W. PA. 3 schools get ratings upgrade

An error made by a contractor caused the problem, state officials said.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
Three schools in the Mercer, Union and Wilmington districts were mistakenly given a "Needs Improvement" classification in a recent report issued by the state.
All three are now classified under a "warning" category that means they fell short of state targets but have another year to meet standards before any state sanctions are imposed, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The schools -- Union Area Middle School, Wilmington Area Middle School and Mercer Junior-Senior High School -- were listed in the Average Yearly Progress report issued earlier this month by the department of education.
Brian Christopher, an education department spokesman, said the error occurred when data was transferred by a contractor hired by the state.
"What we've come across is there were several instances where the reporting form used from one year to the next had changed," he said. The data was either put in incorrectly by the school or the contractor, Christopher added.
The ratings were touted as the first comprehensive assessment of how well the state's schools are faring under the mandates of the "No Child Left Behind" law signed by President Bush last year. The law requires all pupils be proficient in math and reading by 2014.
How others fared
The majority of schools in Mercer and Lawrence counties met the state standards, and a handful of others fell under a warning category, which means they fell short of state targets but have another year to improve before state sanctions are imposed.
Though being put on the warning list was an improvement, administrators in Union, Mercer and Wilmington say they still disagree with the state's assessment of their schools
"We feel we met the Adequate Yearly Progress" standards, said William Gathers, superintendent of the Mercer Area School District. "Hopefully they will agree and we will be removed."
Mercer, along with Wilmington, have filed appeals with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
"We still question whether we should be placed on a warning list," said Joyce Nicksick, superintendent of the Wilmington School District. "We read the data differently."
Union Schools Superintendent Dominic Ionta said his district has not filed an appeal with the state but is still concerned about being on the warning list.
"We are not pleased we are on the warning list, but many are on the warning list for many reasons. We need to get some specifics. Our teachers are very concerned and focused. We are looking at it some more," Ionta said.
Though schools in Union, Mercer and Wilmington were upgraded to the warning list, schools in Farrell and the Keystone Education Center remained in the "Needs Improvement" category.
cioffi@vindy.com