Manor Middle School has been named a 2014-2015 Title I Distinguished School by the state Department of Education’s Division of Federal Programs.
Only 96 of Pennsylvania’s more than 3,000 schools achieved the Title I Distinguished School designation this year.
Manor earned the recognition based on progress made in the past year in narrowing the achievement gap for all of its students and for students who traditionally underperform on standardized tests.
The school earned a School Performance Profile of 90 out of 100 points, the highest of any middle school in Lancaster County, based on its students’ math, science, reading and literature test scores, academic growth from the previous year, attendance rates and other factors.
The number of Manor students scoring proficient or advanced on the PSSA reading test improved to 83.6 percent in 2014, from 79.6 percent in 2013. The number scoring proficient/advanced on the math PSSA exam rose to 86 percent, from 79.9 percent.
The achievement gap for “historically underperforming students” – special-education pupils, English language learners and economically disadvantaged students – also narrowed significantly from ’13 to ’14.
In the math PSSA, the percentage scoring proficient/advanced rose to 73.2 percent in 2014, from 63.9 percent the previous year. In language arts, the percentage rose to 73.3 percent, compared with 62.8 percent in 2013.
Principal Dana Edwards said the Manor staff “utilizes creative solutions” to help struggling students by connecting with their families and identifying academic problems early on. Teachers provide after-school tutoring and devote the last period of each day to academic enrichment and tutoring activities.
Members of the Manor Middle School staff will attend the Title I Improving Schools’ Performance Conference, where they will share information on their school’s best practices. The conference is scheduled for Jan. 25-28 in Pittsburgh.
