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Schools

Korchnak Stakes His Pay Raise on Improving Test Scores (May 11 B-W School Board Meeting Notes)

Budget uncertainty was another hot topic on Wednesday night.

(CORRECTION made below - in italics.)

Plans to Improve

During a presentation at the Baldwin-Whitehall School Board meeting on Wednesday night, Superintendent Dr. Lawrence C. Korchnak admitted that his district's Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test scores were .

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"I wanted the community to know what we knew and what we are doing about it," Korchnak said, detailing efforts to improve PSSA scores at each grade level.

At the elementary level, he emphasized a need for teachers to work together.

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"Teaching is more effective when there's collaboration," Korchnak said, referring to his plans to increase "common planning" time.

At , Korchnak's focus was on the school's environment.

"With Mr. (Principal Michael R. Wetmiller) and his team, there's a positive learning environment."

At , Korchnak pointed out that "we sustained performance levels," arriving at that conclusion by analyzing scores through the PA Value-Added Assessment System, a learning-assessment tool.

"It measures what a kid learned over a period of time," Korchnak explained. "Our students are learning a year's worth of work in one year. That's what the PVAAS tells us."

Overall, Korchnak is aiming for a 10-percent improvement in district test scores, and he is staking his pay increase on it. However, not all B-W School Board members were impressed with that goal.

"If we are only targeting a 10-percent improvement," board member Nancy Lee Crowder said, "how are we ever going to reach our goals by 2014?"

Board President George L. Pry voiced concern over B-W's standing in relation to other school districts, saying that district needs to do better than just improving and "be better than our counterparts."

Board member Martin Michael Schmotzer also noted that "the central theme in attracting people to the school district is a high school that is performing well."

Korchnak was steadfast in his confidence that his plans for a 10-percent improvement were the right way to go, saying, "You have to start somewhere."

Budget Strong ... For Now

B-W School Board members will be meeting next week to further discuss next fiscal year's operating budget.

"The state has not approved (its 2011-12) budget yet, and it has moved back from what (Gov. Tom Corbett) ," board member Kevin J. Fischer said. "Through all that, nobody has heard mention of the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. Why? Because we're healthy.

"There is no anticipation of furloughs and no cuts on programs. We may face that in the years ahead, but at least next year, we're in good shape."

Korchnak added that he had received a call from saying that there was money being placed back in the state education budget which had been previously taken out.

Special Olympics at the High School

Martin Schmotzer took a moment to promote the  event to be held at Baldwin High School on Saturday, adding that there is value in showing respect to children with disabilities.

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