Pittsburgh Public Schools reports progress on third-grade math but flags stark subgroup gaps

Dr. Wayne Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, presented the district’s third-grade mathematics status update on May 12, saying the district remains on a path of incremental gains while noting persistent equity gaps that leaders say demand focused supports.

The update set a district target of 36.4% of third graders scoring proficient or advanced on state math assessments by the end of the 2026 school year and described how the district is using the Classroom Diagnostic Tool (CDT), math walks and tech-enhanced unit assessments to guide coaching and instruction. Walters said the district has seen measurable movement from fall to spring—including a 6.8% increase in students "likely proficient or advanced" and a 14.9% increase in students performing at or above grade level—while stressing that those gains have not closed long-standing subgroup gaps.

Why it matters: Walters emphasized that third grade is foundational for later math success and that monitoring and strengthening instructional practice is central to district strategy. The presentation showed that while some schools have achieved rapid growth, other schools and student groups remain well below proficiency thresholds, which the district tied to differences in starting points and implementation capacity rather than student ability.

Key facts and figures from the presentation

- District proficiency target: 36.4% of third graders proficient/advanced on PSSA or PASA assessments by the end of the 2026 school year (district-stated target). - Fall-to-spring gains: Walters reported a 6.8% increase in students likely proficient or advanced and a 14.9% increase in students performing at or above grade level. - Subgroup disparities (spring): 22.9% of White students were likely proficient or advanced compared with 2.5% of Black students, 4.0% of students with IEPs, 3.1% of economically disadvantaged students and 2.8% of English learners (district-presented subgroup numbers). - School-level gains: seven schools showed a 10-percentage-point or greater increase in students scoring proficient or advanced (Fulton, Sunnyside, Dilworth, Allegheny, Greenfield, Montessori and Colfax). Fifteen schools achieved average scale-score growth of 100 points or more in six months (including Minidale, Beechwood, Concord, Phillips, Fulton, Wolseley, West Liberty, Mifflin, Lincoln, Linden, Dilworth, Allegheny, Brookline, Greenfield and Montessori). - Observations and monitoring: the district reported more than 320 classroom observations in fall and 356 in winter; for grade 3 specifically, teams visited 35–38 classrooms during monitoring cycles. - Family engagement: over 80% of schools had hosted family math nights with participation projected to exceed 91% by late May; the district launched a PPS family math website in March with grade-level resources, instructional videos and links to tools such as DreamBox and Imagine Learning supports. - Assessment platform adoption and limits: nearly 90% of grade 3 teachers reported scores in the ILC platform through the first three units, declining to 70.8% in unit 4; Walters flagged vendor limitations such as an inability to batch-print student reports and said the district is working with Imagine Learning to improve functionality.

What the district is doing

Walters outlined three core strategies: (1) sustained, curriculum-embedded professional learning paired with targeted K–3 coaching; (2) strengthened family partnerships, including unit letters and family math nights; and (3) assessment practices that prioritize instructional use of data, supported by tech-enhanced unit assessments and an assessment guidance document. He said the district will deepen Math Walk and CDT data use to target coaching, systematize principal–coach partnerships and refine the district’s leadership institute to strengthen instructional leadership across schools.

Board questions and staff responses

During questions from board members, Chair Tracy Reed asked about departmentalization at schools with strong growth; Lindsey Smith, executive director of K–12 STEAM, said at least half of the high-growth schools are departmentalized but that a detailed comparison with low-growth schools had not yet been completed. Reed later expressed frustration that progress for Black students, students with IEPs, English learners and economically disadvantaged students remains limited, saying, “I just remain incredibly disappointed that we are not moving Black kids, students with IEPs, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged kids ... they deserve it.”

On data access, Walters said families have access to assessment information but that district staff face vendor-related challenges when producing mass reports for distribution; the district is engaging the vendor to resolve batch reporting and other platform limitations. Smith said coaches and school teams use CDT and classroom data to prioritize supports; she described a classroom-level, needs-based coaching approach and noted strong teacher satisfaction reported in district professional-learning surveys.

Next steps and closing

Walters said the district will continue implementing and refining the three strategies—strengthening coaching, expanding family engagement and improving assessment systems—and will work with Imagine Learning on platform fixes. The education committee took questions and then adjourned.

The meeting record shows discussion and direction rather than any formal vote or policy adoption.