[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6239459,"mediaKeyId","3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c","parentId",3337655,"title","Spring survey shows mixed results: staff and families report improvements, students less positive about climate","audioSeconds",663,"startMs",2757000,"endMs",3420000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c&start=2757&end=3420","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c/thumbnail_2757000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6239459/Pennsylvania/Spring-survey-shows-mixed-results-staff-and-families-report-improvements-students-less-positive-about-climate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6239459-98d4739450b49a747542d61dfd730393/orig.mp4?Expires=1770953963&Signature=eTHTEZVtQRDjIrbgPTxdQlSYrrfGHe9f6Vl8LbFEHS3jo-7U2bkUTpHhHsmtqSqzLB0X0qi8WIcaomkbV7XjIcjKXnm1LNTJRn1LZmpL1lCLVEc6pUkzg0rHKuEcK2bLgI~OV6WC7tT8To1dL16A-4Tz7K1QM-cTEbFRHH2QHFKNjc0JBGrbbYVMzryEgOqx7rOe~CgKJqROt2qX8HRhK50wE5yeB36gpukl7vMHu4XAVUxCV~hGRA1sMX1jeJm~x10aBK1nddTrdqpPS1A~xNCIUp3jw-NeUmYnr9R5vdstGLRMg5srmhUXh0bEuxSuVDBwJJKy9iQhlk00Wul1vA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-15T16:46:17Z","article","Mick Arthur, a district staff member, presented the district's spring 2025 climate and culture survey to the Education Committee on May 14 and reviewed response rates, focus areas, and next steps.

Arthur reported strong participation rates — 94% staff completion and 85% student completion — and said family response was lower at 18% but improved from the prior year. He said the district used Panorama as its survey vendor and that a 40‑page report with full results is available.

On the district's two action focus areas from last year, Arthur said central office responsiveness and leadership remain priorities. \"We were at 34% in this topic last spring ... we were at 39%\" he summarized for the most recent consolidated metric. He said central office responsiveness now has a 48% favorable baseline and central office leadership scored lower at 24% favorable. Open‑ended responses frequently referenced fiscal health, compensation and time/resources as drivers of staff concern.

Student climate and engagement results were mixed. Using Panorama's adjusted scoring, Arthur said student climate adjusted from 38% last spring to 35% this spring; some schools saw gains while others declined. He noted staff and family perceptions of school climate improved slightly (staff +4 points, families 62% to 66%). Arthur identified belonging and teacher–student relationships as strengths; resources and school engagement as weaknesses, particularly at secondary levels.

The presentation included recommended next steps: continue to strengthen central office responsiveness (including a central‑office 48‑hour response expectation), ask staff for targeted feedback at upcoming convocation, and work to increase family–teacher communication using tools such as ParentSquare and the home access center. Arthur said school leaders received their school‑level results earlier the same day and that Panorama includes playbooks with research‑based strategies for improvement. He asked schools to align school‑level action plans to the district strategic plan and to report back on implementation.

The committee asked follow‑up questions about school‑level engagement dips, access to full data (Arthur provided a link to the full report), and tailoring student survey language for virtual programs. Arthur agreed to provide breakout data for specific programs on request and to consider survey wording adjustments for students in virtual programs in future administrations. No formal action or vote was recorded; staff will develop action plans and return with updates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Education Committee Meeting - May 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Districtwide spring survey reported 94% staff and 85% student response rates; staff and families reported gains in school climate perception while student climate scores dipped modestly. District will pursue targeted actions on central office responsiveness and school engagement.","taxTitle","William Penn SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",55555,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6239462,"Special education audit update: William Penn SD staff report high claim conversion, $600,000 available to offset costs",312,1606000,1918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c&start=1606&end=1918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c/thumbnail_1606000.jpg","/articles/6239462/Pennsylvania/Special-education-audit-update-William-Penn-SD-staff-report-high-claim-conversion-600000-available-to-offset-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6239462-e403a80cf47569ba107f2e4686313dbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770953963&Signature=O5xemKWeMMP3IR~qMhLAM-VAeJfgfv4mBQV8n1V9um~Q6O9cz0vDrFJtMBMWIiNe-CsaC-y3-0C3WA839u5cgtmKPZlyBGLzq-1Kypdc523z6MD~TzQ1TixKRihabvTLvlZoug2kg7esfMo~ePlKUjewspaQXs~D-2LA8H1fPkoLHnC6Djy~Y1bkT9tYljX8vWbXChMY1nzW3k-9uN~laEtTTa2jp7jadbOyhZv1V5qHlY~l6WM49iWKZF~gAwNHuew3F65CLRHXzPC3nIiibtC882N2KxTEss0VpLR84UAqroKw8VTJ0D8YZ6muEc~x4L51-B7W3quNPMRbZcgssA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kate Crossett, a special education staff member, presented the Education Committee with an update on actions following a special education audit conducted by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) and on the district's school‑based access (Medicaid) claiming processes.

Crossett summarized vendor and system roles. She said the state uses a vendor called SSG to provide monthly claim summaries, analysis and denial reports. She described FAI — the district's Financial Accounting/Interim payment account — and said the district currently has approximately $600,000 available in that account accumulated since about the 2021–22 school year. \"Currently, we have approximately $600,000 in funds available to draw down on at present that has been accumulating, for several years now since roughly the 21‑22 school year,\" Crossett said.

On recent claiming performance, Crossett presented an example month in which staff submitted 60 claims; 58 were approved and two were denied because the students were not Medicaid eligible, a 97% conversion for that sample. She described typical returns on investment for the program as \"generally somewhere between 18 to 30 cents on the dollar,\" and explained that interim payments arrive periodically while a year‑end cost settlement is paid as a lump sum.

Crossett outlined operational details that board members asked about: district staff run family eligibility through a state database called Promise every month; providers are asked to submit logs frequently (recommended weekly; PCAs often submit in real time); the state allows up to 180 days to file a claim from the point of service; and a medical provider authorization and document review process underpins the state's cost settlement extrapolations. She described a \"random moment time study\" process used for certain time‑sampling documentation and stressed the need to organize provider credentials and logs to maximize returns.

Board members raised concerns about implementation timelines and corrective action. Board member Miss Roberts asked whether the district knows Medicaid eligibility at the beginning of the year; Crossett said eligibility must be checked monthly. Several members (Miss Roberts, Miss Richardson, Miss Boykins) urged clearer corrective‑action timelines and earlier implementation of recommendations from the CCIU audit. Crossett said the district is prioritizing five top areas from the audit: administrative capacity and compliance risk, growing special education needs and program development, consistency and standardization gaps (noting the district has \"one of the highest student to special education administrator ratios in Delaware County\" according to the CCIU), financial implications and strategic investment, and collaboration and communication challenges.

Members also asked about services gaps and compensatory measures. Miss Milio said a speech therapist had been on leave and students had not had speech services for about a month; Crossett said a communication process for notifying parents exists and asked to follow up with the principal and special education liaison. Miss Hoff reminded the committee that compensatory education procedures have been assigned to leaders to address missed services; Crossett agreed to follow up.

Crossett said the district is proposing to draw down on a portion of the accumulated FAI funds to offset current contracted costs for PCAs, occupational therapy and physical therapy. She described the district's approach as seeking to document services appropriately, work with the CCIU on implementation, and improve administrative capacity. No formal vote was taken; staff presented recommendations and implementation priorities for further committee review.","District staff summarized findings from a Chester County Intermediate Unit audit and school‑based Medicaid claiming activity: a recent sample month showed 58 approvals of 60 claims (97% conversion), roughly $600,000 is available in the FAI account, and the CCIU recommended addressing administrative capacity and IEP consistency.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6239467,"William Penn SD holds first Reading Olympics; district plans larger event next year",235,1032000,1267000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c&start=1032&end=1267","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c/thumbnail_1032000.jpg","/articles/6239467/Pennsylvania/William-Penn-SD-holds-first-Reading-Olympics-district-plans-larger-event-next-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6239467-d36209391773df3ae9ae867a86d52ec3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770953963&Signature=Zi2U2CT6gZSBteOt0wccdhn75r7b2-WjdEfpqLY0ChsRhtoBsIXSgISJeH9-Ub46cZN6JdnTW8QLiqF9mpBUBvMePBMXj0A5swWws9S8gMNz2m1gJAaFk5Jg9GJ-y2rzKD1Gygbkha2mKiPpoPrwxlcLTwalpJJjTRNlAwD51pBVk-AK0X4DpTv0DTVpmGjKUWC4FBJflOuxivXHNghxqco8VtOfmVfobtxMb3v54KPtW42kTGgNFr162UwyOqWRIrmM21Wr0YbRLRZmQavowMej0OnaM~sQDA8SpmqXsyib9B1rEFRbShpB8i95Y~0uitr9SphW31dzipnHgDp-Wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Miss Tockely, a district curriculum staff member, told the Education Committee that William Penn hosted its first Reading Olympics on April 9, 2025, and the district plans to expand the event next year.

\"On April ninth of this year, 20 25, right before our spring break, we hosted William Penn's very first reading Olympics,\" Miss Tockely said. She credited reading coaches Miss Rossi (Cowen), Miss Thompson (Evans) and Miss Talise (East Lansdowne) with organizing the event and said she chose 15 titles from a roughly 30-title list produced by Delaware County.

Students in grades 4 through 6 formed teams; schools used Title I funds to purchase one or two copies of each selected title. Miss Tockely described the competition format: teams answered level‑1 recall questions (for example, \"what color were the eggs?\") and advanced by reaching a set point total, with teams huddling to decide answers and captains reporting responses.

Board member Miss Roberts asked whether students whose school was not participating could join. Miss Tockely said she did not yet have a formal process but hoped principals and coaches would identify interested students, and she said the goal is to have each school represented as the program grows. Miss Hall asked about cost; Miss Tockely said the cost for coaches and books for participating schools was \"less than $1,000,\" and added options such as library loans or shared copies to reduce expense.

Organizers propose expanding participation beyond the initial three schools, hosting the event at Pennwood High School for more space and parent attendance, and holding a future Reading Olympics on the Wednesday before spring break in 2026. No formal vote was taken; this presentation recorded the event's success and plans to broaden participation.","The district hosted its first Reading Olympics in April, using a Delaware County book list and Title I funds; organizers plan to expand participation and hold the event at a larger venue next year.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6239472,"William Penn SD to pilot three ELA curricula and an AI reading intervention in 2025-26",208,61000,269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c&start=61&end=269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3337655-627e0d884d7a1d7d217da8276e79895c/thumbnail_61000.jpg","/articles/6239472/Pennsylvania/William-Penn-SD-to-pilot-three-ELA-curricula-and-an-AI-reading-intervention-in-2025-26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6239472-8c4fe92b4ebffd3d28a250cf4c386a15/orig.mp4?Expires=1770953963&Signature=BjQIpbZl--mYuUNy-LftEMTwcvpGTvJREMJWNAH1hDKMX8r~csI7KFWl760jWS~CZvK78UXm9ocRoPl1koUMbfHE79P~886v2UmaxuTdHrsCtzjp-MiYMsQMISUv6k0xOCV64P3fH3F2rHJ9xfqzx-0Z92yK7oQfLTjP9SDyNp9DEew0OcR3zURTEq25qrvwbXWC31QrOJ~efsHNh9mzhjKdP7k-~31HFh2YvLmaUCl5cG8CTPCIrgPD2dWCpQqaHf0Zy4aV79C0AQpUCsIixNqsEwLIFtOg22sN7NcTOvl3jh3viHahhBfDPtnYUUhZoka4DxOckneG3z0-lco4Qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Miss Tockely, a district curriculum staff member, told the William Penn School District Education Committee on May 14 that the district will run year-long English/language arts pilots in the 2025-26 school year with three vendors and an AI intervention.

\"We are going to talk about the instructional ELA instructional pilots that we will begin in the fall of 20 25, and they will be year long pilots for elementary and some secondary,\" Miss Tockely said. She listed Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), Savvas and McGraw Hill as the vendors to be piloted and described grade- and school-level placements.

The pilots and placements named by Miss Tockely include: East Lansdowne Elementary, kindergarten through fifth grade, piloting HMH Into Reading with the Amira AI intervention; Penwood Ninth Grade Academy piloting Into Literature for two ninth-grade ELA teachers; Ardmore Elementary piloting Savvas My View for kindergarten through fifth grade; and Evans and Park Lane elementary schools piloting McGraw Hill Wonders 2023 (kindergarten through fifth) with StudySync used at the sixth-grade secondary level. Miss Tockely said Read 180 will be piloted with one teacher and that some pilot teacher assignments remain to be decided.

The district will run pilots from September through June and will collect multiple sources of data before making a purchase decision. \"In September, students will take both the Acadience for kindergarten through second grade and the MAP test and Acadience test again in January,\" Miss Tockely said, adding the district will compare beginning‑of‑year and midyear results and consider common assessments and teacher feedback. She told the committee a final purchasing decision is expected after midyear assessments, around February.

Budget and data‑privacy concerns were raised. Board member Miss Hoff asked about cost implications and whether student information would enter an \"open\" AI system; she said, \"we've been told that no student data can go into an AI device that's open because it's, you know, data that, you know, AI is learning, so they can't learn from that data. The intervention is a closed AI system?\" Miss Tockely replied \"Absolutely\" and later confirmed \"Yes\" when asked directly about Amira being a closed system. On costs, she said quotes would be sought later in the cycle and that the district can choose which program components to buy.

Discussion items kept separate from decisions: committee members and staff discussed vendor support, professional development plans (an introductory professional development session in May 20 and full training in August), fidelity to vendor scope during pilots (Miss Tockely said teachers would follow the curriculum \"from cover to cover\" to ensure an authentic pilot), and that secondary classes may use downloaded digital resources or additional texts depending on teacher and student needs.

Next steps spelled out by staff include providing the May 20 \"appetizer\" professional development for pilot teachers, collecting September baseline Acadience and MAP data, retesting in January, analyzing midyear results, soliciting teacher feedback, and returning to the committee with recommendations after that comparison. No formal motion or vote was recorded at the May 14 meeting.","The Education Committee heard that year-long English/language arts pilots will run across elementary and secondary grades next school year with HMH, McGraw Hill and Savvas; the district also will pilot an AI intervention called Amira. Final purchasing decisions will follow midyear assessment comparisons.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Spring survey shows mixed results: staff and families report improvements, students less positive about climate

Special education audit update: William Penn SD staff report high claim conversion, $600,000 available to offset costs

William Penn SD holds first Reading Olympics; district plans larger event next year

William Penn SD to pilot three ELA curricula and an AI reading intervention in 2025-26