RPS working to build on Achievement Plan

(ABC 6 News) – The Rochester Public School Board met to discuss their newest strategic plan to improve education post pandemic; Encouraging students to not shy away from post secondary education programs in high school.

Some of the goals they hope to improve on are:

Providing more support and feedback for educators.

Implementing and refining literacy practices at elementary and special needs levels.

Refining science and writing instruction for grades 6-12.

RPS also plans to stay the course with goals from last year, that they have received positive feedback from staff and students. Such as, new teacher orientation and science professional development for elementary and middle school students.

The board also went over the importance of encouraging students to take advantage of post secondary education programs.

Superintendent Kent Pekel spoke about the advantages of the programs and some of them can potentially save students millions in college.

“It’s a huge motivator for students,” Petel said. “We have got to get the message to kids and famalies earlier than we are right now.

“Cause we don’t want them just discovering this at the end of their senior year, we want them actually thinking about it as they’re in high school.”

Recent data presented at the meeting shows that Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) courses through RCTC can save high school students more than 1.2 million dollars in tuition. (That number is based off of RCTC tuition rates.)

As of right now, 11% of juniors and seniors in RPS schools are enrolled in at least one PSEO course.