PATHS - Promoting All to Higher Standards of Excellence
- PATHS is an over arching framework for indicating every student’s progress, grade pre-kindergarten through 12, toward the goal of being post-secondary or college ready.
- PATHS is a district-wide commitment to all students, families and the community.
- PATHS is a bold and courageous district-wide commitment to prepare students for the 21st century.
- Targets are comprehensive internal measures that indicate student progress in reading and math, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
- PATHS indicates set benchmarks that are the annual objectives (checkpoints) used by teachers, principals and district personnel to guide the work toward meeting the targets by 2014. Objectives are reviewed and revised annually.
- Because PATHS increases graduation rate, it is an investment in our students that will ultimately result in the sustainability and growth of the community.
CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
major goal of the Norristown Area School District is to provide for all
students a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality
education. This target reinforces the responsibility of all staff to improve
student achievement and close academic gaps among students of different racial,
ethnic, and economic backgrounds, and students with special needs.
PATH will ensure that students enter first grade with the foundational skills
needed to successfully learn to read and write at proficient and advanced
levels. Students will continue to improve and deepen their reading and writing
ability as they develop an extensive vocabulary, establish a rich background of
knowledge, and learn about the world around them.
TARGET #3 SECOND
the end of Grade 2, students must be able to use multiple strategies to
comprehend, evaluate, and critique a variety of complex texts, including
informational books and chapter books with sophisticated plots and characters
across all subjects. Students will learn to write in many forms for various
purposes and audiences including information from research.
TARGET #4 FIFTH
the end of Grade 5, students must understand and effectively use the reading
comprehension skills that will enable them to critique as well as understand
increasingly complex texts. This PATH ensures that all students are prepared to
challenge the complexity of literacy learning in the middle grades. This PATH
also ensures that students are prepared to actively participate in a highly
complex world that requires citizens to understand and use print, verbal,
visual, and multi-media texts effectively.
TARGET #5 FIFTH GRADE MATHEMATICS
PATH will ensure that all students entering sixth grade will have the
foundational skills to successfully navigate higher mathematics, particularly
that content which is necessary to form a strong foundation in algebraic
concepts leading to Algebra 1.
TARGET #6 ALGEBRA 1 BY THE END OF NINTH
1 is a gatekeeper subject that opens the way to higher mathematics in high
school and college. Students who have a thorough understanding of algebraic
concepts can successfully accomplish extensive explorations in advanced
#7 PSAT PARTICIPATION
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)
provides feedback to students about their strengths and weaknesses on skills
necessary for college study. This PATH allows the district to disaggregate the
data to encourage student enrollment in upper level and Advanced Placement
courses. PSAT results indicate where we are successful and where we must make
corrections and changes in promoting all students to higher standards of
#8 SAT SCORES
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) measures critical
thinking skills that are needed for academic success in college. Students who
score well demonstrate that their school career has prepared them with the
knowledge and abilities necessary to confidently attend college, live, and/or
work in the 21st Century.
#9 ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses allow
students to broaden their intellectual horizons by exploring the world from a
variety of perspectives, studying subjects in greater depth and detail, and
assuming the responsibility of reasoning, analyzing, and understanding rigorous
content. The college level courses allow students to earn credit or advanced
standing at many colleges. This PATH is indicative of the district’s goal of
ensuring excellence for all students.
#10 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE
This PATH is the culminating evidence that the
Norristown Area School District promotes all students to higher standards of
excellence and ensures that our students will indeed become articulate,
thoughtful, productive citizens.