http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07263/819040-298.stm#
City schools to hire N.J. firm to evaluate math programs
Thursday, September 20, 2007
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
City school board members voted last night to bring in a New Jersey
think tank to evaluate the Pittsburgh Public Schools' dueling
elementary math programs, so officials can determine whether to
implement one of them districtwide.
Officials long have debated the effectiveness of the Everyday Math
program, introduced in the district more than a decade ago.
When he was interim superintendent in 2005, Andrew King added a
wrinkle to the debate by piloting a Harcourt elementary math program
in 10 schools without consulting Diane Briars, then the district's top
math officer. Neither Dr. King nor Dr. Briars still works in the
district.
During a review of its curriculum last year, the Council of the Great
City Schools chided the district for the two-pronged approach and
recommended it implement one program in all elementary schools. The
district now is poised to do that.
Board members voted last night to accept $79,000 from a consortium of
foundations to fund the math study, to be based at least partly on
test scores. They also voted to bring in Mathematica Policy Research
Inc. to perform the study, with a contract that runs through Dec. 31.
The action came at a special legislative meeting. The board's regular
legislative meeting will be held next week, but officials held the
special session because they want the study to begin as soon as
possible.
"Mathematica is one of the preeminent research organizations in the
country, and it does have considerable credibility and a history of
evaluating similar programs," said Paulette Poncelet, the district's
chief of research, assessment and accountability.
Among those working on the study will be Brian Gill, who helped design
the district's school-rating system when he was a senior social
scientist with the Rand Corp. in Oakland. Dr. Gill joined Mathematica,
based in Princeton, N.J., this summer.
But the study won't necessarily leave Everyday Math or Harcourt a
victor. After reviewing results, the board could decide to go with a
third elementary math program, said Jerri Lippert, the district's
executive director of curriculum, instruction and professional
development.
Also last night, the district said it will receive nearly $2 million
over four years from the Los Angeles-based Broad Foundation to train
aspiring principals.
"This will give us a system to have people in training and in
mentoring who will be ready to assume principalships when they open,"
Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said.
Mr. Roosevelt, a graduate of the Broad Foundation superintendents
academy, this year unveiled a program for training new principals,
supporting veteran principals and paying principals based on
performance.
The U.S. Department of Education in June awarded the district $7.4
million over five years to pay for principal raises and bonuses.
Joe Smydo can be reached at or 412-263-1548
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