PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary, Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, State Representative Stephen Kinsey, and the School District of Philadelphia Superintendent, Dr. Tony Watlington, toured Anna L. Lingelbach Elementary School in Philadelphia this past Tuesday. The visit aimed to emphasize the state’s investments in K-12 education and the improvement in statewide test scores.
“Governor Shapiro has signed a commonsense, bipartisan budget that delivers on his top priorities to create a stronger economy, safer and healthier communities, and better schools,” said Secretary Mumin during the visit. He added that the budget’s investments would aid schools like Lingelbach Elementary to continue improving their assessment results, ensuring all children have the freedom and opportunity to succeed.
The 2023-24 budget earmarks significant investments for students across Pennsylvania, including an unprecedented $567 million in basic education funding. This is the largest increase to the Basic Education Funding Formula in the state’s history, with an additional $85.5 million specifically allocated for the School District of Philadelphia.
Representative Kinsey expressed his gratitude towards Secretary Mumin for visiting northwest Philadelphia and highlighted the importance of firsthand interaction with students. “Getting to see a few classrooms and interact with the students directly lets us know the impact their education is having on them. I look forward to continuing my advocacy to ensure Pennsylvania’s schools are fairly funded and our students can receive the best education possible.”
The tour served to highlight the progress made in statewide assessments. The 2023 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) results showed that students at Lingelbach Elementary increased their proficient and advanced scores by 13.7% in Science, 10.5% in Math, and 3.6% in English Language Arts. These improvements reflect the continued advancement in statewide assessment results as the impacts of pandemic-related assessment waivers decrease and investments in classroom resources increase.
In his closing remarks, Superintendent Watlington praised the school’s achievements and outlined the district’s goals. “From reducing the student dropout rate, increasing the number of students passing state tests while decreasing the number of students scoring at the lowest levels, and increasing student and teacher attendance — we are Accelerating Philly,” he said.
The visit to Lingelbach Elementary offered the officials an opportunity to observe the school’s outdoor learning activities and indoor classrooms. The tour concluded with a Q&A session, giving students a chance to directly engage with Secretary Mumin, Representative Kinsey, and Superintendent Watlington.
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