Definitions and sources of information

All information is from the 2006-07 school year unless noted.

Abbreviations
PDE: Pennsylvania Department of Education
PPS: Pittsburgh Public Schools
RTI: Real Time Information, a PPS Web-based student information management system (A+ Schools was granted read-only access to RTI under a confidentiality agreement with PPS)

Tests required by the state: Percentage of students at each achievement level on PSSA tests
Definition: The percentage of students who scored in the “Advanced,” “Proficient,” “Basic” and “Below Basic” score ranges on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) Reading and Math tests. Third grade scores were rounded to zero decimal places. Scores for third grade were unavailable for years prior to 2005.
Source: PDE.

PSSA scores by subgroup*: Student race/ethnicity, family income status, IEP
Definition: Race/ethnicity for district schools reflects PPS definitions. PPS defines a student’s race as black, white, or “other,” based on parents’ identification. Charter schools provided similar information. Test information for students in the “other” category was not reported by PDE for most Pittsburgh schools, including charter schools, due to their small numbers. “Low-income” refers to students eligible for free or reduced price lunch. PSSA scores were not available by subgroup for students who are not low-income. “IEP” refers to students with an Individual Education Plan for special education, excluding students identified as “gifted.” Note: Subgroup scores are reported as “n/a” when that subgroup had 0-9 students (test scores of fewer than 10 students in a group or subgroup are not reported by PPS or PDE).
Source: PDE.

* “Subgroup” means a group within a larger group. For example, “white fifth-graders” is a subgroup of all fifth-graders.

Student mobility rate
Definition: A measure of student movement in and out of a school during one academic year. The student mobility rate represents the total number of student withdrawals and re-entries divided by the total enrollment for the year.
Sources: PPS and individual charter schools.

Student stability rate
Definition: A measure of student stability during one academic year. The student stability rate represents the total number of students enrolled for the entire year divided by the total enrollment for the year.
Sources: PPS and individual charter schools.

Interpreting mobility and stability percentages: A low number for the “mobility” percentage and a high number for the “stability” percentage indicate a stable student population.

Teacher attendance
Definition: Average daily attendance for teachers. Non-attendance includes sick days, personal days, funeral leave, military leave, jury duty, and professional leave due to seminars, conferences, etc. 
Sources: PPS and individual charter schools.

Teachers with advanced degrees
Definition: Percentage of teachers who have degrees beyond a bachelor’s degree plus teaching certification, including master’s degrees, master’s degrees plus additional credits, and doctoral degrees.
Sources: PPS and individual charter schools.

Principal stability
Definition: Number of different principals in a school from the 2003-04 school year to the 2006-07 school year.
Sources: PPS’ “Public School Choices,” staff lists, and Web site; individual charter schools.

Student disciplinary actions
Definition: “Number of incidents” includes reported incidents of violence and possession of controlled substances or a weapon on school property (one incident may involve more than one offender). For a complete list of incidents at each school that were required to be reported to the state, including the category of “Other Misconduct” (not reported here), go to www.safeschools.state.us (select “School Safety” from the Applications menu on the left, then “School Safety Historic” under the “Reports” menu. You do not need a password to view reports). “Number of incidents per 100 students” represents the number of incidents divided by the total student enrollment multiplied by 100, so readers may compare data from schools of different sizes. “Number of expulsions” refers to expulsions related to reported incidents (including expulsions that are less than, equal to, or more than one calendar year). Information is from 2005-06.
Source: PDE.

SAT scores
Definition: The SAT is an admissions test required by many colleges.
Sources: 2003-07 SAT average Critical Reading and Mathematics standard scores for each school, PDE; national and state average scores, College Board.

College-bound seniors
Definition: Percentage of graduates in 2006 who reported that they were planning to attend a two- or four-year college/university or an institution granting a specialized associates’ degree. No subgroup data were available for charter schools. Information for charter schools is for 2007 graduates.
Sources: PDE, City Charter High School, and Northside Urban Pathways Charter School.

Note about PPS schools identified as “new.” Before the beginning of the 2006-07 school year, PPS closed 22 schools, opened one elementary school (Arsenal), reconstituted eight schools as “Accelerated Learning Academies,” and reorganized 10 elementary schools as K-8s. Because of shifts in school populations caused by these changes, PDE changed the status of 21 schools in the Pittsburgh district to “new” that year. For those schools, PDE doesn’t consider scores from previous years for the purposes of its accountability system.

Information by level

Tests given by the district: Percentage of students at Proficient/Advanced levels by subgroup
Definition: TerraNova Reading and Mathematics for 2nd grade, TerraNova Reading for 9th grade, TerraNova Mathematics for 10th grade. No tests given by the district were reported for grades 6-8.
Source: RTI.

Tests given by the state: Percentage of students at each achievement level on PSSA tests by state
Definition: The percentage of students in Pennsylvania in each score range on the PSSA.
Source: PDE.

Percentage of students with IEPs
Definition: The percentage includes students with an Individual Education Plan for special education, excluding students identified as “gifted.”
Source: PPS.