Significant gains in student achievement have garnered a national award for Propel McKeesport charter school, along with $100,000 in cash for its staff.

The school today will be named as the recipient of a "gold gain" award from the Effective Practice Incentive Community initiative.

Propel McKeesport is the only charter school in the nation to win an EPIC gold gain award from among a pool of 89 schools.

"Propel McKeesport had the highest gain in achievement on test scores by a dramatic margin over the other schools who submitted data," said Allison Jack, EPIC charter school grant director.

In grades 3 through 7, 94 percent of Propel students scored proficient or advanced in math on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams in 2008-09, and 77 percent in reading. In math in grades 5 through 6, 100 percent of the students scored proficient or advanced the same year.

The school was able to achieve these scores despite the fact that more than 85 percent of its 385 students in grades K-8 are eligible for federal free or reduced lunches, 73 percent are minorities and 13 percent are in special education.

Last year the school won a "silver gain" award, but the past year's test scores pushed the school into the gold category, Ms. Jack said.

The $100,000 in cash will be divided among the Propel McKeesport staff. The principal will get $12,000, the assistant principal $8,000, each teacher $4,000 and instructional aides $2,000, Ms. Jack said.

Among the other charter schools in the competition were those operated by Aspire Public Schools, Green Dot Public Schools and the Knowledge is Power Program.

EPIC was established in 2006 by New Leaders for New Schools, an organization to identify schools that show significant student gains and to reward performance. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Incentive Fund and private donors.

Schools that receive EPIC awards work with the New Leaders program to share their effective practices.

Propel McKeesport Principal Tina Chekan attributed the success of the school to Propel's professional development program, the collaborative culture among the teachers and their mission to teach to each student's needs.

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