When it comes to school improvement, research confirms what common sense suggests: of all the factors controlled by schools, it is the quality of classroom teaching that matters the most.

A+ Schools’ newest initiative – Tools, Rules, and Schools - is focused on elevating the quality of teaching in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.  We seek to engage and mobilize the community to improve the overall system to enable excellent teaching in every classroom.  Our first policy brief (PDF), written on our behalf by Catherine Aswumb Nelson PhD., is based on national literature and research.  This brief describes the system in which teachers work, some of the factors that result in uneven outcomes across classrooms and the critical question we plan to answer in the coming months. 

We have engaged the Learning Policy Center at the University of Pittsburgh to conduct an analysis of the distribution and mobility of teachers across schools in Pittsburgh and to analyze the policies, practices, and working conditions that influence where and how teachers teach.  Click here to see our full scope of work (PDF).  We will release our findings and recommendations in September and invite you and the larger community to work with us to advocate for improving the system. 

We must do all that we can to insure that our schools inspire our children for bright and prosperous futures.  Join us in this work and we will keep you informed and engaged as our Tools, Rules and Schools initiative unfolds.

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