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Questions About High School Reform The following questions were submitted to Chief of High School Reform Derrick Lopez in August 2008: HIGH SCHOOL CONFIGURATION AND OFFERINGS : Once the high school reform process is completed, about what percentage of 9 - 12th grade students is expected to attend themed schools? About what percentage of 9 - 12 grade students is expected to attend comprehensive schools? Once the high school reform process is completed, about what percentage of 6 - 8 grade students is expected to attend themed schools? About what percentage of 6 - 8 grade students is expected to attend K - 8 grade schools? Will remaining comprehensive schools be equally available to students regardless of current neighborhood feeder patterns? Ie, will there be an all-district choice system and if so, approximately when will it be implemented? After all anticipated themed schools are in place, what athletic opportunities will be available to students at themed schools? What athletic opportunities will be available to students at the remaining comprehensive high schools? Are there any extracurricular activities that will be available in all themed schools? What activities available in comprehensive schools might not be available in themed schools? Would each themed school be intended to draw students from all over the city? Will there be grade 6 - 12 themed based schools that are not located between the rivers? What length of travel time to and from school is reasonable for 6th - 8th grade students? What length of travel time to and from school is reasonable for 9th - 12th grade students? Is any change expected in the number of students who after the reform process is completed will attend a high school that is racially diverse (defined for purposes of this question as a school where students of a particular race do not comprise more than 80% of the students in the grade 9 - 12 portion of the school)? EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW CONFIGURATION: What are the studies or other evidence showing the benefit of a grade 6 - 12 format? What are the studies or other evidence showing the benefit of a themed high school format? How has the District determined whether most students and their parents are ready in the 5th grade to choose a themed school for the following year? What are the studies showing the benefit of having a smaller number of students (400 - 600 students) in the 9th - 12th part of the school? EXCELLENCE FOR ALL: In 2005 the District set certain academic goals. How has the District done so far in meeting each of those goals? ENROLLMENT LEVELS: In the absence of the PIttsburgh Promise, how much of a decline in the 9th - 12th grade Pittsburgh public school student population was the District projecting over the next 5 years? Over the next 10 years? What effect does the District expect the Pittsburgh Promise to have in the number of 9th - 12th grade Pittsburgh public school students over the next 5 years? Over the next 10 years? TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: What does the Broad Academy teach its nontraditional superintendent candidates in the areas of transparency and community input in the decision making process? [If a majority of parents favor comprehensive schools, would the district nevertheless move to a theme-based configuration?]- Revised December 2008 to specify, "If a majority of parents in a given feeder pattern want an option for a comprehensive, full service high school, would the district nevertheless move to a configuration where that option is not available to all students in the feeder pattern?"

Questions About High School Reform

The following questions were submitted to Chief of High School Reform Derrick Lopez in August 2008:

HIGH SCHOOL CONFIGURATION AND OFFERINGS :

Once the high school reform process is completed, about what percentage of 9 - 12th grade students is expected to attend themed schools? About what percentage of 9 - 12 grade students is expected to attend comprehensive schools?

Once the high school reform process is completed, about what percentage of 6 - 8 grade students is expected to attend themed schools? About what percentage of 6 - 8 grade students is expected to attend K - 8 grade schools?

Will remaining comprehensive schools be equally available to students regardless of current neighborhood feeder patterns? Ie, will there be an all-district choice system and if so, approximately when will it be implemented?

After all anticipated themed schools are in place, what athletic opportunities will be available to students at themed schools? What athletic opportunities will be available to students at the remaining comprehensive high schools?

Are there any extracurricular activities that will be available in all themed schools? What activities available in comprehensive schools might not be available in themed schools?

Would each themed school be intended to draw students from all over the city?

Will there be grade 6 - 12 themed based schools that are not located between the rivers?

What length of travel time to and from school is reasonable for 6th - 8th grade students?

What length of travel time to and from school is reasonable for 9th - 12th grade students?

Is any change expected in the number of students who after the reform process is completed will attend a high school that is racially diverse (defined for purposes of this question as a school where students of a particular race do not comprise more than 80% of the students in the grade 9 - 12 portion of the school)?

EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW CONFIGURATION:

What are the studies or other evidence showing the benefit of a grade 6 - 12 format?

What are the studies or other evidence showing the benefit of a themed high school format?

How has the District determined whether most students and their parents are ready in the 5th grade to choose a themed school for the following year?

What are the studies showing the benefit of having a smaller number of students (400 - 600 students) in the 9th - 12th part of the school?

EXCELLENCE FOR ALL:

In 2005 the District set certain academic goals. How has the District done so far in meeting each of those goals?

ENROLLMENT LEVELS:

In the absence of the PIttsburgh Promise, how much of a decline in the 9th - 12th grade Pittsburgh public school student population was the District projecting over the next 5 years? Over the next 10 years?

What effect does the District expect the Pittsburgh Promise to have in the number of 9th - 12th grade Pittsburgh public school students over the next 5 years? Over the next 10 years?

TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:

What does the Broad Academy teach its nontraditional superintendent candidates in the areas of transparency and community input in the decision making process?

[If a majority of parents favor comprehensive schools, would the district nevertheless move to a theme-based configuration?]- Revised December 2008 to specify, "If a majority of parents in a given feeder pattern want an option for a comprehensive, full service high school, would the district nevertheless move to a configuration where that option is not available to all students in the feeder pattern?"