Schools

What Makes USC School District Number One (Again)

Superintendent Patrick O'Toole reacts to the Pittsburgh Business Times school rankings.

Superintendent Patrick O'Toole was pleased to learn that the district was .

"It's something our community should be proud of," he said. "It started decades ago, the community is built around the school district. We as leaders have a legacy and responsibility to maintain that."

"It's the parents, the administration, our wonderful staff and our kids who execute," said Amy Billerbeck, school board member. "I'm really so proud that it's been seven years in a row—it's really amazing. Quite the accomplishment."

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The newspaper's rankings are based on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Exam results. But O'Toole said Upper St. Clair's success comes from more than just good testing skills.

"We are so proud of those test scores, but we're so much more than that," he said. "Our strategic plan emphasizes our commitment to students beyond test scores as we address the whole child, technology integration and preparing our students for an interconnected world.

Find out what's happening in Upper St. Clairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"You keep hearing on TV how public education is broke and keeps getting fed money. I know we prove that wrong. Our kids perform at a high level. We should be a model for other people (school districts) to follow," he said.

What do you think contributes to Upper St. Clair's number one ranking seven years in a row? Tell us in the comments.


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