Pa. Department of Education Releases List of Low-Achieving Schools

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As required by law, the Department of Education today published the list of low-achieving schools in which students, who live within the schools' boundaries, may be eligible to apply for a scholarship through the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program.

Last year, Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program to provide low- and moderate-income students in low-achieving schools the opportunity to obtain a scholarship to attend a participating public or nonpublic school.

As required by the law, the list of schools contains the lowest-achieving 15 percent of elementary schools and the lowest-achieving 15 percent of secondary schools, based on combined math and reading scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment from the 2011-12 school year.

Career and technology centers as well as charter schools are not included on the list.