Making Ideas Happen
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MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN ANNUAL REPORT 2014 2. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014 John P. Weidenhammer Chairman, Berks Business Education Coalition Looking Ahead As we complete the 23rd year and we share our gratitude for their in- nesses for a one week summer intern- since the founding of BBEC, much sight and thoughtful leadership. ship, providing participants with a real has changed. We elected a new world look at today’s business environ- This year, BBEC continued two slate of officers to lead the Coali- ment and exposure to the skills being important programs targeted to Berks tion and expand initiatives. What sought by local employers. We had 23 County ninth grade students. We has not changed, however, is the educators representing 13 school districts organized visits to our five Berks County mission of BBEC to foster collabo- and Berks Catholic High School en- colleges and universities. Students ration, conversation, and under- gaged at 14 businesses and organizations. obtained a first-hand exposure to college standing among the business and Each teacher received a $500 stipend and learned that there is a place in post- the education communities of from the Coalition. Berks County. The Coalition con- secondary education for everyone. tinues on solid financial footing due We also arranged visits to Berks busi- We welcomed three new directors to to the ongoing support of our prime nesses to expose students to the culture, our Board this past year: Jeannine constituencies and the efforts of expectations, and opportunities in the O’Neill-Rohrbach, CPA, Corporate prior leadership toward ensuring workplace. The overall object of both Comptroller, Brentwood Industries, Inc.; adequate financial reserves. programs is to jump-start students’ Khalid Mumin, Ed.D., Superintendent, thinking about their future and to Reading School; and, Jill Hackman, Isaac Newton, in his letter to consider their life path and plan. Ed.D., Executive Director, Berks County Thomas Hooke, said “If I have Intermediate Unit. We are delighted seen further than others, it is by We are fortunate to have a new, with their willingness to serve. standing upon the shoulders of strong slate of officers guiding BBEC as giants.” Newton, of course was well as a very capable executive director With a new Pennsylvania Governor referring to the other scientists, in Sol Lausch. New officers include: Jill we may see changes in the funding philosophers and visionaries that Hackman Ed.D., vice chairman, Execu- model for public education. BBEC will had prepared the framework for his tive Director, Berks County Intermedi- monitor changes at the state and advo- life and work. Likewise, the BBEC ate Unit; Jeff Rush, treasurer, Senior cate for fairness and equity. Additionally, is successful today because of the Executive Vice President, Fulton Bank; we will explore our potential role in ad- work done by its founders. As your and, Al Ottinger, secretary, Quality vocating for expanded pre-K learning new chairman I cannot sufficiently Investment Castings, Inc. We thank options, particularly for at-risk students. thank the founders for their contri- John George for his service to the We are grateful for our financial sup- butions. Marlin Miller and Paul Coalition. John resigned after many porters, including those contributing a Roedel retired as officers of BBEC years of service to assume his new role portion of their EITC funds to BBEC. at the end of 2013 respectively as as Executive Director, Montgomery chairman and treasurer. While County Intermediate Unit. Good luck, One small step at a time BBEC is many have consistently contributed John, in your new endeavor. making a difference. Our important to our success, Marlin and Paul de- work could not be accomplished without In 2014, we again worked with the serve special mention. Our commu- the generous support and friendship of so Berks County Intermediate Unit to nity has benefited from their efforts many in our community. place Berks teachers with local busi- John P. Weidenhammer Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 3. Pennsylvania School Performance Profile Berks County School Districts 2013-14 School Year 2013-2014 School Year The Pennsylvania Department of Education has SCHOOL DISTRICT PERFORMANCE developed the Pennsylvania School Performance PROFILE Profile (PSPP) for each public school and each Antietam School District 70.5 publicly chartered school in Pennsylvania. Pursuant to Act 82 of 2012, the PSPP became Boyertown Area School District 87.2 fully operational in December 2013. Brandywine Heights Area School District 81.2 Conrad Weiser Area School District 81.2 The profiles are smartly organized and present an array of useful information for the inter- Daniel Boone Area School District 81.8 ested, discerning reader. The Pennsylvania Exeter Township School District 84.5 School Performance Profile website is readily Fleetwood Area School District 79.0 accessed and easy to navigate. Governor Mifflin School District 83.8 Each school’s profile is presented as a score Hamburg Area School District 80.7 ranging from 0 to 100. A score of 70 or higher I-LEAD Charter School 33.5 is satisfactory. The score is the cumulative Kutztown Area School District 83.7 calculation of seven weighted indicators. Two indicators, academic achievement and a Muhlenberg School District 72.9 measure of academic growth constitute 80% of Oley Valley School District 75.1 the score. Other indicators, including cohort Reading School District 60.9 graduation rate, attendance rate, and a measure of closing the achievement gap for historically Schuylkill Valley School District 79.6 underperforming students, constitute the Tulpehocken Area School District 81.0 remaining 20% of the profile score. Twin Valley School District 80.9 Wilson School District 86.2 The information at right is for the 18 Berks County school districts and the I-LEAD Wyomissing Area School District 83.8 Charter School in Reading. The district “performance profile” is the mean average of the building level scores for each of the FIND OUT MORE AT: schools in the district. paschoolperformance.org 4. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014 2014 Ninth graders om Muhlenberg Middle School donned protective gear as they toured and interacted with employees at Carpenter Technology. YEAR IN REVIEW Students Interacting with Business As students enter high school, the reality that adulthood looms in just a few short years begins to set in. But they are still only 14 or 15 years old, with all the insecurity and fledging surety that marks these years. This program should be in every school in For the adults in their lives, these can the country, not just the county. It is a prime be challenging times but opportunities example of people and groups connecting present also. We have the responsibility as toward prosperity and leadership. This parents, as teachers, and as community program is one of the quadruple winners. members to provide guidance, insight and It’s a winner for the school. It’s a winner for a foundation for a satisfying adulthood. the businesses. It’s a winner for the Keeping with its founding charge 23 years community. But most especially, it’s a ago, the Berks Business Education winner for the students. Coalition focuses much of its energy on supporting programs which foster career exploration. This past September 23-26, Dr. C.J. Rhoads 2014 the Berks Business Education CEO Coalition facilitated the second annual HPL Consortium, Inc. Students Interacting with Business program. More than 4,000 ninth and tenth graders from 15 of the 18 Berks County school districts and the I-LEAD Charter School engaged in a set of activities throughout the course of one week to learn first-hand about how a business operates and about the attributes an employer looks for in a prospective employee. Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 5. Boyertown Area Senior High School tenth graders visited Sealstrip Corporation on Students Interacting with Business day. The weeklong event is truly a 65 professionals leading 100 Students community-wide endeavor: 18 afternoon review sessions; and morning assemblies, each presented hundreds of teachers, counselors, Interacting by a business professional; 70 site administrators and business with Business visits to one of 21 businesses, in employees engaged otherwise groups ranging from 30-80 students; to make each day happen. STUDENTS INTERACTING WITH BUSINESS This experience really helps SEPT. 22-26, 2014 the students to realize how PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES they should be preparing in Antietam Middle-Senior High School Alcon Research, Ltd. order to be successful in the Boyertown Area Senior High School Brentwood Industries world of work. It’s very Brandywine Heights High School Cabela’s beneficial for them to hear Conrad Weiser High School Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC firsthand what an employer is Daniel Boone Area High School Carpenter Technology Corporation looking for when they are Fleetwood Area High School East Penn Manufacturing Co. going to hire someone. Governor Mifflin Senior High School EnerSys Hamburg Area High School Met-Ed, A FirstEnergy Company I-LEAD Charter School National Penn Kutztown Area Senior High School Penske Truck Leasing Co. Muhlenberg High School Pottstown Medical Center Oley Valley High School Quadrant EPP USA, Inc. Beth Burnham Reading Intermediate