| Pittsburgh Schools are still fully embroiled in the | | | | detention center. By separating the students |
| high school reforms enacted in 2006. A task | | | | prone to troublemaking from their peers, the |
| force, with goals are similar to those of the | | | | other students in Pittsburgh Schools are given a |
| federal No Child Left Behind Act, is currently | | | | better chance to focus on their studies. All who |
| leading the reforms. Pittsburgh Schools evaluate | | | | enroll in the school for disruptive students will be |
| the reforms in accordance with the Excellence for | | | | given 180 days of education and discipline before |
| All Plan, an initiative that seeks to develop all | | | | they have the opportunity to return to Pittsburgh |
| Pittsburgh Schools academically. The Task Force | | | | Schools. In order to be sent to these schools, |
| leading the Pittsburgh Public Schools High School | | | | students must have been suspended for 4 to 10 |
| Reform has just recently announced their specific | | | | days; at home suspensions are being rejected by |
| Plan for High School Excellence. And they let | | | | Pittsburgh Schools as they do not provide |
| parents and students know that the | | | | constructive punishment. |
| improvements will take many years. The root | | | | These new resources and plans are targeted at |
| causes of the issues in Pittsburgh Schools are tied | | | | incoming ninth graders in the hopes that they can |
| to discipline and curriculum problems. | | | | be the beginning of change in the Pittsburgh |
| In the past, Pittsburgh Schools experienced low | | | | Schools. Part of the program involves providing |
| test scores and high dropout rates. The Plan for | | | | mentors to these incoming freshmen. Community |
| High School Excellence has been created in | | | | involvement will be stressed. The introduction of |
| response to declining enrollment in public schools. | | | | civics to the curriculum of Pittsburgh Schools is |
| Many of the students leaving the public sector of | | | | hoped to help with character development and |
| Pittsburgh Schools are lured by private schools | | | | behavior. Also, the lesson plans in Pittsburgh |
| that boost higher academic success. Teachers will | | | | Schools will look different next year. Faculty |
| receive more intensive training and stronger | | | | members are involved with a program to |
| support in enforcing discipline codes. Discipline and | | | | streamline and unify their plans. By making the |
| student behavior have plagued the Pittsburgh | | | | classes and teaching methods more uniform and |
| Schools for years. In this area, there have been | | | | cohesive the teachers in Pittsburgh Schools hope |
| some detention guidelines established and a center | | | | reach more students more effectively. Will this |
| for long-term problem students has also been | | | | five-year plan, with its ambitious steps, be able to |
| arranged. In addition, there is an entirely separate | | | | improve the unruly environment and classrooms in |
| school being built for consistently defiant students. | | | | the Pittsburgh Schools? Administrators are |
| The stress created by tension and violence in the | | | | counting on it. |
| Pittsburgh Schools led to the creation of the | | | | |