappeningwithinthedistrict'swalls. For2024,Ibelievethestateofeducationfor ourdistrictisenriching.
Description
Thefollowingreportisafocusedreview ofthenewdevelopmentsinthe educationallandscapeoverthepast yearatWestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict.
Thisyear’sreportincludeschangesto courseofferingsandprogrammingatthe highschoollevel,advancesin technology,anexaminationof graduationratesandoutcomes,special education,recenttestscores,and curriculumupdates.
OutlineofReport
Page1:CoverPage
Page2:Index;AboutTheAuthor
Page3:HighSchoolCurriculum Changes;TechnologyAdvances
Page4:GradReport
Page5:SpecialEducation
Page6-7:TestScores
Page8: Curriculum
Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisreportare solelythoseofKevinSquiresanddonotnecessarily representthoseoftheWestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict ortheBoardofDirectors.
HighSchool Curriculum Changes
NEWhighschoolelectivecourses approvedbytheboardfor2024-25: GamingConcepts, MaterialScience2, STEMProfessionsPreview, EuropeanHistory, InternationalRelations, TeamSports, Mindfulness, FitnessEnhancement PhysicalEducationElective ConversationalSpanish,and ChildDevelopment,Pre-Kprep&lab
ThehighschoolalsolaunchedTitan LearningTime,flexperiodsdedicated toenrichmentandinterventionfor students.
PersonalFinancewillalsosoonbe requiredasaone-semester courseforallstudentspriorto graduating,aspartofnewstate lawrequiringthecourse beginningwiththe2026-2027 schoolyear.
Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisreportare solelythoseofKevinSquiresanddonotnecessarily representthoseoftheWestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict ortheBoardofDirectors.
Advancesin Technology
Theboardapproved: Purchaseof24studentdesktopsfor videoeditingandbroadcastingatacost of$45,576.00fromDakTech
A4-yearleaseof2,400studentlaptops atanannualcostof$319,951.49with warrantyandaccidentaldamage protections,eliminatingtheneedfor studentinsurance.
Purchaseof60MetaQuest3128GB virtualrealitygogglesthatcanbeused throughoutthedistrictatacostof $28841.40
60annualMetaQuestforBusiness licensesfromStaplesTechnology Solutionsforvirtualrealityheadsetsata costof$8,657.40
Theschoolboardapproveda $916,680BipartisanSafer CommunitiesAct(BSCA)Stronger ConnectionsGrant(SCG)to establishsafe,healthy,and supportivelearningenvironmentsin ourschoolsthroughtheTitan AssistanceProgram. Readmoreonwmasd.org.
Totalpercentage college-boundin2022 forWMASDwas61.50% AcrossAlleghenycounty,the totalpercentagecollegeboundwas60.03%
StateofEducation SpecialEducation
HIGHERSPECIALEDUCATION PERCENTAGES:
WestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict againsawasmallincreasefrom lastyearinPercentofStudents enrolledinspecialeducation(0.2%) withincreasesallofthemost commondisabilitycategories
Totalspecialeducationpercentage, Autism,andEmotionalDisturbance categoriesremainsubstantially higherthantheState.
INCREASEDINCLUSION:
Thedistrictcontinuedtoincrease theirpercentageofstudents enrolledinspecialeducationwhose learningtakesplaceinsidethe regularclassroom80%ormore, from71.6%lastyearto75.5%this year.Againmuchhigherthanthe stateaveragewhichheldclosely from61.6%to61.7%. Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisreportare solelythoseofKevinSquiresanddonotnecessarily representthoseoftheWestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict ortheBoardofDirectors.
Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisreportare solelythoseofKevinSquiresanddonotnecessarily representthoseoftheWestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict ortheBoardofDirectors.
PSSAScores
Standardizedtestshavemoreweaknessesthan strengths,especiallyinthecurrentclimateof education.ThehavocofCOVIDcontinuesto createchallengesinmakingmeaningful interpretationsoftestingdata.Idonotbelieve fixatingonoremphasizinghigh-stakestestingis goodforchildrenorschooldistricts Thatbeing said,havingsomeformofstandardizedtestand payingsomeattentiontothedataisoneofthe fewwaystogetapictureofhowourdistrictis performingatmeetingtheeducationalneedsof students.
Forthatreason,IlookedatthePSSAresultsfrom 2019,2022,2023,and2024atthestateanddistrict levels.
Herearemyinterpretations:
Englishscoresforthedistrictwent down6.5pointsfromlastyear.The statewasonlydown0.7points. Mathscoresforthedistrictwentup 1.3pointsfromlastyear,asmalland comparableincreasetothestate,up 1.0point.
Afterhittingadistrict-highlastyear, sciencescoreswereessentially stagnant(down0.6points).State scoreswerealsoessentiallystagnant (up0.3points).
Themostmarkedareatoaddresshere isthedropseeninEnglishLanguage Arts,butthemajorgapsbetweenthe districtandstate-wideperformancein allcontentareasshouldnotbeignored.
Sciencescoresinthedistrictremain higherthanpre-pandemiclevels.
StateofEducation KeystoneScores
TheKeystoneexamsareadministeredattheend ofacourse,butscoresarereportedonlywhen thetesttakerisin11thgrade.Thatmeansatest takeninoneyearmightnotbereflecteduntil subsequentyears.
Becauseofthisreportingstyle,thewide-ranging schedulingofcoursesforparticulargradesor studentsbasedonabilitywithindistrictsusually arenotrelevant-becausethestatedataisjust 11thgradersacrosstheboard.However,COVID, theshutdownofschoolsin2020,andthe cancellationofexamsforthatyearhascreateda majorprobleminobjectivelyanalyzingKeystone data.Aproblemthatwillcontinuestoimpact reportingofscoreseventhisyear.
Literaturescoresarethemostunimpacted scoresintermsofreportingissuesfromCOVID, soitisalsomostnoteworthytoseedistrict scoresdown11.5points,wherethestateis down2.1points.Thisisnearlya10-point greaterdropseeninWestMifflin.
Biologyscoresforthedistrictareup10.1 points.Whilestatescoresshowedessentially stagnantresults,down0.2points.Thisseems verypositive,butislikelyattributableto reportingproblemspresentfromCOVID waiversandthereremainsan18.5-pointgap betweenthedistrictandstatescores.
Algebrascorescontinuetobeimpactedby COVIDaswell,whichislikelywhyan8.1-point dropisseeninWestMifflin,but7.4-point bumpinstateperformance.
Myoverallopinionoftheseresultsisthatthey remainuseless.Idonotrecommenddrawingtoo muchconclusionfromKeystoneexamresultsfor thedistrictandtheircomparisonfromprevious yearsorthestatescores.
Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisreportare solelythoseofKevinSquiresanddonotnecessarily representthoseoftheWestMifflinAreaSchoolDistrict ortheBoardofDirectors.
StateofEducation
NewArts&ElectivesCurriculumMaterials
TheboardapprovedbidsfromAlleghenyEducationalSystems,Inc.for:
AForest–FabBotDesktopCNCRouter,enclosurestandandonsitetrainingatacostof $12,348.10.
ACreaform–Peel3EDUScannerandsoftwarebundle,twocasesforthescanner,a3D scanningmanualturntable,onedayofonlinetrainingandinstallationatacostof $12,929.00
AnUltimaker–S5ProBundle3DPrinter,accessories,setupandtrainingatacostof $13,539.03
AWazer–WAZERWaterjetCutterstarterpackage,installationandtrainingatacostof $14,445.00
AnEpilog–FusionEdgeLaserEngraver,rim-driverotaryattachmentandinstallationat acostof$33,416.27
Theboardalsoapproved:
ApackageofnewmusicalinstrumentsandaccessoriesfromMusicandArtsatacost of$43,868.40
