annual report 2009

growin  opportunities

A Partnership That Works A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2009

Marlin Miller, Jr. Chairman Berks Business Education Coalition

a message from Marlin Miller:

Our Berks Business Educa - educational value added for each grade and tion Coalition will count each individual student. The Performance 2010 as its 19th year of opera - Pathways program provides the information tion. From the beginning, the needed to validate current instruction or The school counselors of mission of the Coalition has to modify curriculum or instructional Boyertown Area School District, been to support quality edu - approaches. As training and utilization has both elementary and cation and to improve expanded across school districts, teacher secondary, have been trained understanding of career enthusiasm for the program has been high, in the aspects of BerksWorks, opportunities and their and there is every reason to believe that the information it contains, and required preparation, with this initiative will improve student achieve - how to navigate the site. the goal of assuring a well ment in the years ahead. BerksWorks provides a prepared Berks County work - A more recent and evolving initiative is wonderful resource for all force. This report outlines a program to bring together teachers in spe - levels as we work to 2009 progress in programs cific disciplines, such as math, from our five implement the career developed over the past years area colleges and eighteen school districts education and work standards. to support the Coalition’s to discuss how to better prepare all students Career awareness is raised at mission. The enthusiasm and for college-level work. Initial meetings have the elementary level, and support of the business and generated positive feedback toward a goal of BerksWorks provides a great education communities have reducing remedial work sometimes required connection to speakers from been outstanding in this at the college-freshman level. Our Berks various career fields who will effort, and the Coalition County colleges are to be commended for provide presentations to today represents a model their ongoing and increasing support of the students. At the secondary that many communities in Coalition’s work and objectives. level, the site connects our and elsewhere schools with speakers and are seeking to emulate. Dr. Robert Runkle, our executive opens the doors for job director, continues to provide outstanding Over the last two years, shadowing opportunities for day to day direction to the Coalition, and the Coalition, working with our high school students as on behalf of the board of directors and our the Berks County Intermedi - they complete their career loyal supporters, I thank him once again ate Unit, has put consider - portfolio activities and plan for for his very positive leadership. post-secondary life. able effort and resources behind the introduction and adoption of Performance Pathways, a software and Marilee Cassidy professional development program designed to track School Counseling Coordinator Marlin Miller Boyertown Area School District and measure each year the

2 Annual Report 2009 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works

STUDENT SUCCESS berks county career pathways integration project

Over the last year, the Berks County and assessment-development teams curriculum, assessment, and instruc - Intermediate Unit (BCIU) and the composed of discipline-specific educa - tion through key artifacts, this project Berks Business Education Coalition tors, career educators, and facilitators to enables Berks County secondary edu - (BBEC) partnered to assist Berks ensure quality and consistency across all cators to not only utilize a common County school districts with the imple - curriculum-writing teams. Since the curricular framework, but also to inte - mentation of the PA Career Education content area of writing is not conducive grate career education and work stan - and Work (CEW) Standards through to a selected response examination, the dards that will help prepare students the Berks County Career Pathways Inte - teachers instead created a grade-specific for post-secondary experiences. writing assignment matrix and writing gration Project. This project, requested The curriculum and standard genre rubrics as their common assess - by Berks County school districts, is assessments were developed utilizing ment. Some of the work continued in funded by a grant under Workforce the Pennsylvania Department of Edu - fall and winter 2010 as the earth and Innovation in Regional Economic cation’s Standards Aligned System for space teachers collaborated to complete Development (WIRED) and the BBEC. continuity and sharing of resources. similar products. Supported by the BCIU, teachers In addition, national consultant Jay representing districts from across the This project was designed to provide McTighe, co-author of the text, county assembled to: 1) identify core districts with a suggested framework that Understanding by Design , has provided competencies for each content area to serves as a foundation to build upon guidance on the development of the create an end-of-the-year common as - using content-specific expertise within curriculum and will be working with sessment; 2) produce a curriculum map their own districts. The professional dia - teams of teachers on the further for each of the content areas that out - logue that emerged from the process was development of this initiative. lines the content, skills, and standards useful to the project goals and helped to necessary for each student to be compe - create an atmosphere of collaboration, tent on each content area common as - where teachers could share ideas and ex - sessment; and 3) develop relevant and periences to help expand their practices. meaningful career activities for each A number of artifacts resulted from this content area that align to the PA Career work to help “grow” secondary student Education and Workplace Standards. achievement; ironically, the project it - self was renamed “Growing Student During winter 2009, using backwards- Success.” By creating and expanding the design methodology, BCIU piloted the collaborative work of the teachers in common assessment creation protocol in an effort to determine whether the process was effective. At the completion of that project, the finished product was an Algebra I common assessment. Using that protocol, facilitators from the BCIU worked with math, science, and writing teachers over the summer months in 2009 to mirror that process and create end-of-the-year common as - sessments, curriculum maps, and related career activities. The process included discipline-specific curriculum-writing 3 A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2009

2009 in review The Berks Business Education Coali - consortium represents the counties of Berks, tion, with the support of business part - Carbon, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Monroe, ners, continued to assist member schools Northampton, Wayne, and Pike. in the pursuit of improved student achievement and career success. The The Coalition funded the creation of a series of goals of the Coalition adopted by the Middle School Planners to foster career develop - board of directors continued to focus on ment in the middle grades. The series of booklets efforts to improve career planning, aca - were developed by teachers and career counselors demic performance, and higher education from the schools and included age-appropriate enrollment for students in Berks County. activities related to career planning built around The programs listed below continue to Pennsylvania’s Career Education and Work Stan - advance the goals of the Coalition. dards. The booklets were published and distributed to all of the member districts in Berks County. Career Pathways Copies of the planners can be downloaded from The Career Pathways Strategic Team the Berks Career Pathways website at met throughout the year to set priorities www.berkscareerpathways.com. and assist member schools in providing quality career development programs for BerksWorks their students. School representatives re - BerksWorks, a web-based resource to connect Kutztown quested assistance in integrating career students with employers was launched in early students are consistently standards into the academic curriculum 2009 through the partnership of the Coalition, using BerksWorks to of the schools. The Berks County Inter - the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and research local area mediate Unit utilized resources from a Industry, Keystone Innovation Zone, the Berks employers for internships. federal grant of $85,000 to facilitate the County Community Foundation and the Penn Many students also take development of model curriculum and State University, Berks Campus. Berks Works is an classes while interning, so standard assessments in English, mathe - online database designed to connect students with a quality experience within matics, and writing, to include the inte - employers who offer internships, cooperative work driving distance to gration of career standards and activities. experiences, or other career-development opportu - campus is what they need, This activity involved 55 teachers from nities. College and high school students use and BerksWorks delivers! 12 school districts in Berks County. The BerksWorks to identify opportunities with local It has become of great curriculum was developed utilizing the companies and organizations. Employers utilize benefit to area students Pennsylvania Department of Education’s BerksWorks to advertise internship and other and employers. Standards aligned System format. The work-based opportunities to students in college curriculum will be offered to all of the and high school. Kerri G. Gardi, Director school districts in the county, both elec - Career Development Center In addition, schools and students can utilize the tronically and in hard copy. Kutztown University of PA tool to locate resources for other career-related The Coalition was fortunate, also, to activities, including career days, job shadowing, receive federal grant funds to augment or facility tours. Currently 3,872 employers are the development of a consortium of busi - listed in the database; 622 students are registered; ness education partnerships throughout and 92 job postings are listed. In addition, 134 eastern Pennsylvania. Currently, the con - active postings and 298 archived postings are sortium represents seven separate 501 (c) listed. Career activities are listed, including 210 (3) non-profit business education part - job shadowing opportunities, 91 career speakers, nerships that meet on a regular basis to and 34 facility tours. Currently, in addition to the share best practices across the region and employer contacts, which number 4,516, there are leverage resources where possible. The 287 users registered on the system. 4 Annual Report 2009 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works

As you know, changing schools requires a change of mind. We have seen incredible changes of mind as the consortium of districts move from a loose concept of how to use data to inform decisions to a more measurable and accountable process using the data from the technologies provided by Performance Plus. Each district has focused on using the assessment data to establish goals and then make important curricular decisions that ultimately lead to improved student performance. The data retreat held in fall 2009 was the culmination of a year’s focus on setting measurable goals, monitoring results, and planning for improvement. As a result, the 2009-2010 school year has started off with a more clear and concise use of data to set goals and monitor results.

Jeff Colosimo Vice President, Performance PLUS

Inside Berks Business Performance Plus The Coalition also continued its support of Performance Plus, formerly Performance Path -

Inside Berks Business, a program sponsored by the ways, is a program supported by the Coalition and w Berks County Intermediate Unit that provides utilized by most of the member districts in Berks educators with workplace learning experiences. County. The innovation provides educators with e

During summer 2009, twenty-nine educators, tools and expertise to make informed decisions i representing the majority of the school districts in about instructional modifications that may be nec -

Berks County, participated in the one-week sum - essary to continuously improve student achieve - v mer internship. The program was a huge success, ment. SunGard Systems, the Berks County and a goal was established by the steering commit - Intermediate Unit, and the Coalition provided aid e tee to expand the program for 2010 to accommo - to member school districts throughout the year in date 40 educators. implementing this initiative. Assistance included r the facilitation of a “Critical Factors” analysis tool The Coalition also financed the inclusion of a

to assist districts in assessing their degree of imple - n Career Gates video series on the Berks Career

mentation of the initiative, and helping the dis - i Pathways website. This video series represents tricts to formulate action plans for staff training many of the high priority occupations found in and development. The Coalition provided finan - Pennsylvania and provides information on those r cial support to districts for professional develop - careers to prospective students.

ment and the facilitation of “data retreats,” a The Coalition was also the recipient of a wherein teachers and administrators were coached

$55,000 grant from the Pa. Department of Labor in the interpretation of student assessment data e and Industry in cooperation with the Berks and the modification of curriculum and instruc -

County Workforce Investment Board. Resources tion to enhance student achievement. y from the grant assisted programs including BerksWorks, Inside Berks Business, Middle School Planners, and other Career Pathways activities. 5 A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2009

goals and objectives 2009

To support member schools in their efforts to facilitate the improvement of student academic performance.

• The Coalition will support member schools in the utilization of SAS inSchool software, a Web-based curriculum resource in the core academic areas. • The Coalition will support member schools in the implementation of Performance Pathways, an innovation designed to improve student achievement by informing the modification of curriculum and instruction through the use of student assessment data.

To support member schools in their efforts to increase the interest in and pursuit of higher education for all students in Berks County.

• To facilitate dialog between basic and higher educa - tion administration and faculty designed to achieve the stated goal. • To facilitate high school student visits to Berks County college campuses. • To facilitate an ongoing exchange of ideas between high school and college faculty targeted toward enhancing the college preparedness of incoming college students.

I have found that BerksWorks is being utilized by Alvernia University In a very busy career services center, I find that Berks students in a surprisingly short time after being introduced. Perhaps a niche in that it is great to have so many local interns a third of our students are from the immediate region, and they very shared by the five institutions of higher learning in the much want internships in the counties surrounding Berks. Even organization also fosters a feeling of shared resources those that are from across the nation or international often still want communication among the colleges which can only be to find internships that are close to campus. students and graduates - not to mention the surround

Jen Gittings-Dalton | Coordinator of Career Services, |

6 Annual Report 2009 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works

Performance Pathways provides us with the ability to use our data to improve educational programs and instruction. The reports generated in Performance Tracker are used to disaggregate the data and determine trends occurring in our subgroups. Teachers feel comfortable using the reports to find root causes and to target instruction that meets student needs using Assessment Builder.

Barbara E. Davis Director of Curriculum and Instruction Tulpehocken Area School District

To support member schools, employers and community-based organizations in providing quality K-12 career development programs for students in Berks County.

• The Coalition will support member schools throughout the year in offering training sessions on career resources and strategies to enhance career instruction. • The Coalition will facilitate and support the implementation and enhancement of a countywide internship program called BerksWorks for high school and college students.

To provide for the viability and sustainability of Coalition programs and services.

• To pursue grant opportunities in consort with the mission of the Coalition and in support of member schools and employers. • To facilitate communication among Coalition members and promote membership in the Coalition Works does serve through the enhancement of the BBEC’s communica - ships in one spot, tion tools, including the Web site, newsletters, and e county. The annual report. s and • To facilitate an evaluation of programs and activities of enefit all of our the Coalition on an annual basis, and to recommend ing community . modifications where recommended and appropriate. Alvernia University

7 A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2009

operation of the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Marketing to employers continues to be ongoing. The current number of employers in the database is 3,872; the total num - ber of employer contacts in the database is 4,516.

The Berks Business Education Coali - tion, in partnership with the Berks County Community Foundation, the Greater Marketing continues to college students in Reading Chamber of Commerce and In - ongoing through the career services offices of each of dustry through a grant from the Common - the Berks County colleges and . A web - wealth of Pennsylvania, the Ben Franklin site at www.berksworks.org describes the program Technology Development Authority via and encourages participation. Bulletin board market - the Greater Reading Keystone Innovation ing materials were also developed and distributed to Zone and Penn State University, Berks each of the colleges and universities. Currently, 622 Campus, provided funding and support for college students are registered in the database. the development and implementation of a The BerksWorks program is also providing serv - county-wide internship program called ices to high school students through counselor con - BerksWorks. The resource is made avail - tacts in each of the 18 public schools districts and 2 able through “Career Services Manage - parochial high schools. Training has been provided ment System,” a web-enabled software to counselors in most of the schools, and school dis - program provided by Symplicity Corpora - tricts are utilizing BerksWorks to obtain job shad - tion. The software is a robust career man - owing opportunities, internships, facility tours, and agement tool that includes both employer guest speakers. The software provides employers the and student data bases. The software is also opportunity to identify the types of activities that currently utilized by Penn State University It is clear Berks County is they are willing to participate in and provide a at University Park and all of its branch working hard to keep its contact for the school representatives to access the campuses for the purpose of managing workforce local with a resource. School districts are utilizing BerksWorks college internships. new countywide to supplement their career programs in the schools internship and job The program was officially launched in by contacting employers to provide work-based shadowing initiative. December 2008 with the hiring of Clare experiences and information for elementary, mid - BerksWorks is an Kilpatrick Benz, a full-time coordinator dle, and high school students. invaluable advising tool! whose office is located on the Penn State In the short period of time it has been operating, When working with Berks campus. A part-time support person the BerksWorks program has accomplished its initial students, I find using a was also hired to maintain the database goal of establishing a rich and robust employer and shared countywide software and to provide support to Clare in student database connecting employers and students internship and job the discharge of her responsibilities. The for work-based experiences, including internships. shadowing site to be initial objective of the program was to pop - The activity on the BerksWorks site has been brisk, extremely helpful. Now ulate the employer database, notify employ - with employer postings exceeding 325. Career activi - students in Berks County ers of the opportunity, and encourage them ties also have been posted by employers and include colleges and high schools to utilize the resource to find college interns. 210 opportunities for job shadowing, 91 career can find corporate All five colleges in Berks County provided speaker postings, and 34 facility tours offered. Em - contacts and internships their employer databases for use in Berks ployer contacts on the system have grown to 4,516. in one web location. Works. Employer databases from the col - More than 280 educators have been registered to uti - leges were imported into BerksWorks; all of lize the system for counseling high school students. Tish Jepsen, M.Ed. the employers were notified of the import Coordinator of and asked if they wanted to participate in More information on BerksWorks is available at Career Services the BerksWorks program. Any employer www.berksworks.org. You are encouraged to visit who declined was removed from the data - this site and recommend it to anyone interested in base. Presentations were provided to many supporting the goal of providing more career infor - 8 different employer groups through the co - mation to the youth of Berks County. Annual Report 2009 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works

Operations 2009 2008 Operating Income: Business/Foundations 52,124 53,550 Education 10,750 10,750 Interest on Savings 534 6,368 financial Program Operating Support 41,843 23,750 Total Operating Income $105,251 $94,418 repFinanocial Srtatet ment – Operating Expenses: Calendar 2009 and 2008 Salaries and Benefits 72,725 78,150 Other Operating Supplies and Expenses 35,107 31,090 Total Operating Expenses $107,832 $109,240

Operating Gain (Loss) ($2,582) ($14,822)

2008 Operating Income

Program Operating Support Programs 2009 2008 % 25 Business Program Funding: Foundation Business (Ed Impvt Tax Credit Contrib.) 61,908 63,000 Interest on 57 % State and Federal Funding 81,103 65,248 7% Savings Foundation 70,000 Education Total Program Funding $143,011 $198,248 11 % Program Expenditures: SAS in School Project 73,123 53,000 Career Education Partnership Project 52,232 73,625 Wall Street West 29,359 2009 Operating Income BerksWorks 70,000 Total Program Expenditures $154,713 $196,625

Program Gain (Loss) (11,702) 1,623 Program Business Total Gain (Loss) ($14,283) ($13,199) Operating Foundation Support 50 % Financial Position 40 % Total Assets - Cash and Investments $314,395 $410,261

Less Assets Deferred 10 % for Future Program Projects ($262,468) ($344,050) Education

Assets/Equity available for Operations $51,927 $66,211

9 A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2009

Fulton Bank/Great Mr. Philip Rowe, Jr. Valley Division Mr. Rolf Schmidt Giant Food Stores, LLC Schuylkill Valley Here at Southern Middle Governor Mifflin School District School, we are working Alvernia College School District SFS intec, Inc. very hard to close Antietam School District Greater Reading Chamber the achievement gap. Stevens & Lee Automotive Services, Inc. of Commerce & Industry Currently we use many Susquehanna Beard Miller Co., LLP Hamburg Area Bancshares Inc. different resources and School District Berks Career & Tray-Pak Corporation databases to house our Mr. Thomas Handwerk materials, resources, and Technology Center Tulpehocken Area Herbein + Company assessments. We realize Berks County School District that using Performance Community Foundation Hofmann Industries Twin Valley School District Pathways will centralize our Berks County Home Builders Association UGI Utilities, Inc. Intermediate Unit of Berks County student data and planned Verizon courses, as well as link Berks Technical Institute J. F. Horrigan, Jr. Wachovia them to the appropriate Bills Khakis, Inc. Kutztown Area eligible content. We are School District Weidenhammer Boscov’s Department Store Systems Corporation excited about the evident Kutztown University Boyertown Area Wilson School District alignment of Performance School District M&T Bank Pathways components, such Wyomissing Area Brandywine Heights Area Met-Ed, a First Energy School District as Assessment Builder and School District Company Tech Pathways, to the six- E. J. Breneman, Inc. Muhlenberg School District part structure of the Brentwood Industries National Penn Bank Standards Aligned System for Student Achievement. We C.H. Briggs Offset Impressions, Inc. Hardware Company embrace the opportunity to Oley Valley School District use Performance Pathways Cabot Corporation Olsen Design Group and its components to Carpenter Technology Pace Institute Corporation increase student Penn State Berks achievement and school Community Banks Co. improvement. Connors Investor Services, Inc. Performance Sports Apparel, Inc. Conrad Weiser Area School District Quality Investment Castings, Inc. Joel T. Brigel Daniel Boone Area Principal School District Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products Southern Middle School Diocese of Allentown Reading Area East Penn Manufacturing Community College Company, Inc. Reading Electric Easter Seals Eastern PA Reading Hospital & J.C. Ehrlich Company Inc. Medical Center Elge Precision Machining Reading Precast EnerSys, Inc. Exeter Township Reading Muhlenberg Career School District & Technology Center Fleetwood Area David W. Rohrbach School District

10 Annual Report 2009 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works

board members director s Richard Bashore emeritus Reading Electric Dr. Roger S. Hertz Dr. Thomas R. Chapman officers (retired) Reading School District CHAIRMAN Berks County James Connors Marlin Miller, Jr. Intermediate Unit Former Chairman & CEO Connors Investor Carolyn H. Holleran Services Inc. Arrow International, Inc. Jerlyn Foundation John D. Craig VICE CHAIRMAN John F. Horrigan, Jr. EnerSys, Inc. Dr. John George (retired) Rhoda E. Dersh Executive Director Horrigan Pace Management, Inc. Berks County American, Inc. Intermediate Unit Dr. Paul B. Eaken Dr. James E. Morrell Fleetwood Area (retired) School District TREASURER Paul R. Roedel Muhlenberg Philip J. Fromuth Former CEO & President School District Diocese of Allentown Carpenter Technology Dr. Gust Zogas Brian Hard Corporation (retired) Penske Truck Reading Area Leasing Company SECRETARY Community College Ellen T. Horan Alan Ottinger Greater Reading PA Precision Chamber of Cast Parts, Inc. Commerce & Industry EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Steven P. Keifer Hamburg Area Dr. Robert Runkle School District Berks Business Education Coalition Dr. Solomon Lausch Schuylkill Valley School District William Long, Sr. M&T Bank Steve Schumacher Dr. Anna Weitz Sallie Miksiewicz Met-Ed, Reading Area East Penn a FirstEnergy Company Community College Manufacturing Bruce G. Smith Chester M. Winters Dr. Susan Phillips Speece National Penn Bank Worldnet Technology Penn State Berks Consultants, Inc. John Weidenhammer Roger Schmidt Weidenhammer Systems Scott R. Wolfe, Sr. E.J. Breneman Corporation Reading Hospital & Medical Center Rolf D. Schmidt Dr. Mary T. Weiss Performance Governor Mifflin Dr. Jeffrey F. Zackon Sports Apparel School District Oley Valley School District

11 goprpoorwtuniitien s 

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

www.berksbec.org 960 Old Mill Road Wyomissing PA 19610 Phone: 610-372-6114 Fax: 610-372-7626