Frequently Asked Questions 2011-2012
Are Phase 2, 3 and 1B districts’ schools “in improvement” required to document and submit improvement plans using www.pasip.org?
No. The www.pasip.org website is now a source of information and a location from which to download documents. All schools “in improvement” are now required to use the offline School Level Planning Guide to direct the Getting Results process and to provide a place to document aspects of improvement plans that will be copied into the Comprehensive Planning web application when it is available in the spring (proposed launch date is May 1, 2012).
Will all schools be following the same timeline during the 2011-2012 school improvement cycle?
Yes. All schools required to submit improvement plans to PDE must do so by midnight on July 1, 2012. All schools implementing improvement plans for the 2011-2012 year must USPS-mail a completed SIP Implementation Assurance document to PDE no later than October 30, 2011.
Is it true that schools assigned Warning status have to develop a school improvement plan?
Yes. Schools that did not make AYP in 2011 and are in Warning will have to develop and submit a school improvement plan to PDE by July 1, 2012.
Are Title I schools assigned either a 2010 Warning or Making Progress status who make AYP in 2011 required to implement the plan submitted in the summer of 2011?
No. Under the parameters established by PDE in response to NCLB guidelines, such schools are no longer “in improvement” and are not required to implement the plans submitted in the summer of 2011.
Which schools are required to send an AYP status notification letter to parents at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year?
All Title I schools implementing an improvement plan, which is on record with PDE, for the 2011-2012 school year must send a letter to parents notifying them of the school’s AYP status as well as other required notifications—see the assurances section of the School Level Planning Guide that can be downloaded from the Home Page of www.pasip.org.
How will principals get their log in credentials (username and password)?
Log in credentials are in AYP status notification letters that were mailed to each principal in early October.
Can I use the username and password I have been using during the past school year and summer?
Yes. The credentials printed in the AYP status letter will be the same credentials principals have been using.
What can I do if I forget my username or password?
There are several links on various www.pasip.org pages to online Help. An email requesting the information can be sent to pasip@dciu.org.
Can passwords be reset?
Yes. Principals have the option to change their username and password on their My Account page at www.pasip.org. Principals new to school improvement planning who will log in on www.pasip.org for the first time will be directed to a My Account page where they can change both username and password.
What if I’m a new principal to my school and the former principal’s credentials are contained in the AYP status letter that I received?
Use the credentials in the letter to log in on www.pasip.org. Go to the My Account page and change your name, email address, username and password. Be sure to verify that your information has also been changed in EdNA, PDE’s database of educational names and addresses. Changing this information on the My Account page at www.pasip.org does not change the information for your school in EdNA.
Will Central Office Staff be provided log in credentials to view pre-populated data as well as other information that a school might enter in www.pasip.org?
No. Only superintendents will be given a username and password to access plans for all schools in the district.
What do I do if I do not understand something about the Getting Results process, Comprehensive Planning, school improvement matters in general, and/or using the offline School Level Planning Guide?
Contact your local IU. Each IU has at least one individual with primary responsibility for assisting schools “in improvement.”
Why are there pages on www.pasip.org that appear to be able to be used to document school improvement plans?
Some schools want to be able to document changes in plans that were submitted during the summer of 2011, so that those changes can be printed out and distributed. Some districts require that schools submit improvement plans in the fall that describe what the school intends to do during the remainder of the school year—www.pasip.org can be used by these schools to document these types of improvement plans. Schools “in improvement” and required to develop and submit plans to PDE by July 1, 2012 should NOT use www.pasip.org for this purpose. Schools required to submit plans to PDE should use the offline School Level Planning Guide to direct the development of the plan and as a place to document initial findings for the plan; these schools must use the Comprehensive Planning web application (proposed launch date: May 1, 2012) to document and submit final drafts of school improvement plans to PDE.