Ackerman's Objectives & Achievements

The Major Objectives Were to:

Accelerate the achievement for all students and reduce the differences in achievement among students in a safe environment that promotes student learning.

Create an equitable distribution of resources within The School District of Philadelphia

Create accountability systems for all adults within The School District of Philadelphia

Create family, community and other stakeholders as partners in raising and maintaining
high student achievement

2008 – 2009 Achievements

1. Increased achievement at all levels and the number of schools making AYP

2. Balanced $35 million budget deficit and ended year with more than $10 million in
positive reserves

3. Implemented Empowerment School Initiative to help struggling schools with targeted
resources
* Master teacher coaches
* Full time substitute
* Reading Recovery teachers in the elementary schools
* Parent Ombudsman
* Student Advisors
* Social Service Liaison
* Additional nursing services
* Expanded summer program
* Corrective Reading and Math Inventions
* Increased monitoring and instructional support

4. Open school with 24 vacancies (the lowest in more than a decade)

5. Lowered class size in grades Kdg. -3rd in all elementary schools (24 – 1)

6. Hired 200 new counselors decreasing the ratio in middle and high schools to 300-1

7. Annual School Report Cards for all schools

8. Implemented the new School Performance Index that identifies highest and lowest
performing schools compared to other district schools and similar district schools.

9. Developed and implemented Five Year Strategic Plan “Imagine 2014” (more than
3000 people gave input)

10. Settled the 40 year old desegregation court order

11. Implemented Renaissance Schools Initiative that focuses on a turning around the lowest performing schools (9 community hearings)

12. Deceased violent incidents by 17%

13. Developed performance based evaluation process for senior staff and related central office administrators

14. Implemented Zero Tolerance Policy that has resulted in more than 300 expulsions

15. Collaborative with City on data sharing

16. New truancy partnership with Family Courts

17. Reactivated district led student government that resulted in
Truancy Campaign
2010 Census Campaign
Young Women’s Health Conference
Student Leadership Conference

18. Enhanced Customer Service Initiative

19. Expanded and Community Engagement
12 Monthly Roundtables (Over 4000 parents attending)
Parent University (8000 parents participating in courses)
Back to School Block Party (15,000 families attended)
New parent surveys – more than 18,000 returned (15,000 more than last
survey returns)

20. New Translation and Interpretation Center to serve the needs of multi-lingual families

21. Expanded all day Summer program with academic and enrichment programs at all
Empowerment Schools and selected other district sites

22. Linked principal evaluations to school performance targets

23. Developed new evaluations for teachers that is linked to the national teaching
standards

24. Successfully negotiated contracts with all unions except one which is in arbitration

25. Groundbreaking PFT contract that provides provisions for increased site selection,
pay for performance, Peer Assistance Review for struggling and new teachers,
Masters degree in Urban Education for 200 teachers, longer school day and year
in the Renaissance and Empowerment Schools.

26. Implementation of Weighted Student Formula (WSF) pilot initiative




  - Information from School District of Philadelphia