Preparing Students for the FUTURE, 

Not Just the Next Grade

As we close out the 2025–2026 school year, we are proud to reflect on the meaningful growth and progress of our students across all grade levels at Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship and the continued journey of strengthening learning across our school community.

Across our K–8 school, students have grown as learners who are building the academic knowledge, skills, habits, and mindsets needed to become independent, confident, and innovative thinkers. This year, our focus has been on helping students better understand their learning, take more ownership, and stay actively engaged in their growth.

Helping Students Understand Their Learning

This year, classrooms were designed to help students clearly understand what they were learning and why it mattered. Teachers focused lessons around clear learning goals so students could better recognize what they were working toward each day.

Students also saw a shift in how assignments were named and explained, helping them focus less on “what they were doing” and more on “what they were learning.” This helped students better understand the purpose behind their work.

Throughout the year, teachers regularly checked in on student understanding during lessons through class discussions, quick questions, and short reflections. These moments helped teachers adjust instruction in real time and provide support when students needed it most.

Students were also given regular opportunities to reflect on their learning, revise their work, and show improvement through reassessment, helping them better understand their progress and continue growing over time. This helped students build stronger awareness of themselves as learners.

To support consistency across classrooms, students also used common tools that helped them understand expectations and see their own growth more clearly.

Supporting Fair and Consistent Learning Expectations

We continued to focus on ensuring that student grades reflect real learning and progress. Across all grade levels, students were given multiple opportunities to show what they know and how they are growing over time.

Our goal is simple: that grades reflect student learning in a fair, clear, and meaningful way.

Helping Students Stay Engaged in Their Learning

This year, students were more actively involved in their learning than ever before. They set goals, reflected on their progress, and received ongoing feedback from their teachers to help them grow.

Students were also given regular opportunities to reflect on their learning, revise their work, and show improvement through reassessment, helping them better understand their progress and continue growing over time.

We also met the needs of all learners through CORE Intervention Time built into each Math and ELA class each day. During this time, students received targeted support, had opportunities to practice skills, or were challenged with enrichment activities based on their individual learning needs in the moment.

When students understand where they are and where they are going, they become more engaged and confident learners. We also saw that this stronger engagement often connects to better attendance, stronger behavior, and increased academic growth.

In many ways, when students feel connected to their learning, they show up differently—more focused, more motivated, and more willing to try.

Strengthening Learning Across All Classrooms

Across the school, teachers worked together to ensure students experienced consistent, high-quality instruction. This helped students know what to expect and supported stronger learning from classroom to classroom.

We also focused on helping students build both strong foundational skills and deeper understanding of important concepts. In addition, assessments were intentionally planned throughout the year to support learning and guide instruction.

This year, students also experienced a stronger focus on entrepreneurial thinking in their core classes, along with continued growth in our MicroSociety curriculum.

Preparing Students for What Comes Next

Whether students are just beginning their school journey or preparing for high school, our goal remains the same: to help them grow into capable, confident learners.

This includes strong skills in reading and math, but also the ability to think independently, solve problems, communicate clearly, work with others, and keep going even when learning becomes challenging.

These are the skills that prepare students not just for the next grade—but for life beyond the classroom.

We are incredibly proud of the growth our students have made this year. We are also deeply grateful to our families and staff for the partnership, support, and care that make this work possible.

As we continue to grow as a school community, our commitment remains clear: to prepare every student not just for the next grade level, but for a future filled with opportunity, confidence, and success.