Pittsburgh Public Schools sets 85.1% on-time graduation goal for 2025–26 and warns of sharp projected drop for English learners

Superintendent Wayne Walters presented the district’s four-year cohort graduation goals, recent trends, and a three-part strategy to improve on-time graduation, and he warned of an early, unofficial projection of a steep decline for English learners.

Walters told the committee the district’s goal for the 2025–26 school year is: "85.1 percent of students in the 4 year twelfth grade cohort will graduate on time." He said the district has seen cohort growth in recent years — from 86.1% in 2023 to 86.9% in 2024 — but emphasized that subgroup gaps persist and require targeted action.

Key findings and warning signs: Walters said internal early indicators (not yet state-verified) suggest a small overall decline for the current cohort but highlighted a concerning early projection: an "approximate 18% decline" for English learner students in the 2025 cohort. He attributed part of that risk to a growing number of ELL students who entered the district late or are over-age for grade and to attendance and connection issues that can cause students to drop out or disengage.

Tools and strategies: Walters described two monitoring tools — a graduation tracker and an Act 158 dashboard — and introduced Counselor Connect, a Pittsburgh-built app launched in April to centralize transcript reviews, real-time documentation, family communication (including translations), and interventions. "It is it is an app," Walters said when asked for clarity, explaining the system is designed to auto-populate information from other district systems and generate parent communications.

The district’s three priorities for 2025–26 are to (1) systemize accountability for Counselor Connect usage and strengthen leadership oversight, (2) strengthen culturally responsive graduation supports and assign ELL graduation mentors at ELD centers, and (3) sustain senior-year motivation through targeted completion incentives and partner supports such as Giant Eagle. Walters described metrics the district will monitor, including up-to-date trackers, documented counselor contacts, Act 158 completion rates, reductions in students identified as at-risk, and increases in on-time graduation among targeted subgroups.

Board members asked whether students were consulted about incentives; Walters said student voice is being sought and partners shape incentives. On staffing, Walters said the district expects counselor-student ratios to approach recommended levels in many schools and that mentors will be drawn from existing staff schedules rather than paid stipends. On special circumstances, he explained the superintendent waiver can be used sparingly (up to 5% of a graduating class) in extenuating situations and is typically initiated by counselors with parental support.

Walters also raised a state reporting nuance for students with significant disabilities who may remain in school through age 22: those students can affect four-year cohort calculations even when district services are intentionally extended, a tension he said the district will seek to address through internal reporting and possible state inquiries.

What’s next: Walters said the district will continue monthly monitoring, expand leadership training on Counselor Connect, and track quarterly metrics — emphasizing that early internal indicators allow faster intervention while official state numbers await verification.

Authorities referenced: Pennsylvania law regarding Act 158 pathways and state reporting for graduation requirements; Walters noted the Act 158 requirement (effective for the class of 2023) and described its five pathway options.