Notice of Adequate Yearly Progress
Please Read: Important Information Affecting Your Child
Dear PA Cyber Parent or Guardian,
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School's highest priority is the education of its students. The staff and administration are committed to improving student learning. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, our ongoing efforts to achieve that mission include the administering of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test (PSSA). PA Cyber did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2005-06 school year based on the results of the PSSA taken last spring. However, PA Cyber's total tested population met or exceeded both the Math and Reading targets. Overall, 17.6% (551) of Pennsylvania schools did not make AYP for 2005-06 school year.
Between 2003-05, PSSA proficiency levels of students enrolled in PA Cyber for at least one year increased 30% in Reading, 20% in Writing, and 14% in Math. PA Cyber's 2005-06 PSSA results indicate the following groups of students did not meet the state's academic achievement targets of 45% proficiency in Math, 54% proficiency in Reading, and 95% participation rate:
- Subgroup 1: IEP participation in Reading and Math was 90%.
- Subgroup 2: A minority subgroup's scores were Math 20.3% and Reading 43.2%.
As a result of an in-depth needs assessment, PA Cyber has identified the following areas as key strategies for instructional improvement:
- Heighten communication among all stakeholders of PA Cyber.
- Provide meaningful professional development that targets PSSA testing.
- Focus on targeted sub-groups and all students to make effective data driven decisions.
- Allocate and use Title I funds to directly achieve the aforementioned strategies.
As outlined in our school improvement plan, the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit and the Pennsylvania Department of Education will offer PA Cyber assistance to implement these strategies throughout the 2006-07 school year.
The No Child Left Behind Act requires PA Cyber to notify all parents of their option to transfer their child to another school within the district that has not been identified for school improvement. Because PA Cyber is one school and one district, its families have the option to return to their school district of residence. If you would like to exercise this option, please contact your Instructional Supervisor at PA Cyber.
Parent support is essential to the success of PA Cyber students. Communicating with your child's teachers, making sure your child attends school regularly, helping your child with homework, monitoring your child's academic progress, and participating in your school's decision-making process are extremely important to us. It is paramount that the school and its families work toward a common goal.
The many successes of PA Cyber cannot be measured by one test alone. PA Cyber is proud of its continued growth, graduation rate, overall school performance on the SAT (100 points above state average), ACT, and PSSA tests, dedicated instructional staff, extended tutoring services, Title I coaching/mentoring, expanded curricula, Virtual Classroom, parent involvement groups, and position as the leader of cyber education both regionally and nationally.
However, if even ONE of our students is not doing well, we are not as good as we can be. The success of all students is our challenge, our goal and our commitment. Enclosed is the Parent Involvement Policy of Title I. Please continue to work with us to make sure that we achieve success for every student. Feel free to contact the school with any ideas or concerns.
Sincerely,
Robert J. BabishDirector
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School