Standard & Poors provides observations focusing on test reults, spending
Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services updated report with information for the 1999-2000 school year includes a variety of information on each local school district. The information is summarized in the company’s observations, focusing on test results and spending from 1996-97 through 1999-2000.
Although the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) is a highlight, the report looks at students’ academic results through other tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), as well as participation in those tests and related factors like dropout, retention and attendance rates.
Notable points on each local school district refer to the mean composite PSSA score for the school districts and spending per student in 2000. For comparison, the state average PSSA mean composite score for 2000 was 1,317. The average amount of money spent that year per student statewide was $7,554.
A summary is given here from the “S&P observations” section of the report.
Albert Gallatin
Albert Gallatin Area School District “produces moderately below-average student results with comparatively low spending.” Per student spending “is moderately below the state average but comparable to the average of a group of peer districts.”
The mean PSSA composite score was 1,275, up an average of 12 points per year. The per student expense was $6,939 and went up an average of 5.2 percent each year while total operating expenses went up an average of 4.4 percent each year.
Belle Vernon
Belle Vernon Area School District “produces average student results with comparatively low spending. The district’s spending per student is moderately below the state average and lower than the average of a group of peer districts with similar demographic characteristics.”
The district’s mean composite PSSA score for 2000 was 1,294, up an average of four points each year.
Expenses per student totaled $6,623, up an average of 2.1 percent a year. Total operating expenses went up each year an average of 2.4 percent.
Beth-Center
Bethlehem-Center School District “produces average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” The spending is comparable to the state and peer districts.
The report makes a note under risks that Beth-Center’s “comparatively high and increasing proportion of teachers who are absent for personal reasons may disrupt the district’s instructional continuity.”
The mean composite PSSA score was 1,284, down an average of five points per year.
Spending per student in 2000 was $7,847. That went up an average of 5.3 percent. Total operating expenses also went up, 3.4 percent.
Brownsville
Brownsville Area School District “produces moderately below-average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” While the district’s spending is comparable to state averages, it was higher than the peer districts.
The mean PSSA composite score was 1,233, up an average of five points per year. Spending per student was $7,965, up an average of 5.8 percent per year. Total operating expenses went up 4.5 percent per year.
The report noted “per-student instructional spending for all academic programs combined is above the state average, and yet its instructional spending per student for basic K-12 programs alone is actually below the state average. This is possibly attributable to instructional spending on categorical programs for students with special circumstances, or to other spending priorities.”
The report further noted a risk in the district is “above-average operations and maintenance spending, coupled with below-average debt, may indicate a deferment of capital needs. The district’s low level of available financial reserves may limit its ability to weather unforeseen, adverse financial circumstances.
California
California Area School District “produces moderately below-average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” Comparable to the state average, the district’s spending is higher than similar districts.
The mean composite PSSA score was 1,317. The score had gone up an average of eight points a year.
Expenses per student were up an average of 6.7 percent a year to the 2000 total of $7,947. Operating expenses in total went up an average of 3.4 percent a year.
Carmichaels
Carmichaels Area School District “produces moderately below-average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” The district’s spending per student is higher than similar districts.
The mean composite PSSA score was 1,245. The score had gone down an average of five points per year.
Spending per student was $7,977. That figure was up by an average of 6.2 percent a year while total operating expenses went up an average of 4.5 percent a year.
Central Greene
Central Greene School District “produces moderately above-average student results with comparatively high spending.” Spending is also higher than the average its peer districts.
The mean composite PSSA score went down an average of six points per year to 1,304.
Spending per student was $8,094, up an average of 3.5 percent per year. Total operating expenses went up an average of 2.0 percent a year.
Connellsville
Connellsville Area School District “produces moderately below-average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” The district’s spending per student is also comparable to districts with similar demographic characteristics.
The district’s mean composite PSSA score was listed as 1,263, a number that went up an average of six points per year. Spending per student was $7,249 and went up an average of 3.8 percent each year while total operating expenses went up 3.6 percent.
Frazier
Frazier School District “produces moderately above-average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” The district’s spending per student is also comparable to similar districts.
The mean composite PSSA score was 1,334 and up an average of 23 points per year.
Per student expenses went up 6.2 percent a year to $7,088 per student. Total operating expenses went up 3.2 percent a year.
The report makes note of a risk that “the district’s above-average professional turnover rate may have an adverse impact on the learning environment.”
Jefferson-Morgan
Jefferson-Morgan School District “produces moderately below-average student results” coupled with higher spending than state and peer district averages.
The mean composite PSSA score at 1,234 had gone down by an average of 13 points per year.
Average spending per student was up an average of 6.3 percent a year to $8,621. Total operational expenses went up a yearly average of 3.5 percent.
The report noted Jeff-Morgan’s “above-average operations and maintenance spending, coupled with below-average debt, may indicate a deferment of capital needs.”
Laurel Highlands
Laurel Highlands School District “produces average student results with spending that is comparable to statewide levels.” Peer districts with similar demographic characteristics have comparable spending per student.
The PSSA mean composite score for L.H. was 1,290 and that had increased an average of seven points per year.
The per-student spending amount was $7,107, up an average of 4.6 percent per year. The total operating expenses went up 3.5 percent.
Southeastern Greene
Southeastern Greene School District “generates exceptionally below-average student results with comparatively high spending. The district’s spending per student is well above the state average and higher than the average of a group of peer districts with similar demographic characteristics.”
The report makes several notes on student results it states are “considerably lower” than similar districts.
It also makes note that the district’s high proportion of students scoring in the lowest category of the PSSA put it at risk for being named and “empowerment districts” by the state if the scores remained at the bottom level for two years.
The PSSA mean composite score was 1,157, down by an average of six points per year.
Spending per student was listed as $8,727. The student expenses went up an average of 6.4 percent a year and total operating expenses went up an average of 2.7 percent a year.
Southmoreland
Southmoreland School District “produces average student results with comparatively low spending.” The district’s spending, below the state average, is comparable to comparable districts.
The repot state Southmoreland is one of 14 school districts throughout Pennsylvania “that achieves PSSA scores that are moderately above the state average despite serving a moderately above-average proportion of economically disadvantaged students.”
Uniontown
Uniontown Area School District “produces moderately below-average student results with comparatively high spending.” The district’s spending, moderately above the state average, was also higher than the average of its peer districts.
The report noted Uniontown’s per-student “instructional spending for all academic programs combined is above the state average, and yet its instructional spending per student for basic K-12 programs alone is actually below the state average. This is possibly attributable to instructional spending on categorical programs for students with special circumstances, or to other spending priorities.”
The district’s mean composite PSSA score was 1,247. That went up an average of nine points per year.
Spending per student was $8,165, up an average of 7.6 percent a year. Total operating expenses was up an average of 4.7 percent a year.