The Steel Valley School District administration and building principals hosted an informational Educational Leadership Meeting on Wednesday, February 12 to provide updates to families and community members on academic performance, student supports and resources, and more.

Superintendent Bryan M. Macuga welcomed those in attendance and provided an overview of district initiatives and priorities. Mr. Macuga noted that the district has made notable progress in some areas, and that the district has also identified areas in which it still needs to improve and grow. The priority remains ensuring that the district can meet and serve students where they are while positioning the district for the future.

Some of the highlights from Mr. Macuga's introduction included:

• A review of the establishment of a new Informationa Technology department, led by Dan McCarriar, over the summer. This move - along with the move of several other departments in-house - was done to best serve students and staff.
• The district has implemented new curriculum following the completion of pilot programs with those series. Into Math and Into Reading are now part of the district curriculum, and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brian Plichta is conducting a full curriculum review.
• Mr. Macuga noted that the district's new, in-house Pre-K program has been an initial success. Registration is open for the 2025-26 school year and the district expects the program to grow further.

• The district has added a school social worker and a secondary campus school counselor to help provide continued support to students and famlies in need. The district also continues to work on enhancing its Student Assistance Program.
• Mr. Macuga also thanked the district's long-standing community partners for the services they provide to students, staff, and families. Organizations like the Best of the Batch Foundation, TCV, and MUSA provide important services to families, while the Dragon's Den and Carnegie Library of Homestead offer valuable resources. The district also has a positive collaboration with the district magistrate to monitor truancy and attendance, and appreciates the collaborative efforts with local law enforcement.

Following his update, Mr. Macuga turned to the rest of the administration team and asked them to provide updates on their departments and schools.

• Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brian Plichta shared information about curriculum and the use of academic performance data. He also detailed the upcoming transition to the STEELS science standards, which were adopted by the state a couple of years ago and will be integrated into the classroom next school year.
• Director of Pupil Services Ms. Melissa Cheslock detailed some of the professional development that emotional support teachers and other staff have been undertaking. Her department is also working to update the ways the district identifies potential gifted students by improving and enhancing the gifted assessment process.
• Mr. Olando Dulin, the district's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, shared some of the ways the district is working to provide tools and resources to help students of all socialize better with their peers, as well as explore their passions and identify potential careers earlier in the process. Mr. Dulin said that success coaches are also working with seniors to help them prepare for the transition out of high school to the next stage of their lives.

Each of the building principals also provided an update on the various initiatives and points of emphasis within their schools:

• Park Elementary Principal Dr. Thomas Shaughnessy highlighted the school's recent academic performance and its on-going partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The program brings visiting artists into the school to help reinforce academic concepts in fun and creative ways. 
• Park has also been utilizing Satchel Pulse, a resource designed to help students with social-emotional learning.

• Barrett Elementary Principal Mrs. Kimberly Winters said her first year was focused on safety and building procedures, while this year has been an emphasis on attendance. Barrett staff has been working with students to help them understand their academic performance, to set goals and achieve them, and then set new goals. 
• Barrett is also giving its students increased opportunities to learn from each other by increasing the amount of shared classroom time regular education and special education students have together.

• Middle School Principal Mr. Clay Stone said the priority has been establishing consistency in the building after several years of administrative turnover. The middle school staff has worked closely with the elementary school administration to construct similar schedules so that fifth graders can make an easier transition to middle school and to reflect the new K-5 and 6-8 alignment the district will have once the new elementary school is open. 
• Mr. Stone added the middle school has increased its focus on inclusion to ensure students with disabilities and IEPs have more opportunities to be with their peers and be involved in activities. 

• High School Principal Mr. John Strom shared details about the ways the high school staff helps prepare students for life after high school, whether that's transitioning to college or entering the workforce. This process includes the use of interest surveys to help students identify and understand their ideal path. 
• The high school offers eight College in High School courses which - if completed - could provide students up to 24 college credits from the University of Pittsburgh. The high school is exploring the addition of a new English course that would offer up to six credits next year. 
• Mr. Strom also shared that the high school has 64 students enrolled in the Steel Center for Technical Education, the highest enrollment the district has ever had. Because of the high enrollment, he is working with Steel Center to explore potentially adding afternoon sessions for Steel Valley students.

The evening closed with a question and answer session with those in attendance. Details about possible future Educational Leadership Meetings will be shared at a later date. Anyone with questions or seeking additional details about information shared at the meeting is encouraged to reach out directly to a member of the administration or their building principal.