Lancaster High School finally has the designation that accurately reflects the capabilities and performance of our students—and the tremendous work of our staff. This achievement truly comes from every corner of our schools. It starts with families making attendance a priority and includes the people who safely transport our students, provide healthy meals, deliver quality instruction, create opportunities for postsecondary success, and support our students in countless ways every day.
This designation belongs to all of us—our students, staff, families, and community. I could not be more proud of our students and staff in Lancaster County. We now have the title that reflects the work they have been doing all along.
We are also very proud of the progress at Lancaster Elementary School. LES earned the points required to meet the “Meets Expectations” benchmark; however, under the School Performance and Support Framework, a federal identification for a subgroup automatically lowers the school’s overall designation by one category. Because LES received a federal identification for students with disabilities, its final designation is “Approaching Expectations.”
While we recognize that there is still work to do, growth is always our focus at LCPS, and there is much to celebrate. Our students with disabilities demonstrated significant progress, including a 30 percentage-point increase in Reading Growth and a 3 percentage-point increase in Math Growth sections of the framework. Our chronic absenteeism among these students improved by more than 10%. Those numbers represent real students making real progress, and we are incredibly proud of them and the staff who support them every day. LES reached the point benchmark for “Meets Expectations,” and we will continue building on that progress.
If you see an LCPS student or staff member, take a moment to tell them, “Good job. We’re proud of you and the work you do.” They have earned it.